Stair climbing

Stair climbing is one of the most grueling of sports, requiring competitors to move their entire body weight vertically, as well as horizontally.

An annual competition, 'Girnar Arohan Spardha', is held in Junagadh, India, and involves a race to climb and descend the steps of the Girnar mountain.

[3] In the United States, approximately 73,000 children between the ages of 6 months and 2 years have reported injury on stairs or steps in 2009.

Seeing obstacles ahead helps stair descent, but for infants the action of keeping their heavy head balanced enough to look down at their feet and the objective together, make the process very difficult.

One study looked at the typical age onset for stair ascent and descent, and compared them to other developmental milestones.

Sliding backwards feet first is the safest approach to descending stairs due to the fact that the midline of the body is closer to the staircase providing an even weight distribution on all four limbs.

[citation needed] This might explain why it is exceptionally difficult for older people to descend stairs, because their midline is so far way due to longer arms and legs.

[7] This is why most parents teach their children to back down stairs, even though it's the safest it is also the most cognitively difficult descent strategy.