Retro Walking

I WAS sitting at a desk in the office today watching a pair of Canada Geese on their walkabout around the parking lot—their parking lot—as it would seem they have now claimed it as their own. 

And as I stared out the window, thinking of things related and not, a figure slipped into my peripheral vision: a young girl walking backwards along the wall of the building opposite. 

She wasn't pacing. She wasn't talking on the phone or to herself, and her neutral expression did not appear as that of one in debate of whether or not to enter the building. She was simply walking backwards over and over again.

So ... as one does when one is curious about such things, I turned and Googled (is 'googled' an acceptable verb yet?), “Why do people walk backwards?” And after a finger tapping pause of 0.65 seconds, over 15, 000, 000 postings on the subject appeared miraculously on the computer screen before me.

Turns out, backwards walking/running is a form of exercise called ‘retro walking/running’. And from what I read, it is believed to have many benefits over conventional … say … forward walking/running?

WHAT FOLLOWS ARE A FEW OF THINGS I LEARNED TODAY ABOUT RETRO WALKING/RUNNING:

• They can be dangerous activities to partake in: It is much more difficult to brace a backward fall or drop into a roll if one trips. [1]  (worth stating only because I found it mentioned, repeatedly)

• There are backwards running races in the UK:  http://www.reverserunning.com 

• There is an Australian film about backwards running called Reverse Runner.

• Backward walking is said to have its origins in ancient China where it was practiced to promote balance and good health. [2]

• “China’s ancient Mountain and Sea scripture records the exploits of an itinerant immortal who could walk backward faster than the eye could see. Walking backward has been popular ever since. The movement exercises muscles that are not used in ordinary walking, especially in the back, waist, thighs, knees and lower legs. Some people believe walking backwards is akin to a karmic reverse, allowing you to correct mistakes and sins of the past. A version of the walking backward exercise is the walking-backward-while-rolling-magnetic-balls-around-your-hands movement. The magnetic balls electro-magnetically massage acupuncture points in the palms and give aging wrists good exercise.” [3]

• Walking backwards puts less strain and requires less range of motion from your knee joints. [2]

• Walking backwards for just 10-15 minutes, four days a week for four weeks has been shown to increase flexibility in your hamstrings. [2][4]

• When you walk backwards, your heart rate tends to rise higher than it does when walking forward at the same pace. [2]

• In one study, women who underwent a six-week backward run/walk training program had a significant decrease in body fat as well as improvements in cardio-respiratory fitness at the end of the study. [2][5]

• Backward locomotion improves the functions of our cerebellum which coordinates and balances our bodily movements. [9]

• Researchers have found that when you walk backwards, it sharpens your thinking skills and enhances cognitive control. [2][6]

• Backward running requires close to 30% more energy than running forward at the same pace,[2][7]  and puts less impact on your knees. [2][8]

• "As in a catapult, muscle-tendon units are stretched more slowly during the brake at the beginning of stance and shorten more rapidly during the push at the end of stance. We suggest that the catapult-like mechanism of backward running, although requiring greater energy expenditure and not providing a smoother ride, may allow a safer stretch-shorten cycle of muscle-tendon units." [2][8]

• The muscles of the front and back of the shin and ankle are strengthened, owing to the increased strain of performing an unfamiliar exercise. [9]

• Backward running can result in: [10]

• A more erect posture during performance

• Recovery and strengthening from hip joint injuries

• Recovery from groin injuries

• Recovery from hamstring injuries

• Knee joint surgical rehabilitation

• Alleviation of shin splint syndrome

• Recovery from Achilles' tendon injuries

• Recovery from ankle sprain injuries

 ***

FIN

(And now with this backwards walking/running business all cleared up, I can focus on trying to get the Tame Impala ear-worm out of my head.)

REFERENCES

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backward_running

[2] http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2012/12/14/walking-backward.aspx

[3] http://www.beijingscene.com/V05I010/ayi/ayi.htm

[4] International Journal of Exercise Science 2011, Volume 4, Issue 3, Article 4

[5] International Journal of Sports Medicine 2005, vol. 26, no3, pp. 214-219

[6] Psychol Sci. 2009 May;20(5):549-50

[7] Proc Biol Sci. 2011 Feb 7;278(1704):339-46. Epub 2010 Aug 18.

[8] J Exp Biol. 2012 Jan 1;215(Pt 1):75-84.

[9] 10 Little Known Benefits of Walking Backwards - mahotamagazine.com

[10] Backward Running:Benefits / Barry T. Bates, Ph.D.

LINKS TO ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Backward Running and Walking in Japan

RetroRunning

Germany and World-Championship

Backward running website

High speed backward running (technical version): Dr. A.W. Arata

High speed backward running (lay version): Dr. A.W. Arata

Backward walking for rehabilitation and fitness: Bates, Dufek, C Grolle & E Grolle

IMAGE CREDITS

"Blender3D NormalWalkCycle" by SoylentGreen - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blender3D_NormalWalkCycle.gif#/media/File:Blender3D_NormalWalkCycle.gif

"Ministry of Silly Walks". Via Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ministry_of_Silly_Walks.jpg#/media/File:Ministry_of_Silly_Walks.jpg