Start Walking Backward: 3 Benefits You Are Missing Out On
Walking backward is all the rage right now. I guarantee you can walk into a gym and see someone walking backward on a treadmill or performing backward sled pulls.
So what gives?
Research shows that walking backward may improve balance, reduce knee strain, and strengthen the thigh muscles (1,2,3). A review of 21 studies found backward walking to be an effective tool for reducing knee pain and increasing balance and quadriceps strength in 2 to 4 weeks (1).
When you walk backward, your thigh muscles don't stretch as much as forward walking, putting less stress on the knee. This is favorable for someone who has knee pain or soreness. But I still recommend you do it, even if you have zero knee pain symptoms.
You will run into knee soreness at some point in your exercise career, so it is best to condition the knee ahead of time to reduce its symptoms. And you don't have to do it every day; performing it once a week will have lifelong benefits. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Here's How You Do It
1) Find a steep hill or set the incline of your treadmill between 10 to 15%
2) Set the speed between 1 to 2 mph
3) Perform 3 to 5 sets by 100 steps or 10 minutes
4) Perform 1 to 3 times per week in your warm-up or on cardio days
5) Increase your duration weekly
*this can be done on flat ground as well, but I have found it is not challenging enough for most people
Watch the video below to see where I do my backward walking.