Descending Stairs Offers Muscle Benefits With Less Strain, Doctor Says

Stair climbing is widely recognized for its health benefits, but a recent analysis highlights that descending stairs also offers significant advantages, particularly for certain individuals. Dr. Li Sixian, a physician at Linhao Western Medicine Clinic, points out that both climbing and descending stairs engage large muscle groups, stimulating both muscular strength and cardiorespiratory systems.

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Climbing stairs is a form of brief interval training. It requires large muscle groups to exert force, causing heart rate to rise rapidly and then recover, which is an effective stimulus for the cardiorespiratory system.

A comprehensive meta-analysis integrating nine studies and over 480,000 participants revealed that regular stair climbers experience a 39% reduction in cardiovascular mortality and a 24% decrease in all-cause mortality. Dr. Li notes that stair climbing functions as a form of brief interval training, causing a rapid increase and subsequent recovery in heart rate, which effectively stimulates the cardiorespiratory system. The study suggests that climbing just six flights of stairs daily yields the most significant benefits, though even starting with one or two flights can be beneficial.

While ascending stairs involves concentric muscle contraction (muscle shortening) leading to higher heart rates and greater calorie burn, descending stairs utilizes eccentric muscle contraction (muscle lengthening under tension), similar to the controlled lowering phase in weightlifting. This eccentric action places less strain on the cardiorespiratory system but provides a comparable stimulus for muscle strength. Therefore, descending stairs can serve as an excellent introductory exercise for individuals with weaker cardiorespiratory function or those new to exercise.

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Descending stairs involves eccentric contraction, where muscles lengthen under tension. While the cardiovascular load is much smaller, the muscle-strengthening stimulus is no less than climbing upstairs.

However, Dr. Li cautions that descending stairs exerts greater pressure on the knees compared to ascending. Individuals with degenerative knee arthritis should be particularly careful. He also advises caution on wet surfaces, recommending the use of elevators during rainy weather for safety. The convenience of stairs, being integrated into daily life, makes consistency the most crucial factor for sustained health benefits.

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The only thing to be aware of is that the knees bear more pressure when going downstairs than when going upstairs. People with degenerative arthritis need to be careful.