19 September 2023 , 14:47
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Going for a walk can be a great way to get yourself moving and a nice way to exercise. There's no denying there are a multitude of health benefits of putting your trainers on and getting your steps in - but there's a way of walking that could give you even more benefits than normal.
According to renowned TV doctor Michael Mosley, there's an "eccentric" method of walking that comes with a whole host of health benefits. You just have to pluck up the courage to do it in public and ignore the stares you may get if you do it.
A technique that's used by physios regularly, Mosley explains how walking backwards can improve your health in several ways. Although it may look strange, he boasts how doing it can "improve your gait, balance and mobility" and advises people to give it a go as physiotherapists use this technique a lot to "rehabilitate lower leg injuries".
According to a study by Roehampton University in 2018, they found that walking backwards can also help to sharpen your memory. "The scientists behind this experiment think that when you walk backwards physically, this helps you 'walk back' mentally, retrieving memories from something you did earlier. So if you're wondering where you put those keys, perhaps a short stroll backwards will jog your memory," Mosley explained in the Daily Mail.
It can be done outside, but Mosley urges people to take care when doing it by starting slowly and doing "a few steps, then build up" and suggests doing it with a partner might be easier, facing each other and holding hands. This is so that one person is walking backwards and the other is walking forward.
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However, if you don't feel like you can start walking backwards in public, you could always try and do it on a treadmill either at the gym or at home to get some practice in. The several health benefits are worth the public stares.
Also highlighting its benefits, Afton McKeith, a fitness and movement coach, added: "Walking backwards is incredibly healthy for your body and can help to ease joint discomfort or pain. This is because you are going through your toes and balls of your feet first.
"This is something I encourage both my pageant and professional athlete clients to do. I highly recommend incorporating backwards walking into your daily fitness routine in order to improve your balance, posture and stability."