Walking Backward Helps You Move Ahead with Joint Health
Experts explain how moving in reverse can take pressure off your knees and improve flexibility
Walking backward down the block or in the park might seem like a bizarre way to get around, but a recent TikTok trend is lauding its potential health benefits.
Social media influencers claim that backward walking—or “retro-walking”—strengthens the body and brain. TikTok isn’t always a credible source for health information (remember when people were taking laxatives to lose weight?), but walking backward is an exercise that at least some health experts can get behind. Physical therapist Kristyn Holc of Atlantic Sports Health Physical Therapy in New Jersey says doctors have been recommending retro-walking for decades; she adds that it is especially helpful for older adults who are more likely to experience joint pain. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in four adults aged 45 to 64 have been diagnosed with arthritis. And a number of experts say walking backward can help take you forward when it comes to strengthening the lower body—no matter your age.
What Are the Health Benefits of Backward Walking?
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Retro-walking (or retroambulation, as some scientists call it) moves the joints in reverse; this engages different muscle groups than usual and relieves some pressure on the knees. Walking forward uses muscles on the front of the thigh—the quadriceps, or “quads”—but Holc says these muscles are even more strongly activated when moving in reverse. Greater quad activity causes the knee to stretch more, which can help alleviate knee pain and reduce muscle tightness. Importantly,…
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