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Can climbing stairs lead to arthritis?
Question
I am 25 years old finance professional not having much physical work and my office is on the 8th floor of my building. Since I am not having much physical work, I prefer to climb down the stairs instead of escalator. One of my friends told me that climbing down 8 floors by stairs is not a good option as it will affect knees and lead to arthritis in older age. I know walking is a good option but I like to know if climbing down the stairs is not a good exercising option.
Expert Answer
A
Dr Anand MalaviyaOct 17, 2007
Head of the Department of Medicine and Chief of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology Services,
All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi Consultant Rheumatologist, 'A&R Clinic'
Visiting Sr. Consultant, Rheumatologist, ISIC Superspeciality Hospital, New Delhi.
All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi Consultant Rheumatologist, 'A&R Clinic'
Visiting Sr. Consultant, Rheumatologist, ISIC Superspeciality Hospital, New Delhi.
With extensive studies it has been scientifically proven that while walking is absolutely wonderful for the knees & other joints, heart and circulation and generally very good for health; stairs require weight bearing movement of the knees. The cartilage cannot take that much weight (3-4 time the body weight) on a regular basis and slowly deteriorate causing cracks in them. This is called osteoarthritis. It is therefore strongly recommended that you do regular walking 10,000 steps in 24 hours while avoiding stairs as far as possible.
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