Are Stair Climbers Good for the Knees?

Benefits

A stair climber targets your lower body, especially your quad and glute muscles. Your hip flexors and calf muscles also benefit. By strengthening the muscles that surround your knees, such as your quads, a stair climber helps protect your knees. Stair climbers also are great for general conditioning, which strengthens your heart and lungs and helps prevent diabetes and obesity.

Arthritis and Other Knee Problems

If you have arthritis or other types of knee problems that cause pain, you'll want to tiptoe around a stair stepper and opt for another form of exercise. Regular exercise is generally good for your knees -- it relieves stiffness and strengthens the muscles around the knees. But the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeon says that people with arthritis in the knee area need to avoid exercises that put too much pressure on the front of your knee, such as squats or climbing stairs. Lower-impact activities, such as swimming or walking, are better choices.

Climbing Stairs

If you don't have access to a stair climber, try "real" stairs. In the early 21st century, the extreme sport craze spread to climbing stairways to towers and skyscrapers such as the Empire State Building. But you don't have to race to the top. As Steve Loy, a professor of kinesiology at Cal State Northridge, told "The New York Times," walking up stairs is easier on your knees and feet than running, with an impact of two times your body weight compared to three to four times body weight when you run. However, you'll want to take an elevator back down if you can -- tromping down stairs creates an impact equal to six or seven times your body weight.

Considerations

To maximize your workout and minimize the chances of injury, use a stair climber correctly. Tufts Medical Center advises you to maintain an upright posture and resist the temptation to lean on the handrails. Leaning over or sticking out your butt can injure your back. Keep your heels on the pedals and push through the heel, not the toes, as you step. After your workout, stretch your hip flexors, quads, hamstrings and calf muscles.