Stairs can be hard work – and not just for your toddler

It can be quite tiring for your toddler to learn how to come down the stairs; and it might be exhausting for you while you help them! As your toddler concentrates on holding their body weight on one leg at a time to descend the stairs, you might find yourself running up them to help. No matter how fit you are, and how few stairs there are, this could leave you a little out of breath – why is this? 

Unconscious breathing – we don’t think about our breathing most of the time 

Breathing happens without us even thinking about, like when we blink and swallow; it’s a rhythmic process that adapts to the needs of the body.^[1]  

So why would we feel out of breath from running or walking quickly up a few stairs? 

It is thought that when we switch our focus suddenly, the brain’s concentration shifts, sometimes causing it to slow down or stop your breathing.^[2] The signal to breathe is replaced by another action or thought and breathing can be temporarily affected in this time. 

Also, the muscles work harder when moving up stairs. When this is combined with a reduced intake of breath, the brain increases your breathing rate to cope with the demands on your body and oxygen lost.[3]  

So, when your concentration shifts to climbing stairs and helping your toddler, you might momentarily and unconsciously hold your breath until you have reached them. 

Your thoughts may suddenly fill with worry and your stress levels may rise if you believe your toddler may be in danger on the stairs.  

Any feelings of anxiousness, panic or stress may also add to breathlessness, leading to your heart beating faster and then taking more breaths.^[4]  

You can be comforted by the fact that once you know your toddler is safe and fine, your breathing will return to normal. 

We can’t always control our breathing when we are unprepared for events that lie ahead, but we can rely on the fact our brain works hard to do its best to protect us. 

References: 

[1] Ramirez, J. M., & Baertsch, N. (2018). Defining the Rhythmogenic Elements of Mammalian Breathing. Physiology. 

[2] Lents, N.H. (2016) This Is Why Stairs Can Leave You Out of Breath. Psychology Today UK. 

[3] Your lungs and exercise – factsheet. (2016). Breathe (Sheffield, England). 

[4] NHS. (2023) Why do I feel anxious and panicky?