If
you’ve
ascended
a
flight
or
two
of
stairs,
you
likely
know
the
feeling
of
being
out
of
breath
once
you
reach
the
top.

It’s
a
common
occurrence
among
folks
of
all
ages
and
fitness
abilities.
But
is
it
something
to
worry
about?

Experts
told
HuffPost
there
are
a
few
points
to
keep
in
mind
when
it
comes
to
this
phenomenon.
While
it
can
be
normal,
it
can
also
be
cause
for
concern
or
even
a
fitness
challenge
to
try
and
improve.
Here’s
what
to
know:

It

can
be
perfectly
normal
—
going
up
stairs
is
harder
on
your
body
than
walking
on
a
flat
surface.

Feeling
out
of
breath
after
walking
up
a
flight
of
stairs
is
“what
we
call
a
normal
physiological
response,”
said

Dr.
Katherine
Pohlgeers,
a
family
medicine
and
sports
medicine
doctor
at
University
of
Louisville
Health.
“Because
you’ve
got
this
increased
demand
on
your
body,
you’ve
got
increased
work
—
you’ve
got
increased
oxygen
demand
and
ventilatory
requirements.”

If
you’re
winded
for
a
minute
or
so
but
can
easily
catch
your
breath,
it’s
no
cause
for
concern,
said

Karl
Erickson,
a
performance
specialist
at
Mayo
Clinic
Sports
Medicine.

“It’s
quite
normal
…
you’re
essentially
lifting
your
body.
You’re
doing
a
squat
or
a
lunge
when
you
go
up
the
stairs,”
said
Erickson,
“so,
definitely
more
effortful
than
just
walking.”

Just
how
winded
you
are
will
vary;
you’ll
be
more
out
of
breath
if
you
run
up
the
stairs
or
walk
up
with
a
heavy
suitcase
than
if
you
leisurely
walked
up
the
stairs.
Some
folks
may
not
even
notice
the
breathlessness
as
much
as
others.

“If
you’ve
got
an
elite
athlete
―
like,
I
doubt
Caitlin
Clark
gets
winded
going
up
a
flight
of
stairs
―
but
for
the
average
middle-aged
person,
and,
unfortunately,
especially
here
in
the
United
States,
we
tend
to
live
a
little
bit
more
sedentary
lifestyle,
so
it
can
be
very
normal
to
get
winded
just
going
up
one
flight
of
stairs,”
Pohlgeers
said.

If
it’s
a
new
change
or
you’re
noticing
prolonged
breathlessness,
you
should
let
your
doctor
know.

While
it
can
be
perfectly
normal
to
feel
winded
after
climbing
the
stairs,
there
are
a
few
red
flags
that
may
signal
a
concern.

Is
your
breathlessness
a
new
issue
that’s
never
happened
before?
Or
is
it
getting
worse?
If
the
answer
to
either
of
those
questions
is
yes,
you
should
talk
to
a
doctor
about
potential
underlying
issues,
according
to
Pohlgeers.
“The
biggest
thing
is
for
people
not
to
necessarily
think,
‘Oh,
my
gosh,
I’m
dying,’
but
also,
don’t
always
just
simply
dismiss
it
as,
‘Well,
I’m
out
of
shape.’”

“Those
are
things
that
we
really
take
seriously,”
Pohlgeers
added.
“If
there
is
a
change
in
the
exercise
capacity,
just
making
sure
that
we
as
doctors
are
able
to
do
our
due
diligence
and
rule
out
any
underlying
conditions,
so
that
we
can
maximize
people’s
lifestyles
and
help
them
be
as
healthy
as
they
possibly
can.”

Underlying
conditions
such
as
heart
failure,
obesity,
chronic
lung
disease,
being
a
smoker,
COPD
and
even
being

anemic
can
all
make
the
breathlessness
you
feel
after

walking
up
stairs
worse.

“How
long
it
takes
you
to
recover
is
always
a
good
indicator,
too,”
Erickson
said.

It’s
normal
for
your
breathing
to
be
faster
for
a
minute
or
two
after
walking
up
a
bunch
of
stairs,
Erickson
explained.
“But
if
it’s
staying
elevated
past
three
minutes
or
a
prolonged
period
of
time,
that’s
when
it
becomes
more
concerning.”

If
you
notice
chest
pain,
headache
or
vision
changes
along
with
the
breathlessness,
that’s
worrisome
and
worth
chatting
with
your
doctor
about
too,
Pohlgeers
added.

Here’s
how
you
can
build
your
stair-climbing
endurance:

If
you
want
to
be
less
winded
after
climbing
the
stairs,
start
doing
it
more
often
(as
long
as
you
don’t
have
any
underlying
conditions
that
can
put
your
health
at
risk).
If
you
have
issues
such
as
heart
failure
or
COPD
that
make
climbing
stairs
a
challenge,
get
those
treated
first,
Pohlgeers
stressed.

“Your
body
adapts
to
imposed
demands
on
it.
So,
if
you’re
practicing
going
up
the
stairs,
you
become
more
efficient,”
Erickson
said.
The
muscles
needed
to
climb
the
stairs
will
strengthen
the
more
you
use
them,
he
added.

“We’ll
ask
patients,
actually,
that
are
getting
ready
to
go
into
surgery,
it’s
like
a
pre-op
clearance:
‘Could
you
carry
groceries
up
three
to
four
flights
of
stairs?’”
Pohlgeers
explained.

It’s
OK
if
you’re
out
of
breath
by
the
top
of
the
three
or
four
flights
of
stairs.
The
concern
is
can
you
physically
do
it
without
having
symptoms
like
chest
pain,
vision
changes
or
a
headache,
she
said.

“If
you
get
up
three
or
four
flights
of
stairs
as
an
average
person
carrying
groceries,
you’re
good.
That’s
a
very
good
sign,”
Pohlgeers
noted.

“Developing
your
base
strength
levels
—
doing

lunges,
doing

squats,
that’s
going
to
give
you
more
power,
more
strength
to
go
up
[stairs],”
Erickson
added.
Improving
your
cardiovascular
fitness
can
also
help
decrease
the
fatigue
you
feel
at
the
top
of
the
stairs.

When
working
on
building
up
your
endurance,
do
so
gradually,
Pohlgeers
suggested.
You
don’t
need
to
go
up
and
down
the
stairs
five
times
in
a
row.
Instead,
slowly
build
up
your
fitness
ability
in
a
sustainable
and
even
enjoyable
way,
whether
that’s
by
doing
more
yard
work,
going
on
walks
with
your
neighbor
or
taking
up
gardening.

As
you
work
on
your
strength
and
cardiovascular
fitness,
your
stair-climbing
endurance
should
also
improve,
according
to
Erickson.
You’ll
be
easily
climbing
back-to-back
flights
of
stairs
in
no
time.

The
original
version
of
this
story
was
published
on
HuffPost
at
an
earlier
date.