Itz Holistically Wholesome

Walking forward is something we do daily without thinking about it, which makes sense because naturally we were made to step forward. But have you ever tried walking backward before? Usually, When I am out with my children, we would playfully walk or try to run backwards. My five-year-old son loves to do this and is pretty good at it. Little did I know that what was fun and silly to us was deemed an effective and recommended way to exercise. Since discovering the health benefits of retro-walking recently, I have intentionally made it a part of my daily workout.

I enjoy running, it just makes me feel good afterwards. Ever since I had my daughter, my knees hurt very much whenever I tried to stoop down, and hurts even more when I tried to pull myself up from the stooping position. I find this quiet insane because it does not hurt otherwise when I run, or do squats. I have even gotten new pairs of running shoes just in case the old ones were too worn and have been contributing to my painful knees, but they remain achy. I also attributed the cause for my painful knees to the fact that I am heavier than usual weight wise, and if that is so, everything will be okay once I lose all my baby weight. I was scrolling through YouTube a few weeks ago when I came across a video in which a gentleman was talking about the benefits of walking backward. He got my full attention when I heard him say that it also helps to alleviate knee pains. I thought it to be a blessing and I was willing to try anything; besides, what do I have to lose now? 

I first tried walking backwards for a few minutes in the park, and my mind went elsewhere for a bit, and I bumped into a tree, lol. Another time, I almost fell because I tripped over my feet. Essentially one must remain focused when doing this exercise. Since I have only just started doing this, there is not much to share in terms of results but I will give an update on how my retro-walking is going and especially its effects on my knees in a future post.

There are several benefits of retro-walking or Walking Backwards such as:

• Builds muscle strength.
• Improves balance and reduce risk of fall
• Burns more calories than forward walking.
• Boosts cardiorespiratory fitness.
• Increases flexibility and range of motion.
• helps to relieve or limit knee-joint pain.
• Challenges your brain & improves focus
• Prevents exercise boredom.
• Relieves back pain

But here are my top three benefits:

1. Retro-walking helps to relieve or limit knee-joint pain

Walking Backward (retro-walking) can reduce joint pains by improving knee function and physical performance. When our quads become weak, we develop knee pains, so by walking backward, we are strengthening the quads more compared to when we step forward, which will, in turn, reduce painful knees. Additionally, because we walk backward with shorter steps on the soles of our feet, our shin muscle strengthens without impacting our knees too much.

2. Improves balance and reduces the risk of fall

Retro-walking helps to develop balance because we must rely on our senses and not our eyes. As a result, we, over time, have better motor control and physical stability. 

3. Retro-walking relieves Backpains

Walking backward improves the lumbar vertebra’s muscle strength, which can help prevent lower back pain. 

Retro-walking is an effective way to strengthen the muscles of the lower extremities, especially our quadriceps. Walking backward for 10 minutes thrice weekly for six weeks can significantly improve our quads and help to reduce osteoarthritis. Adding resistance and going quicker will make it more effective as you become more accustomed to retro-walking.

God Bless.