If your knees ache on the way down a flight of stairs but not on the way up, the issue probably isn’t your knees. More likely, it’s your brakes.
Most general exercise programs train your body to produce power through pushing, pressing, lifting and forward motion. Too few address the opposite ability: absorbing force and controlling movement as you slow down.
When your body’s braking system is undertrained, the force generated by gravity and momentum puts unnecessary stress on your joints and connective tissue that can lead to chronic pain and injury.
Working in professional sports, I’ve seen strength staffs in Major League Baseball and the National Football League devote entire training blocks to deceleration because they know most non-contact ACL injuries commonly occur while an athlete is landing, stopping or changing direction — not while accelerating.
CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, ITALY - FEBRUARY 06: LINDSEY VONN OF TEAM UNITED STATES SKIS DURING THE WOMEN'S DOWNHILL TRAINING ON DAY ZERO OF THE MILANO CORTINA 2026 WINTER OLYMPICS AT TOFANE ALPINE SKIING CENTRE ON FEBRUARY 06, 2026 IN CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, ITALY. (PHOTO BY MATTIA OZBOT/GETTY IMAGES)
