The MSing Link – Episode 275

How to Climb Stairs with MS: Exercises to Make You Stronger with Stairs
Hosted by Dr. Gretchen Hawley, PT, DPT, MSCS | March 11, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Dr. Gretchen Hawley addresses one of the most frequent and practical concerns shared by people living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS): the challenge of climbing up and down stairs safely and confidently. Dr. Gretchen shares physical therapist-approved tips and MS-specific exercises to build the strength, coordination, and confidence you need for stair navigation. Listeners will learn a simple, yet often overlooked, “trick of the trade” to improve stair performance and discover key exercises to target muscle groups essential for stair climbing. The advice is delivered with encouragement and practical insight for daily life with MS.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Focus on Stair Climbing?

• Listener Demand: Dr. Gretchen identifies stair navigation as one of the most recurring mobility challenges raised by clients and followers, emphasizing the constant back-and-forth questions about going upstairs versus downstairs.
  • “All of the comments on those specific videos are, ‘This is great… but how do I go downstairs?’...It’s constantly this back and forth of not remembering one over the other.” (01:09)
• Episode Purpose: Creating a comprehensive audio (and video) guide for both stair ascent and descent, with exercises and a “trick of the trade” to help overcome common sticking points.

2. The “Trick of the Trade”: Bending Your Knee First

• Key Technique: Before stepping up or down, focus on bending the knee of the moving leg rather than swinging it through stiffly.
  • “Before you go to step up on a step or even...step down off of a step, you need to be thinking about bending your knee.” (04:05)
• Why It Matters:
  • Reduces the chance of tripping, scuffing, or stubbing your toes against the step.
  • Even a slight bend (as little as 5–25 degrees) increases foot clearance.
  • Applies both for climbing up and going down the stairs.
• Common Struggle:
  • Dr. Gretchen acknowledges that bending the knee can be particularly difficult for many MS clients—but even limited motion makes a difference.
  • “Bending your knee is one of the most challenging movements for...everyone that I work with. But you don't need a whole lot of knee bend for this to be effective.” (04:30)

3. Three Core Stair-Strengthening Exercises

Dr. Gretchen shares three main exercises, suitable for practice at home, that target key muscle groups involved in stair navigation:

Exercise 1: Forward Step-Up

• How-To: Place one foot on a step, shift 90% of your weight onto the front leg (heel/midfoot), straighten that knee to push up, then hinge at the hips and bring yourself back down.
• Form Focus: Ensure the knee stays aligned with the foot (not caving in).
• Muscles Worked: Glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and calves.

Exercise 2: Side Step-Up

• How-To: Face sideways to the step (as if facing the wall or railing), place the nearest foot on the step, shift weight onto that leg, and push up, keeping the other leg straight.
• Purpose: Works outer hip and helps with lateral stability; strengthens same muscles as forward step-up but emphasizes outer hips.

Exercise 3: Step-Down

• How-To: Start on the lowest step, facing away from the stairs (for safety), dangle one foot forward and hinge at the hips while slowly bending the standing knee to lower down and return up.
• Variations: Only bend the knee slightly—no need for the dangling foot to touch the ground.
• Muscles Worked: Glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves; focus remains on controlling descent and stability.

“You really want to make sure that your knee is staying straight. It's not caving inward or flailing out. For most people, it falls inward and that can make you feel a bit more unstable.” (10:34)

4. Optional Bonus Exercise: Hamstring Curl on Stairs

• How-To: Stand on the lowest step with one foot, the other leg dangling behind. Practice bending and straightening the knee of the “dangling” leg—essentially a standing hamstring curl.
• Why It Helps:
  • Trains the body and brain to associate knee-bending strength with stair work.
  • “If you don't practice exercises in the specific environment or situation you want to utilize...you might gain strength in the gym, but not at home...So the more often you can do an exercise in a specific situation...the better.” (15:48)

5. Holistic Approach: More Than Just Strength

• Multiple skills needed for successful stair navigation: strength, balance, proprioception, and sensory awareness in the feet.
• Encouragement: Every small improvement in these areas has a big impact over time.
  • “Anything, any small step we take to work on improving even just one of those areas can make a really big difference.” (16:33)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Before you move your leg in any other direction, bend that knee, then bring it forward. And that should be able to help you clear the steps so you're scuffing and tripping less.” (06:10)
• “We do already have all of those resources for you in there…but I wanted to have a specific spot on my podcast and YouTube channel for this as well.” (02:24)
• “You might gain strength in the gym, but not at home, or not when you're climbing stairs… the more often you can do an exercise in a specific situation… the better.” (15:54)
• “We need strength, we need balance, we need proprioception, we need sensation in our feet. There's so much coordination.” (16:25)
• “Our three main principles are exercise, education and community. And it all blends together so well to help you see what's possible in your daily life with MS.” (17:37)

Key Timestamps

• 00:00-03:00: Introduction; motivation for the episode and resource overview
• 04:03: Demonstration setup; introducing the key trick for stairs: knee bending
• 06:10: Explanation of why knee bending facilitates stair clearance in both directions
• 07:22-13:00: Guided instructions for step-up (front and side) and step-down exercises
• 14:10: Hamstring curl on stairs and importance of task-specific exercise
• 16:25: Emphasizing holistic skills needed for stair climbing (strength, balance, proprioception)
• 17:37: Community and resources within The Missing Link program

Additional Resources

• The Missing Link Program: Members have access to full video demonstrations, classes focused on stair exercises, and Q&A sessions with Dr. Gretchen.
• Related Content: Separate podcast and YouTube videos available on knee bending and other MS-specific movement challenges.
• Dr. Gretchen AI: Members can ask stair-climbing questions 24/7 for customized support.

Summary

Dr. Gretchen Hawley’s episode provides actionable, MS-friendly strategies for tackling stairs—a daily-life challenge for many. By focusing on the often-overlooked technique of bending the knee first, and by integrating targeted, functional exercises, listeners are given both the “why” and “how” of safer, more confident stair use. With emphasis on practice, proper form, and practical encouragement, this episode empowers people with MS to take steady steps—both literally and figuratively—toward greater independence.