Reverse Walking: Know its Health Benefits

Are you getting bored to go on walk, you can try walking backwards, yes, it may seem counterintuitive and also for some it may sound silly, According to experts, reverse walking may actually be quite beneficial for your brain, heart and give a boost to your metabolism, which would enable you to burn more calories than your usual forward walking.

Lori Shemek, 4X Bestselling Author & Top Health Expert has tweeted, walking 100 steps backward that is Retro Walking is almost equivalent to 1000 steps forward walking.

Shemek states walking in reverse may make one's heart pump faster and also help circulate more blood and oxygen to the muscles and organs, including the brain.

When you start walking backwards, it will help you engage a different set of muscles-calf muscles, glutes and quadriceps. It also challenges your mind to think and also operate differently.

Shemek added, one of the reasons, as to why it helps promote brain health is, it is a combination of keeping check on our surrounding as well as movement, similar to dancing brain health benefits.

Benefits to heart

An Individual's heart starts to beat faster, when they move in reverse, thus enabling to get a cardio fix and boosts your metabolism and burn more number of calories in a shorter period of time. Walking backward is excellent to improve balance, states Dr Ankur Pahatrpekar, Director Cath Lab, Symbiosis Hospital, Mumbai.

Lungs function well

Even lungs start to function well along with your heart. The more you walk, the lesser chances of developing cardiovascular disease.

Strengthens bone & Muscles

Dr. Saurabh Goel, Consultant Cardiologist, Wockhardt Hospital, stated reverse walking also offers varied health of the body and it helps strengthened bones and muscles, boosts energy levels. It improves walking techniques and helps with balance.

Efficient and intense

For people who are short on time, they can try reverse walking to make their workouts more efficient as well as intense.

One needs to be extra careful if, they are not habituated to walking in backward direction.

To avoid falls or collision, always walk in an open area free of obstacles. Not only, it helps improve heart health, but also help improve balance and vision. It is also beneficial for legs, hips and trunk and it enhances the mental clarity.

Little unknown facts of reverse walking

1. For those above 50 years, improving our balance as well as co-ordination is even more significant. Backward locomotion help improve the functions of our cerebellum,which co-ordinates and balances our bodily movements and flexibility.

2. As we are on a constant look out for danger and obstacles on our path, practically all our 5 senses are sharpened.

3. Our reflexes are sharpened at the same time

4. It also helps prevent the development of hunchback