How-To Videos › Health › How to Climb Stairs Without Knee Pain (3 Easy Ways)

How to Climb Stairs Without Knee Pain (3 Easy Ways)

Use the handrail with good-leg-up, strengthen your thighs with chair stands, and plant your whole foot. Three ways to take the stairs with less knee pain. Move with more confidence. This is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about your situation.

What you'll learn

Lead with the rail. One. Use the handrail and let it share the load. Step up with your stronger leg and down with the weaker one. A common saying is good leg up, bad leg down, and it really does ease the strain.
Strengthen your thighs. Two. Stronger thigh muscles protect the knee. Many physical therapists suggest gentle chair sit-to-stands. Rise from a sturdy chair and sit back down slowly, ten times, a few days a week.
Whole foot down. Three. Plant your whole foot on each step, not just the toes. A full, flat footing keeps you steady, spreads the weight, and stops that wobble that makes knees work harder than they should.

Full transcript

One, use the handrail and let it share the load. Step up with your stronger leg and down with the weaker one. A common saying is good leg up, bad leg down, and it really does ease the strain. Two, stronger thigh muscles protect the knee. Many physical therapists suggest gentle chair sit to stands, rise from a sturdy chair and sit back down slowly, 10 times a few days a week. Three, plant your whole foot on each step, not just the toes. A full flat footing keeps you steady, spreads the weight and stops that wobble that makes knees work harder than they should.

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