Walking Backwards on a Treadmill- What Does It Do?

While it may sound unconventional and a little odd at first, there are a surprising number of benefits to be enjoyed from walking backwards on a treadmill, and it’s definitely something every treadmill user should consider.

It involves walking in reverse while the treadmill is set to a slow or moderate pace, challenging your body in ways traditional walking or running doesn’t. By shifting your movement pattern, you activate different muscle groups and challenge your balance and coordination. Walking backwards also provides a low-impact cardio workout, making it easier on your joints compared to running or forward walking.

This unique routine can be a great way to diversify your cardio workouts and offer a fresh, effective approach to your personal fitness, with the potential to improve cardiovascular health, strength and muscle coordination.

What Do I Get?

• Improved Balance and Coordination:Walking in reverse challenges your body to adjust to new movements, improving your overall balance and coordination.

• Stronger Lower Body Muscles: It activates different muscle groups, particularly the hamstrings, glutes and calves, helping to build strength in areas not typically targeted by forward walking.

• Enhanced Cardiovascular Health: As a low-impact cardio workout, backward walking raises your heart rate and enhances cardiovascular endurance, improving heart health without putting stress on your joints.

• Reduced Joint Strain: Compared to forward walking or running, walking backwards puts less pressure on the knees and joints, making it a great option for those recovering from injury or with joint concerns.

• Increased Calorie Burn: Due to the added difficulty of moving backwards, you engage more muscle groups, which helps to burn more calories, aiding in weight loss and fat burning.

• Better Posture: Backward walking encourages better posture, helping to strengthen the muscles that support your spine and improve overall alignment.

Decreases Runner's Knee Symptoms

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS), commonly known as runner's knee, is characterised by pain around the kneecap, often caused by misalignment or overuse of the knee joint. This pain can result from activities that place repeated stress on the knees, such as running or high-impact exercises. The discomfort typically occurs when the patella (kneecap) doesn’t track properly along the femur (thigh bone), leading to irritation of the tissues surrounding the knee.

Research has shown that walking backwards on a treadmill can help alleviate the symptoms of PFPS, as well as other issues such as lower back pain. Unlike forward walking, which primarily engages the quadriceps, walking in reverse activates the hamstrings and glutes more, reducing the load on the knee joint. This redistribution of muscle activity helps minimise pressure on the patella and encourages proper knee alignment, providing relief from the discomfort associated with PFPS.

Studies suggest that incorporating backward walking into a fitness routine can be an effective way to rehabilitate and prevent further knee pain. By reducing the stress placed on the knees and improving the strength of the surrounding muscles, backward walking offers a gentle yet powerful method for managing runner's knee symptoms and promoting recovery.

Improve Maximal Oxygen Consumption

VO2 max, or maximal oxygen consumption, is a key indicator of cardiovascular fitness. It refers to the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during intense physical activity. A higher VO2 max signifies better cardiovascular health and endurance, as it means your body is more efficient at delivering oxygen to the muscles and using it during exercise. Improving VO2 max is essential for enhancing stamina and performance in activities like running, cycling and swimming.

Walking backwards on a treadmill can help improve VO2 max by challenging your cardiovascular system in a unique way. When you walk in reverse, your body uses more muscle groups compared to forward walking. This increased muscular engagement requires more oxygen to fuel the activity, thus pushing your heart and lungs to work harder. Over time, this leads to improved aerobic capacity and a higher VO2 max.

Incorporating backward walking into your routine can complement traditional cardio exercises, offering an effective and low-impact way to enhance your cardiovascular health. As your VO2 max improves, you'll experience better endurance and overall fitness, allowing you to perform better in both cardio and strength-based activities.

What Do Experts Say?

A lot has been written about the benefits of walking backwards on a treadmill. Jack McNamara, lecturer in Clinical Exercise Physiology at the University of East London, relates that the “increased level of challenge (of walking backwards) brings with it increased health benefits.” According to McNamara, one of the most well documented benefits is “improv(ed) stability and balance.”

Fitness trainers often recommend incorporating backward walking into your routine as part of a warm-up or cool-down. Walking backwards on a treadmill can effectively elevate your heart rate, preparing your body for more intense exercises like weightlifting or running. McNamara suggests starting at a slow pace and making sure to use the guide rails of your treadmill if necessary, but to “resist the urge to contort your body and look over your shoulder.” Once you’re comfortable, you can start adding extra weights.

Backward walking can also be integrated into your regular cardio workouts to add variety and challenge your muscles in new ways. For those training for specific fitness goals or looking to overcome plateaus, including backward walking can offer a fresh and effective way to boost performance. It’s a simple exercise to add to your routine, and experts recommend doing it a few times a week for optimal results.

Conclusion

Given the widely studied benefits on walking backwards and how easy it is to get started, trying it out for yourself is a no-brainer, especially if you feel a bit stuck in your fitness routine.

Even beyond the fitness benefits, it’s a great way to just freshen up your treadmill workout so it doesn’t become too stale.

If you're looking for the right treadmill to incorporate this exercise into your routine, there are plenty of options available to suit different spaces and budgets. From compact models perfect for small homes to feature-rich machines for more serious fitness enthusiasts, finding the right treadmill can help you maximise the benefits of your workouts. So, why not give walking backwards on a treadmill a try and experience the positive impact it can have on your fitness journey?