(Petaling Jaya, 17th) Many people worry about hurting their knees when they hear about stair climbing, but Malaysian tower running athlete Soo Wei Ching clarifies that going upstairs is an anti-gravity movement with minimal impact—it does not harm the knees.
He said the real knee damage comes from going downstairs, where each step puts four to five times your body weight of impact on your knees.
He explained that when climbing stairs, your foot only briefly supports your body weight when contacting the step, after which your body immediately pushes upward to advance, so the knees do not endure the impact.
“We raise our foot just enough to land on the step, keeping the distance between the foot and the step very close. The shorter the distance, the less impact there is, so injury is unlikely. If you raise your foot very high when stepping up, that’s very energy-consuming.”
“Conversely, when descending stairs, gravity pulls you down, and the higher your foot falls to the step, the greater the impact.”
Soo added that in tower running competitions, competitors use one or both hands on the handrails to assist, which further reduces the impact on the knees—going down, they use the elevator.
He pointed out that using the handrail can reduce the load on the legs, which helps conserve a lot of energy when climbing hundreds of floors. It also helps keep the body stable around corners, preventing the momentum from flinging you into the wall, and reduces loss of speed and kinetic energy.
He said another misconception is that only professional athletes can compete, so many people are intimidated when they hear 'tower running.' Because of this, the Malaysian Tower Running Association wants to rebrand the sport with a friendlier name—stair climbing—so it feels more direct and accessible.
He shared that climbing stairs for just 20 minutes a day is enough for your recommended daily exercise. It’s one of the best forms of aerobic exercise: it efficiently burns fat and calories, strengthens your legs, core, and glutes, and lowers your risk of heart disease and stroke.
He noted that the World Health Organization recommends walking 10,000 steps daily, but this takes about 1.5 hours, which is hard for nine-to-five office workers to achieve.
“Stair climbing becomes the alternative—whether it’s the stairs in your apartment, at a MRT or LRT station, office stairways, or even outdoor slopes, you can do it anywhere.”
He said the real knee damage comes from going downstairs, where each step puts four to five times your body weight of impact on your knees.
He explained that when climbing stairs, your foot only briefly supports your body weight when contacting the step, after which your body immediately pushes upward to advance, so the knees do not endure the impact.
“We raise our foot just enough to land on the step, keeping the distance between the foot and the step very close. The shorter the distance, the less impact there is, so injury is unlikely. If you raise your foot very high when stepping up, that’s very energy-consuming.”
“Conversely, when descending stairs, gravity pulls you down, and the higher your foot falls to the step, the greater the impact.”
Soo added that in tower running competitions, competitors use one or both hands on the handrails to assist, which further reduces the impact on the knees—going down, they use the elevator.
He pointed out that using the handrail can reduce the load on the legs, which helps conserve a lot of energy when climbing hundreds of floors. It also helps keep the body stable around corners, preventing the momentum from flinging you into the wall, and reduces loss of speed and kinetic energy.
He said another misconception is that only professional athletes can compete, so many people are intimidated when they hear 'tower running.' Because of this, the Malaysian Tower Running Association wants to rebrand the sport with a friendlier name—stair climbing—so it feels more direct and accessible.
He shared that climbing stairs for just 20 minutes a day is enough for your recommended daily exercise. It’s one of the best forms of aerobic exercise: it efficiently burns fat and calories, strengthens your legs, core, and glutes, and lowers your risk of heart disease and stroke.
He noted that the World Health Organization recommends walking 10,000 steps daily, but this takes about 1.5 hours, which is hard for nine-to-five office workers to achieve.
“Stair climbing becomes the alternative—whether it’s the stairs in your apartment, at a MRT or LRT station, office stairways, or even outdoor slopes, you can do it anywhere.”