Did You Know Walking Backwards Is Actually Beneficial?

How many times have you thought that people walking backwards when out on a morning walk are crazy? It turns out that they are not crazy. They are just challenging themselves and will end up with better health benefits than walking straight.

According to Sciencealert, “When we walk backwards, it takes longer for our brains to process the extra demands of coordinating these systems. However, this increased level of challenge brings with it increased health benefits. One of the most well-studied benefits of walking backwards is improving stability and balance. Walking backwards can improve forward gait (how a person walks) and balance for healthy adults and those with knee osteoarthritis. Walking backwards causes us to take shorter, more frequent steps, leading to improved muscular endurance for the muscles of the lower legs while reducing the burden on our joints.”

Here are some other benefits:

• There are postural changes when one is walking backwards and these use more of the muscles supporting our lumbar spine. This suggests that backward walking could be a particularly beneficial exercise for people with chronic lower back pain.
• Walking backwards has even been used to identify and treat balance and walking speed in patients with neurological conditions or following chronic stroke.

According to researchers, while normal walking can help us maintain a healthy weight, walking backwards may be even more effective. Energy expenditure when walking backwards is almost 40 per cent higher than walking at the same speed forwards. One study even shows reductions in body fat for women who completed a six-week backwards walk or run training program, according to Sciencealert.

Backward running increases the strength of crucial muscles involved with straightening the knee, which not only carries over to injury prevention but also our ability to generate power and athletic performance. Sustained backward running decreases the energy we expend when we run forwards, the report adds.

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