Here's a very Singapore-specific reality: roughly 150 HDB blocks — home to about 2,000 households — still don't have full lift access on every floor, meaning residents climb stairs every single day just to get home. If that's you, or an elderly family member, here's what it means for your joints, and where daily support like GreenKare Joint & Bone Support can help.
Older slab blocks were built with lifts that skip floors
Many HDB blocks built between the 1970s and early 1990s were designed with lifts stopping only on alternate floors — meaning residents on the "wrong" floor climb at least one flight, every trip, in both directions, with no way around it.
Stair climbing with groceries is harder on joints than it looks
Descending stairs in particular puts significant load through the knees — each step down transmits several times your body weight through the joint, and carrying groceries or other loads increases that further. For anyone with existing joint wear, this daily routine is a meaningful, repeated stress.
Support exists, but the practical daily reality doesn't change overnight
The Lift Upgrading Programme has already brought lift access to thousands of previously-affected blocks, and a Lift Access Housing Grant helps eligible residents with mobility issues relocate — but for the households still waiting or not yet eligible, the daily stair climb remains a real part of life.
💬 Do you or your family deal with a no-lift-access floor?
Climbing stairs every day, or grateful for full lift access where you live? Share your experience in the comments — this is a genuinely under-discussed part of ageing in place in Singapore.
Supporting joints through daily stair climbing
For households where stairs are simply part of daily life, joint support matters even more. GreenKare Joint & Bone Support combines Glucosamine, Type II Collagen, VC Calcium, Frankincense, and Myrrh to support joint mobility and comfort for exactly this kind of repeated daily demand.
GreenKare Joint & Bone Support
Glucosamine, Type II Collagen, VC Calcium, Frankincense & Myrrh
Learn more →The bottom line
Around 2,000 households in Singapore still climb stairs daily due to incomplete lift access, and that's a real, repeated load on the knees — especially descending with groceries in hand. Strengthening exercises help, and daily support like GreenKare Joint & Bone Support can make that daily routine a bit more manageable.
This article is for general health information only and isn't a substitute for medical advice. If you're experiencing persistent joint pain, please speak with a doctor.