Stair running good?

[seandearing]

So I was thinking about running stairs, since the park is only a few blocks from my house and has this huge set of stairs called Jacobs Ladder. Will it wreck my knees? Would it be better for me than regular running?

 

[Standard]

Will it wreck my knees?

No

Would it be better for me than regular running?

better? no, different? yes, you should be doing both

 

[Lopyswine]

listen,
I read your post in D&S.

I think you need to start slow and then build to stairs. Do something like 2 miles a day for a month. Once your muscles, lungs, and joints can handle it, incorporate some interval sprinting.

Then after a few monthes of that, go for the stairs.

 

[seandearing]

Okay cool, thanks for the advice fellers.

 

[GoRiders]

Make sure you stretch really well afterwards.

 

[Dan's Knuckles]

As someone who has done a lot of stairs, I agree with the advice everyone's given except the hurt your knees part. When I do lots of stairs, I get Tendonitis in my IT band, I can deal with it, but it's pretty debilitating to a lot of people, that's just my oppinion though. Just warm up every time you work out, cool down and stretch afterwards, and build up to the stairs, and know when enough is too much.

 

[The_Bear]

dont do it if you have knee problems

 

[the_w1se]

running up i wouldnt see that big of a problem on the knees, going down id be a bit careful of your worried though

 

[murph9242]

What would be the difference between running hills and running stairs? I have access to both is one better than the other?

 

[Core]

i dont think anyone is better, i think stair running builds more strength than running but running has better cardio for long distance.You choose

 

[Dan's Knuckles]

Running stairs is great if you know you're going to be running up stairs at your job, it's good conditioning and it sucks the wind out of you, doing hill sprints is great for interval training and will build good running cardio. What I find is that running stairs tends to slow my legs down during running or any other activity just from the type of muscle fibers it uses, but doing hill sprints lets you use a greater range of motion and be more explosive, that's just my oppinion and experience, nothing to back it up though.
Funny annecdote: Back like 3 years ago I would run stairs for 30 minutes at 6:30am with a 50lb weight vest on, and people kept asking my room mate why I was wearing a bullet proof vest.