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Walking Backwards Benefits So Much More Than Your Knees
Think of your brain, balance and longevity
Around my local suburbs, I have never seen so many people regularly walking for their health. There were always the genteel walkers. But now, with the pandemic and gyms closed, there is a new breed on the paths and tracks.
I’m pleased to observe that they mostly are not “serious” walkers — those with intent looks and machine-driven arms. Although the majority are not so intense, they are satisfyingly consistent and purposeful. I’m one of those — I walk 5km at least once every day, and I’ve added in walking backwards.
With a single tweak, these regular-walking folk can significantly improve the health and longevity benefits from their activity.
Walking backwards is coming forward as a training adjunct
If you are a walker, the most significant single tweak to get more benefits is simply to add in intervals of walking backwards. Not only for your body but more importantly for your cognitive fitness.
Recently, in sports and medicine, walking backwards has been increasingly used — pioneered by Russian sports scientists as is often the case (Ref Back-to-back walking in sports training and medical rehabilitation — А.V. Klemenov — Sports medicine: science and practice — 2017).
Here are three fantastic benefits.
#1 Better improves your cardio fitness
Walking backwards is a beneficial fitness technique.
This fitness benefit arises because walking backwards leads to a more significant load on our cardiovascular and respiratory systems. This load builds a more substantial increase in both our aerobic and anaerobic capabilities than just walking forward.
Compare your breathing when walking backwards at the same speed as walking forwards and you will viscerally feel the extra effort. Over time, this helps build your exercise capacity, which is positively associated with longevity.
