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Stair climbing

About: Stair climbing is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1610 publications have been published within this topic receiving 30504 citations.


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TL;DR: A regression model that used flexibility and leg-strength measurements provided a better fit of the older adult data, indicating that models applying functional (kinematic and kinetic) criteria might be useful in describing lawful relationships between organisms and the environment.
Abstract: This experiment extended Warren's leg-length model by investigating the relevance of leg strength and joint flexibility on perceptual judgments of climbability. From a set of 8 stairs (riser heights: 38-91 cm), 24 older and 24 young adults were asked to identify the highest stair they could climb without using their hands or knees. Subjects then attempted to climb the selected stair. Tall and short young observers perceived similar action boundaries despite leg-length differences. Tall and short older adults had divergent action boundaries when a single-scale leg-length model was applied. A regression model that used flexibility and leg-strength measurements provided a better fit of the older adult data, indicating that models applying functional (kinematic and kinetic) criteria might be useful in describing lawful relationships between organisms and the environment. Language: en

184 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is concluded that upper-body kinematics relative to both pelvis and gravity during daily activities are important to locomotor control and should be considered in future studies of patients with locomotor disabilities.
Abstract: We investigated upper-body (ie, trunk) angular kinematics (motions) during gait, stair climbing and descending, and rising from a chair in two reference frames--relative to the pelvis and to room coordinates. Bilateral kinematic data were collected from 11 healthy subjects (6 female, 5 male), who were 27 to 88 years of age (mean = 58.9, SD = 17.9). During stair climbing, maximum trunk flexion relative to the room was at least double that during stair descending and gait. Arising from a chair required the most trunk flexion/extension range of motion (ROM) but the least abduction/adduction and medial/lateral (internal/external) rotation. Trunk ROM during gait was small (mean less than or equal to 12 degrees) and consistent with previous literature. Trunk range of motion relative to the room during stair climbing and descending was greater than trunk ROM during gait in all planes. The pelvis and trunk rotate in the transverse plane in greater synchrony during stair descending (mean = 8.1 degrees, SD = 5.6 degrees) than during gait (mean = 12.0 degrees, SD = 4.2 degrees). For all activities, trunk frontal and sagittal ROM relative to the pelvis was greater than that relative to the room coordinates. This finding suggests that trunk/pelvis coordination may be used to reduce potentially destabilizing anti-gravity trunk motions during daily activities. We conclude that upper-body kinematics relative to both pelvis and gravity during daily activities are important to locomotor control and should be considered in future studies of patients with locomotor disabilities.

174 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is confirmed that accumulating short bouts of stair climbing activity throughout the day can favourably alter important cardiovascular risk factors in previously sedentary young women.
Abstract: Objectives: To study the training effects of eight weeks of stair climbing on Vo 2 max, blood lipids, and homocysteine in sedentary, but otherwise healthy young women. Methods: Fifteen women (mean (SD) age 18.8 (0.7) years) were randomly assigned to control (n = 7) or stair climbing (n = 8) groups. Stair climbing was progressively increased from one ascent a day in week 1 to five ascents a day in weeks 7 and 8. Training took place five days a week on a public access staircase (199 steps), at a stepping rate of 90 steps a minute. Each ascent took about two minutes to complete. Subjects agreed not to change their diet or lifestyle over the experimental period. Results: Relative to controls, the stair climbing group displayed a 17.1% increase in Vo 2 max and a 7.7% reduction in low density lipoprotein cholesterol (p Conclusions: The study confirms that accumulating short bouts of stair climbing activity throughout the day can favourably alter important cardiovascular risk factors in previously sedentary young women. Such exercise may be easily incorporated into the working day and therefore should be promoted by public health guidelines.

173 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The two self-paced exercise protocols were effective at improving neuromotor performance and functional capacity in the study sample and show promise as a safe, effective, cost-efficient, acceptable exercise model for primary and secondary prevention in the general population of community-dwelling older adults.
Abstract: Background. Resistance-training intervention studies have demonstrated meaningful health benefits in older adults; however, most have used exercises performed at specific intensities on expensive equipment, which limit their widespread applicability. We tested whether two self-paced, less expensive exercise protocols could be effective and safe for modifying neuromotor performance and functional capacity in community-dwelling adults 65-95 years of age. Methods. One hundred and thirty-one subjects were randomized to a novel resistance training, walking, or control group. Subjects determined their level of resistance or walking intensity (self-paced) on a session-by-session basis. Muscle strength, balance, reaction time, stair climbing speed, and a timed pen pickup task were measured before and after the intervention period. Exercisers met three times per week for 10 months. Results. Significant improvements in tandem stance and single-legged stance with eyes open times and stair climbing speed were seen in both exercise groups. In addition, resistance trainers improved their muscle strength and ability to pick up an object from the floor and reduced the number of missteps taken during tandem walking, and walkers reduced tandem walking time. Controls showed no significant improvement in any variable. Conclusions. The two self-paced exercise protocols were effective at improving neuromotor performance and functional capacity in the study sample and show promise as a safe, effective, cost-efficient, acceptable exercise model for primary and secondary prevention in the general population of community-dwelling older adults.

173 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a novel gait robot, G-EO-Systems (EO, Lat: I walk), based on the end-effector principle, has been designed.
Abstract: Stair climbing up and down is an essential part of everyday's mobility. To enable wheelchair-dependent patients the repetitive practice of this task, a novel gait robot, G-EO-Systems (EO, Lat: I walk), based on the end-effector principle, has been designed. The trajectories of the foot plates are freely programmable enabling not only the practice of simulated floor walking but also stair climbing up and down. The article intended to compare lower limb muscle activation patterns of hemiparetic subjects during real floor walking and stairs climbing up, and during the corresponding simulated conditions on the machine, and secondly to demonstrate gait improvement on single case after training on the machine. The muscle activation pattern of seven lower limb muscles of six hemiparetic patients during free and simulated walking on the floor and stair climbing was measured via dynamic electromyography. A non-ambulatory, sub-acute stroke patient additionally trained on the G-EO-Systems every workday for five weeks. The muscle activation patterns were comparable during the real and simulated conditions, both on the floor and during stair climbing up. Minor differences, concerning the real and simulated floor walking conditions, were a delayed (prolonged) onset (duration) of the thigh muscle activation on the machine across all subjects. Concerning stair climbing conditions, the shank muscle activation was more phasic and timely correct in selected patients on the device. The severely affected subject regained walking and stair climbing ability. The G-EO-Systems is an interesting new option in gait rehabilitation after stroke. The lower limb muscle activation patterns were comparable, a training thus feasible, and the positive case report warrants further clinical studies.

171 citations


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Performance
Metrics
No. of papers in the topic in previous years
YearPapers
202344
2022121
202165
202090
2019129
201896