Experts recommend adding backward walking to exercise routines for enhanced benefits. Janet Dufek, a biomechanist at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, studies movement mechanics and injury prevention. Reverse walking increases hamstring flexibility and strengthens underused muscles while challenging the mind. A 2011 study found backward walkers use 40% more energy than forward walkers at identical speeds, potentially aiding fat loss. Dufek suggests starting with one-minute segments during 10-minute walks, then gradually increasing time and distance. “At first, you start really, really slowly because there’s a balance accommodation and there is brain retraining. You are learning a new skill,” Dufek said. The technique isn’t unnatural—elite athletes in basketball, soccer, and football regularly use backward movement. (Story URL)