For easier stair climbing, avoid going down in order to go up.
Avoid bringing your whole body down in order to reach the next higher step. Instead, just keep driving the bent leg toward the step and you will go up.
This is the second tip that addresses the problem of doing something in order to do something. In this case, going down in order to go up while climbing stairs. Check out the Walking Exercise Video (video 3 of 3) for another perspective on this idea. Notice in the video that I do not bend my standing leg to help my moving leg reach the floor. The moving leg can reach the floor all by itself.
More on Not Doing to Do
Avoid Taking Your Feet off the Floor
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Thank you so much. As always, this is very helpful!
Is there a related tip for descending stairs? I’ve never come across an Alexander Technique on this topic.
Hi Gary,
It’s an interesting question. People tend to stand their tallest when going down stairs because they don’t want to fall forward. But like all things Alexander, you go upstairs and downstairs in same way.
Leland
An update on stair climbing – avoid trying to draw the next step toward you. Instead, keep pressing the current step away and you will go forward automatically. And here is a video.