Reverse Walking: More Than Just Exercise

There are numerous ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle and it is no wonder that walking is a popular choice across all age groups. It has become an easy yet effective choice to maintain a fit and healthy physique as it does not require much effort or training. But when it comes to reverse walking, the story is a bit different.

Backward walking has been more common among athletes in strength training, but it is no longer limited to players alone. Several studies have discovered that reverse walking can reap many health benefits beyond just improving muscular strength and physical workout. In this article, we will discuss the potential benefits, the dos and don’ts, and safe ways of practicing reverse walking.

Health Benefits of Backward Walk

Practicing backward walks around two times a week can offer many health benefits in addition to the benefits of regular walking. Research studies have shown that there may be benefits such as improved cognition and neurological function, decreased joint pain in knee arthritis, as well as strengthening lower limb muscles and muscles of the back.

In case of Osteoarthritis of knee, the cushioning effect in the knee joint reduces to a greater extent due to wear and tear of the cartilage tissue, leading to pain, stiffness, and difficulty walking. A clinical study has confirmed that backward walk in comparison to regular forward walk, has significantly reduced the loading on knee joint, therefore reducing pain.

Post stroke patients with walking or neurocognitive impairments have also benefited from practicing reverse walking. Research indicates that patients with walking impairments post stroke have shown improvement in forward walking speeds, lengthened walking steps, and balance. Besides this, studies on normal individuals have shown improved cognitive performance related to memory processing and attention regulation. This is because of the increased activity in the prefrontal cortex region associated with backward walking. Normally, parietal areas of the brain are activated during forward walk, but reverse walk can activate both parietal and frontal areas boosting cognitive performance.

Lastly, some benefits common to normal walking were also discovered in recent studies. This includes better flexibility of lower limb muscles contributing to a reduction in lower back pain, making it a functional addition to anyone’s fitness routine.

The Do’s and Don’ts

As mentioned earlier, reverse walk requires practical training with assistance before incorporating this into your workout regime. Trying it for the first time without necessary awareness or additional assistance may have dangerous consequences. Similarly, people with certain vulnerabilities should avoid trying it, as it may turn out to be riskier than beneficial.

There are two ways to practice – either using a treadmill or just by walking steadily backwards on the ground. While practicing on the ground/floor make sure there are no objects obstructing the pathway you have decided to walk through, and that there is enough friction to prevent accidental slippage. While beginning to practice on a treadmill, always take necessary help from a professional trainer starting on a low speed.

Before starting practice, make sure you are physically fit and well equipped to get started off. Wearing a comfortable pair of shoes that offers good support and friction while walking is highly recommended.

However, as mentioned before, some individuals with certain health conditions must stay away from trying reverse walk:

·       People with certain neurological conditions (e.g., Parkinsons’s), cardiovascular conditions, or those on certain medications that can impair balance and coordination.

·       Elderly or young children who are more prone to Falls.

·       Sensory disturbances including impaired/poor vision or hearing loss.

·       Mental illnesses like depression or in people with poor judgment making capabilities.

·       Injuries to the limb or other injuries that could increase the risk of falling.

·       Pregnant women

Although backward walking offers numerous health benefits, it is always advisable to consult a healthcare provider to ensure that one’s individual health is favorable to start the practice. By doing so, we can be assured that the benefits potentially outweigh the risks, and it would be ideal to incorporate it in our regular workout schedule.

References

1.       The biomechanical effects of backward walking on the knee: A new method for releasing the joint loading. Zhang, M. et al. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, Volume 23, A121 - A122

2.       Uthoff, A., Oliver, J., Cronin, J., Winwood, P., & Harrison, C. (2019). Backward Running: The why and how to program for Better Athleticism. Strength and Conditioning Journal, 41(5), 48–56. https://doi.org/10.1519/ssc.0000000000000459

3.       Awosika, O. O., Chan, D., Sucharew, H. J., Boyne, P., Bhattacharya, A., Dunning, K., & Kissela, B. M. (2022). Backward Locomotor Treadmill Training Differentially Improves Walking Performance across Stroke Walking Impairment Levels. Brain Sciences, 12(2), 133. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12020133

4.       Awosika, O. O., Chan, D., Rizik, B. A., Sucharew, H. J., Boyne, P., Bhattacharya, A., Dunning, K., & Kissela, B. M. (2022). Serial backward locomotor treadmill training improves bidirectional walking performance in chronic stroke. Frontiers in Neurology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2022.800757

5.       Whitley, C. R., & Dufek, J. S. (n.d.). Effects of backward walking on hamstring flexibility and low back range of motion. TopSCHOLAR®. https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijes/vol4/iss3/4/

6.       Solis-Moreira, J. (2024, April 2). Walking backward can improve joints, arthritis and overall health. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/walking-backward-can-improve-joints-arthritis-and-overall-health/

7.       Berchicci, M., Russo, Y., Bianco, V., Quinzi, F., Rum, L., Macaluso, A., Committeri, G., Vannozzi, G., & Di Russo, F. (n.d.). Stepping forward, stepping backward: a movement-related cortical potential study unveils distinctive brain activities. Behavioural Brain Research, 388, 112663. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112663

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