{"id":219117,"date":"2025-09-11T21:02:12","date_gmt":"2025-09-11T21:02:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/219117\/"},"modified":"2025-09-11T21:02:12","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T21:02:12","slug":"you-should-be-walking-backwards-on-the-treadmill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/219117\/","title":{"rendered":"You Should Be Walking Backwards on the Treadmill"},"content":{"rendered":"

You may have seen people walking backwards on the treadmill<\/a> at the gym\u2014sometimes on an incline, and sometimes flat\u2014and thought they looked absurd. But they haven\u2019t lost their minds. They\u2019ve just discovered an essential fitness hack.<\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re suffering from runner\u2019s knee or looking to get rid of that office-bound back pain<\/a>, switching up your treadmill protocols can help.<\/p>\n

What are the benefits?<\/strong><\/p>\n

As a growing trend, perhaps it’s not all that surprising that walking backwards has a surprising number of health benefits beyond gaining TikTok views.<\/p>\n

Jack McNamara, senior lecturer in clinical exercise science at the University of East London<\/a>, is the authority on the subject and says not only can walking backwards improve stability, balance and forward gait, but by forcing us to take smaller, more considered steps, it leads to improved muscular endurance in the lower legs, easing the burden on our joints<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Not only does this strengthen the supportive muscles used in running, McNamara says that changing the incline or decline can alter the range of motion for joints and muscles. This offers pain relief for conditions such as plantar fasciitis\u2014one of the most common causes of heel pain.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe biomechanics of backwards walking mean it also helps stretch the hamstrings, which can lead to reduced lower back pain,\u201d he adds, pointing to a 2018 study<\/a> which found that backwards walking leads to greater activation of the paraspinal muscles (the collective term for the three muscle groups that support your back).<\/p>\n

Data also suggests it\u2019s an efficient fat loss tool. Per one 2011 study, energy expenditure when walking backwards is almost 40% higher<\/a> than walking at the same speed forwards.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Matt Kendrick, founder of MK Health Hub and MK Reformed<\/a>, thinks that walking backwards could even enhance cognitive function by engaging the brain in novel ways<\/a>. McNamara agrees, explaining that backwards walking has even been used to detect and treat issues in patients with neurological conditions.<\/p>\n

\u201cVarious studies<\/a> suggest it can positively affect cognitive capacities such as memory, reaction time, and problem-solving skills due to the increased levels of concentration and coordination required,\u201d McNamara adds.<\/p>\n

Can everyone benefit?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Do you need to be a runner<\/a> or suffering from back pain to feel the benefits? While those two groups are perhaps best served by incorporating backwards walking into their routines, Kendrick says any active person can benefit. In fact, soccer players, referees, and tennis players are increasingly incorporating it into their fitness drills.<\/p>\n

\u201cBackwards walking can be particularly beneficial because it strengthens muscles that are less used in forward walking, promoting better overall lower body strength, enhancing balance<\/a> for athletic performance,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Not only is it a good rehab tool for injured athletes, Kendrick says regular backwards walking is a great way to make athletes more resilient to the physical demands of their sports, preventing future injuries.<\/p>\n

As for runners, McNamara says it isn\u2019t just a way to rehab your aching knees, but a useful tool for optimizing energy expenditure. \u201cSustained backwards running decreases the energy we expend when we run forwards,\u201d he says. \u201cThese improvements in running economy<\/a> are even beneficial for experienced runners with an already economical running technique.\u201d<\/p>\n

Are there any downsides?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Walking backwards is simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. \u201cYou\u2019re more likely to miss obstacles and hazards that we could fall over, so start on the treadmill,\u201d advises McNamara.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"You may have seen people walking backwards on the treadmill at the gym\u2014sometimes on an incline, and sometimes…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":219118,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[5097,1198,119518,210,14979,67,132,68,3149,17147],"class_list":{"0":"post-219117","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-digital_syndication","9":"tag-fitness","10":"tag-fringe-wellness","11":"tag-health","12":"tag-textbelowcentergridwidth","13":"tag-united-states","14":"tag-unitedstates","15":"tag-us","16":"tag-wellness","17":"tag-working-out"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115187688962493985","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/219117","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=219117"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/219117\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/219118"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=219117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=219117"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=219117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}