I We call it “Death Hill.” A steep, uphill dirt road towards the end of an otherwise pleasant and not-too-tiring walk in the scenic Blue Mountains. Walking forwards up it is hard enough, but my friend and I are feeling pretty fit this morning so we suggest walking backwards.
Within a few metres, our quads and calf muscles were burning, our hearts were pounding, and we began to regret the idea. But we refused to give up, and continued walking backwards for a 30-metre stretch, panting and groaning.
Walking backwards is super popular right now, both literally and figuratively. The practice has apparently been common in China for a while, but it’s only recently been picked up by an influencer (in this case, online fitness coach Ben Patrick, aka The Man poking his knee with his toe Suddenly it became very popular in parts of the Western world.
“When you start seeing people walking backwards on treadmills in the gym, and you see people who look like they’re doing it consciously, I think that adds fuel to the fire,” says Jack McNamara, an exercise physiologist at the University of East London.
What do the experts say?
While there have been plenty of headlines about the benefits of walking backwards, there have been relatively few proper clinical studies on the practice. What evidence exists suggests that walking backwards may be helpful for some people and in certain situations. But it’s unlikely we’ll see popular walking spots start looking as if someone has pressed the rewind button on a remote control.
The first groups who may benefit are those at risk of falling, such as older people or those recovering from illnesses such as stroke. Dr Christian Barton, an associate professor of physiotherapist at La Trobe University in Melbourne, says walking backwards puts strain on the muscles and body in ways that we don’t normally experience.
“This helps train what’s called proprioception, which is the sense of how your muscles and joints communicate with your brain and how your brain communicates back to them to keep you from falling,” Barton says.
Falls kill 14 people over 65 every day and treating injuries from falls in older Australians costs more than $2.3 billion each year. But Kim Delvalle, a senior research scientist at the Australian Neuroscience Institute and fall prevention expert, says falls can be prevented with relatively simple measures, such as walking backwards.
“Walking backwards is not something we do very often, so from that standpoint, it certainly engages different systems and different muscle groups,” Del Valle says, “but it’s not a muscle training exercise, it’s not a strength training exercise. It’s more about coordination.”
How can you incorporate backward walking into your exercise routine?
Del Valle suggests that the safest way for people with balance issues to try walking backwards is at home, next to a supportive object like a kitchen bench. He recommends starting by walking carefully forward, gradually progressing to heel-to-toe walking, always with one hand on or near the bench, then doing the same backwards.
“You start by holding on, then walking backwards, but with a slightly wider step, and eventually you’re in a straight line, heel to toe,” she says. The great thing about walking backwards for falls prevention is that even short periods of time can be effective: “You can certainly split it up into five minutes here and 20 minutes there,” she says, aiming for two to three hours of falls prevention exercise each week.
People with osteoarthritis or other knee problems may also find particular benefit from walking backwards. Research suggests“The burn you feel in your quads is strengthening a muscle that is relatively not that strong, which is good for strengthening and stabilizing your knee,” McNamara says. “It also helps prevent injury. The stronger your knee is, the more durable it will be and the less likely you are to injure yourself.”
Walking backwards also puts less strain on your knees than walking forward, says Barton, because your knees don’t travel as far forward as your toes, so there’s less compressive force on them. “You still have to bend your knees, but you’re only bending your hips back and then your knees, so it puts a little more strain on your hip strength and thigh muscles.”
Is it better than walking forward?
Online claims that walking backwards is great for cardiovascular health and weight loss may be misleading: McNamara says that while it’s true that walking or running backwards burns slightly more calories than walking the same distance forward, “this is debatable because you’re not running a marathon backwards.”
But when safely incorporated as part of a regular exercise routine — for example, walking backwards for short distances on a flat, obstacle-free surface like an elliptical or up a hill without tripping hazards, or pulling a sled for resistance at the gym — backward walking can be a way to spice up your exercise routine, McNamara says.
“It’s a psychological break and a novelty, but if you do it purposefully and systematically it’s not necessarily a waste of time.”
