Rediscovering Balance⚖️: The Surprising Benefits of Walking Backwards

During qigong classes, we sometimes practice walking backwards to create new pathways in the brain, improve balance and building trust in our bodies. There is so much more to this practice that we decided to share and encourage this method as part of your wellness toolbox🧰.

Walking backwards requires more time for our brains to manage the additional demands of coordinating our visual input, sensations related to movements like twisting, spinning, or moving quickly, and our awareness of body positioning in the world around us👣. However, this increased level of challenge brings with it increased health benefits and is regaining popularity since the benefits are impressive.

Take a look at them:

• Good Heart 🩷Workout: a quick ten-minute walk each day can offer numerous health benefits and increase energy expenditure, as walking backwards burns nearly 40 percent more calories than walking forwards at the same speed.

• Builds🩻Bone Density: although it has a low impact, backwards walking can enhance bone density throughout the body, particularly in the legs and trunk.

• Enhances Brain🧠Functions: walking backwards activates cognitive domains such as attention, memory, verbal fluency, language, and visuospatial ability, thereby creating new pathways in the brain.

• 💪Strengthens Muscles: walking backwards causes us to take shorter, more frequent steps, leading to improved endurance for the muscles of the lower legs while reducing the burden on our joints.

• Improves Balance🙏: walking backwards can improve gait and balance over time and practice.

  Remember, walking backwards is a skill that requires time to master, so be patient, stay safe, and practice whenever possible.