Merdeka.com – The benefits of walking do not need to be doubted. Walking is a light and fun activity, as well as providing health benefits for the body. Many people enjoy doing this, apart from having health benefits, they can also enjoy the environment or while chatting with friends.
When walking, everyone will definitely move forward, because that’s what is usually done. However, what if you exercise walking but by moving backwards?
Even though it looks unusual, and tends to be strange, this backward walk can provide benefits. By going backward, your body will take on new challenges and force you to adapt to new things.
At first glance, this way backwards might be as easy as going forward. But in reality, going backwards makes our steps even more cautious and our alert level increases. The balance of the body is also better trained when walking backwards than when walking forward.
Here are some of the benefits of going backwards that you can feel when implementing it.
Benefits of the Way Back
Burn more calories
The first benefit of walking backwards is that it burns more calories. Reporting from holmesplace.com, moving backwards makes your heart pump faster than moving forward, which means you get cardio improvements, increased metabolism, and burn more calories in less time.
Good for balance
The second benefit of going backwards is that it is good for balance. Our bodies are used to moving forward without thinking. But when changing direction, we ignore the body’s center of gravity a little, and try to increase the stability even more to keep the body in balance. Always make sure to walk in an area without obstacles so you don’t fall or get hit.
Sharpen your senses
The third is to sharpen our senses. Since this activity is done in the reverse of what we often do, taking a step back will hone your thinking skills. You have to pay attention, which flexes mental muscles, increases body awareness, and improves vision and instinct.
Keep your joints and back healthy
The fourth benefit of walking backwards is to nourish the joints and back. If you have a back or knee injury, try walking backwards. You will quickly find that walking backwards is great for you when you begin to step back.
This exercise will treat frequent heel attacks, minimize the range of motion in the joints compared to walking forwards, and change the alignment of your pelvis to open the joints in the spine. These things can help relieve back pain.
healthline.com
Flexibility & strength
The benefit of the further backward walk is that it can increase flexibility and strength. Walking backwards in 10-15 minutes, four days a week, can flex the hamstrings and strengthen muscles that are not normally very active as we walk forward.
Mental Benefits
Apart from providing physical health benefits, going backward can also benefit our mental health. Reporting from Healthline, here are some of the benefits of walking backward for mental health.
- increase body awareness
- improve body coordination and movement
- help avoid feeling bored while exercising
- improves overall mood
- helps the sleep cycle
- motivates you to step outside your comfort zone
- keeps your mind guessing
- sharpen your thinking skills and improve cognitive control
Before trying to walk backwards, make sure the gym is quiet, there are no vehicles passing by, or things that could be dangerous when walking backwards. Or you can try it first at home or on the lawn.
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