Dec 25, 2022 15:00:00

Experts say that 'walking backwards' is surprisingly good for health

Unlike normal walking, 'backward walking', which moves backwards, is rarely done as an adult, even if you have experience doing it for fun when you were a child. But walking backwards has a surprising number of health benefits, says Jack McNamara, a lecturer in clinical exercise physiology at the University of East London.

Walking backwards has a surprising number of health benefits

https://theconversation.com/walking-backwards-has-a-surprising-number-of-health-benefits-195246

Walking is one of the easiest exercises that does not require equipment or a gym membership. It's a complex thing that requires tuning proprioceptive senses to recognize who is there. Walking backwards further complicates the coordination between these systems, but it also offers various health benefits.

One of the most well-studied benefits of walking backwards is improved stability and balance . Walking backwards can improve balance in both healthy adults and people with osteoarthritis, where the cartilage in the knee wears away and causes pain. MnNamara says that walking backwards takes shorter strides and increases the number of repetitions, which reduces the strain on the joints and improves the muscular endurance of the lower extremities.

Studies have also shown that adding an incline to the backward walking route changes the range of motion of the joints and muscles, and can alleviate the pain of plantar fasciitis , a common cause of heel pain. In addition, research results show that walking backwards is effective in rehabilitating chronic low back pain because more muscles are used to support the lumbar spine due to changes in posture, and research results show that it helps improve walking speed and balance in stroke patients. has also been reported.

The benefits of walking backwards are not limited to disease treatment and rehabilitation. A 2011

study showed that walking backwards consumes about 40% more energy than normal walking, and a 2005 study reported that walking backwards resulted in a significant reduction in body fat percentage. It has been suggested that walking backwards has a diet effect.

Beyond walking backwards, research into ``backward running'' suggests that backward running increases strength in key knee-related muscles, providing benefits for injury prevention and athletic performance. Also, in a study in which trained people underwent continuous backward running training, backward running improved energy efficiency when running forward.

McNamara recommends doing this in a flat space indoors or outdoors where there is no danger of collisions, as you are more likely to hit an obstacle and fall or miss a hazard when walking backwards, says McNamara. . Also, when walking backwards, it's important to resist the urge to twist your body to look behind you and keep your head and chest straight. McNamara said that once you get used to walking backwards, you will eventually be able to run backwards on a treadmill.