How to Walk Down Stairs without Pain

Walking Down Stairs

Walking down stairs is a particularly challenging task for some people, especially when they get older. Many older people have significant difficulty descending stairs and need to move one step at a time, placing both feet on each step before attempting to take the next step. Descending stairs is statistically one of the activities with the highest risk of significant injuries for older adults. Younger people also can have challenges with descending stairs, but this difficulty is magnified when core rotation and coordination gets worse with age.

Descending stairs uses core rotation just like normal walking. It is a mistake to presume the legs are doing all of the work. Using the core correctly allows the body to control the effect of gravity. Learning this control at a younger age is critical because it becomes more difficult to change patterns of body function at an older age, when weakening muscles make core control even more critical. Here I am going to present the pattern of core movements that I believe create the most effective and balanced means of descending stairs.

Safety Warning

This is a technical analysis of technique for going down stairs. Practicing any new body movement can be difficult. Changing your current method of going down the stairs could initially lead to greater imbalance. There can be inherent danger in walking down stairs, especially for older adults. If you are at all physically limited, this should not be practiced without assistance. In some cases, people with spinal or other physical limitations affecting the ability to use the core may not be able to alter their technique for going down stairs, so this should be considered before trying to learn and apply this technique.

Change of Weight

The change of weight of a step prior to going down stairs is the same as that during a normal strolling walk. The change of weight begins after the heel of the swing leg is placed on the ground in front of the step. The forefoot is lowered as the weight is transferred to the new standing leg. The change of weight is complete when the foot reaches the flat position and the knee is directly over the ankle and the lower leg perpendicular to the ground.

As we change weight, the feeling should be one of pulling the weight forward from the forward leg, not pushing it forward from the back leg. The pulling action comes from the combined processes of tucking the pelvis on the side of the forward leg, flexing the forward leg knee, and turning the upper torso forward on the side of the standing leg. The forward rotation of the upper torso is what causes the arm to swing forward on the side of the standing leg. 

The following detailed core movement description is for people who are studying The Walking Code. See the link at the bottom of this page to get more information about The Walking Code.

Walking Code Description

Core Technique: SET

Hip: Flexion of the swing leg hip
Upper Torso: Turns toward the swing leg
Lower Torso: Turns toward the standing leg

Knee: Flexion of the standing leg knee
Ankle: Dorsiflexion of the standing leg ankle

The change of weight uses the Core Technique of Set. The swing leg hip flexes with torsional rotation on the side of the standing leg. This moves the body through the completion of double leg stance and to the position right before the toe off moment. The tibia of the standing leg will be perpendicular to the ground and the forefoot will be flat on the ground. All of the details of the step right up until the point of Toe Off are the same as a normal stroll. This position is an Equilibrium Position, requiring some change in core movement to continue shifting the body to a new position.

Since the change of weight uses the same mechanics as already described in the prior chapter on the forward stroll, I will not elaborate on the technique. Instead, I will point out the importance of the ability to control the timing of the weight change. This is particularly important before going down stairs. We need to initiate the weight change at the correct position in front of the step. That requires being able to control its timing and position. We cannot rely on the previous swing through to complete at the correct position in front of the stair. Our core rotation is how we determine the timing of the weight change. We can shorten the step at any time by initiating the core rotation to bring the leg down where it needs to be brought down. This may sound obvious but it bears pointing out since most of what we do when moving we never give a second thought. Moreover, this type of control makes it even more clear that walking is not the same as falling forward at the mercy of gravity. See the above picture, representing the change of weight prior to going down stairs. The weight has been shifted forward to the left leg. The right foot is still in contact with the ground, but with no weight on it. 

Collection

The collection phase of the step begins at the end of the change of weight, when the toes of the new swing leg release from the ground. The change of weight concludes in a balanced position with the weight centered over the standing leg. (See above picture). The swing leg will hang forward of the standing leg at the end of the collection, positioned over the lower stair. In a normal forward walk, there is no collection phase because the step proceeds directly from the change of weight to the swing through. 

During the collection phase, the tibia of the standing leg does not continue to travel forward. It remains perpendicular to the ground, allowing the center of gravity to settle over the standing leg foot. This point of balance is critical not just for practical matters but also for safety. This balanced position on the standing leg is the new Equilibrium Position. See the above picture.

The following is the detailed Walking Code core movement discussion. 

Core Technique: Sink

Hip Action: Flexion of the swing leg hip
Upper Torso: Turns toward the standing leg
Lower Torso: Turns toward the standing leg
Knee Action: Flexion of the standing leg knee
Ankle Action: Dorsiflexion of the standing leg ankle

Hip Action: In the collection phase of the step, the hip of the swing leg continues actively flexing. The hip action is not changed to the standing leg hip like in a normal forward step. You should feel the swing leg hip continue to flex and lift forward and up. This will bring the swing leg up in front of the body, positioned over the stair, ready to go down.

Upper Torso: The upper torso rotates forward on the side of the swing leg. This is the sole change switching the change of weight to the collection phase. The upper torso rotation is critical to achieving this balanced position. The upper torso rotation is what allows the swing leg to lift forward and in front of the body. Without the change in the upper torso rotation, the swing leg would remain behind the body. This movement is hard to feel, but it is helpful practicing it by changing weight forward and the lifting to a balanced position on one leg and holding it.

Lower Torso: The lower torso rotation continues unchanged during the collection phase of the step. It continues activating on the side of the standing leg. It helps keep the pelvis tucked in the neutral position as the body reaches the balanced position over the standing leg.

Knee Action: The knee of the standing leg remains in active flexion during the collection. Since it is already flexed during the change of weight, it does not have any visibly significant movement during the collection. The knee of the swing leg remains passively flexed as the swing leg rises in front of the body. The tibia will extend out from the knee, angled down and forward, when the balanced position is reached.

Ankle Action: The ankle of the standing leg actively dorsiflexes at the time the collection is initiated. This keeps the weight balanced over the heel and flat of the foot.

Swing Through

The swing through phase of the step is initiated after the swing leg reaches a stable and balanced Equilibrium Position in front of the body and over the stair which will be the destination of the swing leg. The goal of the swing through is to bring the swing leg straight down and lower the body until the foot contacts the stair. The weight needs to be lowered in a controlled fashion. It is not a fall onto the the step.

During the swing through, the swing leg will reach straight down with the ankle of swing leg foot pointing the foot down. This will result in the swing leg foot initially contacting the lower step with the ball and toes. The standing leg knee flexes to lower the center of gravity. The swing through phase of the step ends with the ball of the foot on the lower step. The heel is not lowered until the next phase of the step. 

The arm should swing forward on the side of the swing leg as the body is lowered because the upper torso turns forward on the side of the swing leg as the lower torso turns backward. This core rotation results in the straight down direction of the swing leg as opposed to stepping off a curb, where the swing leg goes forward instead of down. When stepping off a curb, the arm will swing forward on the side of the standing leg, not the swing leg. This is because the upper torso turns forward on the side of the standing leg when stepping off a curb. The lower torso turns backward on the side of the standing leg when stepping off a curb. This turns the pelvis in a way that makes the swing leg swing forward instead of down.

The following core movement discussion is from The Walking Code Course.

Core Technique: Push

Hip: Extension of the swing leg hip
Upper Torso: Turns toward the standing leg
Lower Torso: Turns toward the swing leg
Knee Action: Flexion of the standing leg knee
Ankle Action: Plantarflexion of the swing leg ankle

The Core Technique for the swing through is Push. In Tai Chi, the classic version of Push occurs when standing with both legs on the ground, one behind and one in the front. The rear hip extends, pushing the body forward with torsion on the side of the extending hip. Push in Tai Chi is also used to push the weight back from the front leg prior to pushing forward from the back leg. When going down stairs, Push is used with extension of the swing leg hip, still with torsional rotation on the the side of the extending hip. What this means is the hip of the swing leg will extend, pushing the knee downward. The upper torso rotation, which was turning toward the standing leg, continues unchanged. The lower torso rotation reverses, now turning toward the swing leg. This core action projects the leg straight downward as the weight sinks on the standing leg. See the above image.

Hip Action: The hip action during the swing through is extension of the swing leg hip. The feeling of hip extension in this situation should be that of moving the swing leg knee downward, or reaching downward with the swing leg. Prior to the lowering, the swing leg hip is in active flexion.

Upper Torso: The upper torso is turning toward the standing leg at the point where the balanced position is reached during the collection phase of the step. It continues turning toward the standing leg during the swing through. This is why the arm will swing forward on the side of the swing leg as it lowers.

Lower Torso: The lower torso turns back on the side of the swing leg as the body lowers. It turns in the opposite direction from the upper torso, keeping the whole body facing forward. This direction of rotation of the lower torso also rotates the pelvis backward on the side of the swing leg. When combined with the opposing upper torso rotation, it directs the swing leg straight down. This contrasts with stepping off of a curb, where the step goes down and forward instead of straight down.

Knee Action: When the swing through is initiated, the standing leg knee actively flexes. This allows the body to lower in a controlled fashion with the center of gravity balanced over the standing leg. This knee flexion is a reflexive part of the Push Core Technique. When we do a Push while standing with one leg forward and one leg back, we push with extension of the rear hip and the forward leg knee flexes automatically. When we push back from the forward leg hip, the rear knee flexes automatically. In this case we are doing the Push with the hip of the unweighted leg and the weighted knee flexes which lowers the body automatically.

Ankle Action: The ankle movement during the Core Technique of Push is plantarflexion of the ankle on the side of the extending hip. This means the toes of the swing leg foot should point downward, initially contacting the step with the toes or the ball of the foot. See the above image.

Change of Weight to the Lower Step

The swing through finishes with the toes touching the bottom step, but the extending hip and plantarflexing ankle prevent any weight from being transferred. This is an example of an unstable Equilibrium Position. The change of weight is the next phase, where the heel is lowered to the ground to complete the step. The swing leg becomes the new standing leg as the weight is lowered. The hip of the leg on the upper step flexes while the hip of the leg on the lower step relaxes to allow the weight to change. The new standing leg knee will flex, also assisting in the lowering of the weight. 

Stepping Forward

After changing weight on the final step, you can step forward by lifting forward from the standing leg hip. The rotation of the upper and lower torso remain the same as when the weight is changed. The upper torso on the side of the standing leg turns forward and the lower torso on the side of the standing leg turns backward. This is the same core movement as the swing through of a normal step on flat ground. (See the image below.)

Walking Code Core discussion:

The transfer of weight is initiated by starting the cycle over with Set. The torsional rotation is already on the side of the extended leg, so all that is required to settle the weight is the flexion of the hip of the new swing leg. The heel of the standing leg will lower to the flat position on the lower step. The swing leg will still be in contact with the upper step. Flexing the hip is not enough to lift the swing leg from contact with the stair. The position with the foot of the standing leg flat on the lower step and the foot of the swing leg resting on the upper step is the new, stable Equilibrium Position. See the above image.

The swing leg will lift from the upper stair when the upper torso is turned toward the standing leg. This is the Sink Core Technique that will again initiate the collection phase of the step. The swing through can be initiated again using Push.

Stepping Forward

Stepping forward after reaching the ground at the bottom of the stairs utilizes the same Set followed by Lift sequence of a normal strolling step. See the image below.

Summary

Using the core properly allows a person to lower themselves without unnecessary force or tension. The knee of the standing leg will lower the body naturally and reflexively. The speed of lowering will be proportional to the speed of torso rotation in the same way that the speed of walking forward is proportional to the speed for the torso rotation. Mentally, the focus of the mind should be on reaching with the free leg during the swing through phase of the step. It should not be overly focused on the standing leg, otherwise the leg will become tense and lowering will become more difficult.

It is the common belief in standard walking analysis that we use momentum from pushing off the back leg and gravity to keep the body moving forward with each step. If this were really the case, it would be very dangerous to approach a stair case. If momentum was pushing you forward, any timing error would lead to risk of falling down the stairs. By controlling the body with the core, the forward movement of the body can be sped up or slowed down during any phase of the step by controlling the speed of core rotation. The core can also lead the body to a balanced position on one leg, where all forward movement stops. This allows us to walk down stairs or downhill without difficulty or danger. When core movement is not clear, walking downhill or down stairs becomes more precarious.