Is it normal to be out of breath after 2 flights of stairs?

I start getting out if breath already after walking up 2 or 3 flights if stairs. 4 flights or more and I start panting. Is it normal? After how many flights do you loae your breath?
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Replies

  • Yes it is normal. I can do like 4 hours of step aerobics no problem. A fast paced stair climb can leave me breathless however. Build up to it slowly. Stairs are really great exercise
  • missysippy930
    missysippy930 Posts: 2,577 Member
    There’s actually races climbing stairs in tall buildings. It’s a workout for sure!
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    stairs always make me out of breath
    i've run marathons. and stairs still make me out of breath
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,846 Member
    It's only a workout if you are *fast* at it -- not if you're trodging up. Just a general walk upstairs shouldn't make you be out of breath.

    Are you always out of breath going upstairs? Or just sometimes?

    If it's always, make a doctor's appointment. It can be an indication of anemia. It also can be an indication that you're out of shape, but rule out the anemia first.

    Speaking of anemia, I normally have no problem with one flight of stairs (that's all I have available) but when my iron count is low, I do have trouble with one flight of stairs.

    Oh, actually, I do take the stairs when I go to the VA and do manage two flights of stairs at a slow pace just fine, so perhaps you should indeed get checked out just to rule out something that could be a minor problem now, but might turn into a big problem if left untreated.
  • collectingblues
    collectingblues Posts: 2,541 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    It's only a workout if you are *fast* at it -- not if you're trodging up. Just a general walk upstairs shouldn't make you be out of breath.

    Are you always out of breath going upstairs? Or just sometimes?

    If it's always, make a doctor's appointment. It can be an indication of anemia. It also can be an indication that you're out of shape, but rule out the anemia first.

    Speaking of anemia, I normally have no problem with one flight of stairs (that's all I have available) but when my iron count is low, I do have trouble with one flight of stairs.

    Oh, actually, I do take the stairs when I go to the VA and do manage two flights of stairs at a slow pace just fine, so perhaps you should indeed get checked out just to rule out something that could be a minor problem now, but might turn into a big problem if left untreated.

    Yeah, and I'm pretty anemic, and *don't* have problems with stairs, but only thought of it because one of my friends was talking about how she's got problems when her iron is measuring low. (It's also part of why I'm pushing back at my PCP with her pursuing more testing right now, because I feel like specialists would just look at me like "Well, you're running half marathons and you're not getting winded, so who cares what your labs show?")
  • gradchica27
    gradchica27 Posts: 777 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    It's only a workout if you are *fast* at it -- not if you're trodging up. Just a general walk upstairs shouldn't make you be out of breath.

    Are you always out of breath going upstairs? Or just sometimes?

    If it's always, make a doctor's appointment. It can be an indication of anemia. It also can be an indication that you're out of shape, but rule out the anemia first.

    Speaking of anemia, I normally have no problem with one flight of stairs (that's all I have available) but when my iron count is low, I do have trouble with one flight of stairs.

    Oh, actually, I do take the stairs when I go to the VA and do manage two flights of stairs at a slow pace just fine, so perhaps you should indeed get checked out just to rule out something that could be a minor problem now, but might turn into a big problem if left untreated.

    Yeah, and I'm pretty anemic, and *don't* have problems with stairs, but only thought of it because one of my friends was talking about how she's got problems when her iron is measuring low. (It's also part of why I'm pushing back at my PCP with her pursuing more testing right now, because I feel like specialists would just look at me like "Well, you're running half marathons and you're not getting winded, so who cares what your labs show?")

    So are you wanting more testing? Or PCP? Who cares about specialists—often seeing a “normal” patient is actually welcome for them...at worst it’s a quick, uncomplicated visit (so nice to give people good news for a change), at best it can be teaching opportunity for their staff. Case in point, I finally did a full cardiac testing gauntlet (echo, stress test, etc) to check out a rhythm irregularity I’d had for years last year. Nothing turned up, but the techs/nurses were all excited to do my echo bc they could see all the chambers (“usually you only see it like this on a child’s heart!”) and everything working normally. Apparently that’s not “normal” for them 😆
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 7,344 Member
    It’s not stairs, but there’s a moderately steep parking lot between my house and the yoga studio. I will go a block out of the way because something about that one particular degree of incline makes my legs feel heavy and my breath hard.
  • collectingblues
    collectingblues Posts: 2,541 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    It's only a workout if you are *fast* at it -- not if you're trodging up. Just a general walk upstairs shouldn't make you be out of breath.

    Are you always out of breath going upstairs? Or just sometimes?

    If it's always, make a doctor's appointment. It can be an indication of anemia. It also can be an indication that you're out of shape, but rule out the anemia first.

    Speaking of anemia, I normally have no problem with one flight of stairs (that's all I have available) but when my iron count is low, I do have trouble with one flight of stairs.

    Oh, actually, I do take the stairs when I go to the VA and do manage two flights of stairs at a slow pace just fine, so perhaps you should indeed get checked out just to rule out something that could be a minor problem now, but might turn into a big problem if left untreated.

    Yeah, and I'm pretty anemic, and *don't* have problems with stairs, but only thought of it because one of my friends was talking about how she's got problems when her iron is measuring low. (It's also part of why I'm pushing back at my PCP with her pursuing more testing right now, because I feel like specialists would just look at me like "Well, you're running half marathons and you're not getting winded, so who cares what your labs show?")

    So are you wanting more testing? Or PCP? Who cares about specialists—often seeing a “normal” patient is actually welcome for them...at worst it’s a quick, uncomplicated visit (so nice to give people good news for a change), at best it can be teaching opportunity for their staff. Case in point, I finally did a full cardiac testing gauntlet (echo, stress test, etc) to check out a rhythm irregularity I’d had for years last year. Nothing turned up, but the techs/nurses were all excited to do my echo bc they could see all the chambers (“usually you only see it like this on a child’s heart!”) and everything working normally. Apparently that’s not “normal” for them 😆

    My PCP is pushing for more testing -- she wants to know *why* I'm so anemic. I'm medically exhausted at this point, and don't want to deal with one more person.

    I had some medical issues in 2017-2018, thanks to my hypothyroid being mismanaged, and everyone I saw, except for the specialist I now see at Cleveland Clinic, told me I was just eating too much, and obsessing, and made me feel like I was wasting their time. And I refuse to go down that path again.
  • aries68mc
    aries68mc Posts: 173 Member
    It used to be normal for me, but not anymore. I am on the 1st floor of my office building and floors 2 and 3 are garage parking. I have always parked on the 3rd floor and taken the stairs down, no problem. That's easy! But I would take the elevator up to get to my car because yes, I would get out of breath going up the stairs. It can also be a juggling act if I am carrying a lot of stuff. But this week I decided to take the stairs up...and guess what, not out of breath! :-)
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,899 Member
    I used to live in a 4th floor walk-up and since I was used to it found it no big deal (even moving quickly and carrying groceries, and even when I was fat). Now that I haven't lived in that place for a year and a half, I'm out of practice, even though I'm reasonably fit in other ways, and when I visit my sister (who currently lives in a 4th floor walk-up), I really feel it!
  • Lolinloggen
    Lolinloggen Posts: 463 Member
    Some people are better with stairs than other it seems. It has to do with being in shape and other stuff but also just plain old who yo are
    A famous Norwegian skater - Johan Olav Koss (4x gold medalist in the Winter Olympics) was notoriously bad at stair climbing Nobody could say he was in bad shape though :wink:
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
    If you're trying to rush up the stairs, sure. But if not, well, you should be able to get through normal life activities without struggling.
  • threewins
    threewins Posts: 1,455 Member
    It depends... On my own I don't get puffed after climbing two flights of stairs. But carrying stuff which weighs more than say 5 kg, yes I do. Also speed and actual height make a lot of difference.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,707 Member
    tegass1994 wrote: »
    I start getting out if breath already after walking up 2 or 3 flights if stairs. 4 flights or more and I start panting. Is it normal? After how many flights do you loae your breath?

    At first ... yes. Keep it up on a daily basis and before long you'll be doing 10+ flights without losing your breath.
  • amandarawr06
    amandarawr06 Posts: 251 Member
    I walk up 6 flights of stairs every morning for work. Some mornings I am running up them and totally fine, other mornings I can barely breathe and struggle like you wouldn't believe. I have no idea what it seems easier some days haha