6 benefits of the currently trending “walking backwards”
When it comes to fitness trends, we've tried many different types of exercise, from cozy cardio, a light aerobic exercise you can do in the comfort of your own home, to the 75 Hard Challenge, which aims to reach your ideals. And recently, ``walking backwards'' has started to appear frequently on TikTok and Instagram. It's true that walking is easy, painless, and inexpensive. It may seem easy to incorporate into your existing exercise routine, but is it just a fad? Or is it really worth doing? Fitness First personal trainer James Barr answered this question in detail. Let's take a look at the British version for women.
6 benefits of walking backwards
"There are many benefits to walking, including walking backwards," Barr says. in particular?
1. Improves balance and coordination ability ``Walking backwards uses different muscles than usual and requires coordination ability (the ability to freely manipulate one's body), so it improves balance and proprioception (movement, movement, and body control). "It improves your ability to sense your position," says Barr. ``One study suggests that walking backwards improves your balance, which reduces your risk of falling.''
2. Strengthens your muscles Barr explains that walking backwards ``strengthens your hamstrings, glutes, and muscles.'' Because you concentrate on using muscles that are not used during normal forward walking, such as your lower back, it leads to an overall improvement in muscle balance and strength." In a study published in the academic journal
The Indian Journal of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy, patients with knee osteoarthritis improved their quadriceps strength by incorporating backward walking in addition to traditional physical therapy. Being watched.
3. Reduces the load on your joints ``Walking backwards puts less stress on your knees and ankles, so it's easier on your joints than walking or running forward,'' says Barr. According to the same study, walking backwards is unique in that the foot lands from the heel to the toes, and compared to forward walking, where the foot lands from the toes to the heel, it puts less impact on the knee joints. It seems so.
4. Improves cognitive function "Walking backwards requires a high level of attention and concentration, which helps improve cognitive function and spatial awareness," says Barr. As a study published in the journal Gait and Posture points out, global cognitive function (the five cognitive domains of attention, memory, verbal fluency, language, and visuo-spatial abilities) is affected by walking backwards, not forwards. Associated. The reason seems to be that, unlike walking forward, walking backwards is a more difficult and unfamiliar movement.
5. Improves Posture ``Walking backwards with proper form will strengthen your core muscles and help you straighten your posture,'' says Barr.
6. Protect your brain from dementia
As we age, our brains shrink. If that's a little scary, walking can help slow it down," says Barr. "Frontier research conducted in 2020 showed that when obese and overweight people walked, the areas of the brain responsible for memory and information processing (the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus) became larger. , a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) suggests that exercise can increase hippocampal volume by 2%, reversing one to two years of age-related hippocampal volume loss.