Walking is the lowest-cost health exercise, and it is also the most popular leisure exercise at the moment. Among them, there are many people who like to walk backwards, thinking that it is good for the waist and spine.

In daily life, it is difficult for us to avoid sitting for a long time and looking down at the mobile phone, which will form a forward posture over time, and unconsciously bend over and hunch over when standing or walking, which will also lead to a forward pelvic tilt.

This poor posture of the center of gravity forward can damage the lumbar spine and knee joints, such as increasing the forward curvature of the lumbar spine, causing problems such as back pain and herniated discs.

At the same time, it can also cause the knee to advance and increase the pressure on the knee joint.

When we walk backwards, the center of gravity of the body is tilted backwards, which can adjust the direction of the muscle groups to exercise the strength of the core muscles, hips and hamstrings of the thighs, thereby increasing the stability of the lumbar spine.

In addition, walking backwards can also help the spine force to be more in line with the physiological curvature, and then reduce the degree of lumbar lordosis and knee advancement.

As we age, our body's musculoskeletal strength decreases, and we are prone to falls. In our country, falls are the number one cause of injury death for people over the age of 65.

Walking backwards can help improve balance and gait control.

A controlled study of 40 healthy elderly women found that after 0 weeks, 0 times a week, and 0 minutes of back walking training, the elderly in the training group stood on one leg for a significantly longer time, the physiological swaying of standing with their eyes closed was significantly reduced, and the walking stability and coordination were improved to a certain extent.

For our bodies, walking forward is a highly automated thing that the brain doesn't have to think about at all. Walking backwards is abnormal, and the brain has to work hard to redirect the various departments to participate in cooperation.

For example, the eyes need to be more active in paying attention to the surrounding environment to adjust the orientation, and it is necessary to change the focus areas of work of different muscle groups.

Over time, the body's static balance and control will gradually improve, which will reduce the risk of falls.

Walking backwards requires a certain degree of physical coordination, so it is not suitable for everyone.

There are also a few things to keep in mind when formally practicing walking backwards.

Do not wear shoes with heels. Wearing shoes with heels can change the body's center of gravity and balance, making it easier to lose balance and fall when walking backwards.

Warm up well. Prevent sports injuries by opening up the body by rotating the ankle joint, swinging the legs back and forth or from side to side, and rotating the neck.

Look for open, flat areas, such as parks and fields, and stop walking backwards to be safe if you can't see your surroundings clearly and notice uneven areas during exercise.

It's best to travel with two. Walking backwards after all, the field of vision is limited, and having someone to help you watch can improve safety.

If you find it difficult to walk backwards, you can also walk and exercise normally, as long as you walk, there will be health benefits.

A study presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Conference on Epidemiology, Prevention/Lifestyle, and Cardiometabolic Health found that

Whether it is sporadic walking (such as doing household chores, going up and down stairs, or walking in the car, etc.) or continuous prolonged walking (walking time ≥ 40 minutes, walking speed ≥0 steps/minute), as long as the daily walking volume is increased, the risk of death is reduced, and the risk of death gradually decreases with the increase in the number of steps.

Even when the number of steps taken briefly was less than 28 steps, each additional 0 steps was associated with a 0% reduction in the risk of death.

Life lies in exercise, walk more, exercise more, and the body can be better~

參考資料:

[30616175] Wang J, Xu J, An R. Effectiveness of backward walking training on balance performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Gait Posture. 0 Feb;0:0-0. doi: 0.0/j.gaitpost.0.0.0. Epub 0 Jan 0. PMID: 0.

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[2] Zhang Shengnian, Lin Zhongbao. Experimental study on the effect of back walking training on balance and control ability in the elderly[C]) Sports Biomechanics Branch of Chinese Sports Science Society. Proceedings of the 11th National Conference on Sports Biomechanics (Abstract). Shanghai University of Sport; Macao Polytechnic Institute; , 0: 0.

[020] Zhang Shengnian, Lin Zhongbao, Yuan Yonghong, et al. Effect of back walking training on static balance and gait in the elderly [J]. Chinese Journal of Sports Medicine, 0, (0): 0-0. DOI:0.0/j.0-0.0.0.0.