Why Holding onto the Rails On The Revolving Staircase Or Stairmaster is Wrong

I'm a certified personal trainer and I always instruct my clients this rule: Do not hold onto the rails of the revolving staircase! This is wrong!

How do you climb stairs in everyday life? Do you clutch onto anything? Some people, out of simple habit, glide their hand along the rails. This is because the rails are there. If they were not there, able-bodied people wouldn't be thinking, "Gee, why isn't there anything for my hands to hold onto?" But because the railings are there, able-bodied people unconsciously use them. They are there so that physically handicapped or injured people can rely on them, as well as people carrying heavy objects or who feel sick.

But I have yet to see a physically challenged or injured person mount the revolving staircase. But people hold onto the machine's side rails or front bar, or sometimes drape themselves over the console. What kind of climbing is THIS?

Here are two reasons why it's wrong:

ONE: It contorts your posture. Take a good look at someone holding onto the staircase. There are several forms the person's body can assume. The most common is that of the person's torso pitching forward while their butt sticks way out. Another postural deviation is when the individual is leaning way to one side, with one arm really bent onto the rail. I can't imagine a back expert or chiropractor endorsing these mal-aligned spinal positions.

TWO: When people hold onto the "stairmill" or revolving staircase, the holding on is almost always done tightly. Even with a light hold, in no way does this simulate real-life stair-climbing. Now, you're probably thinking, "Well, you know, even if you don't hold onto the revolving staircase, it STILL does not duplicate real-life stair-climbing, because the steps are moving beneath your feet."

If you believe that this machine does not simulate a real-life stepping-upward experience, then I challenge you to let go of the machine for 10 minutes straight, while stepping at the speed that you normally step at. Do not put those hands on the rails even once during this 10 minutes. See if you can make it.