Backward walking is most safely performed on a treadmill and can
be quite helpful for runner’s knee. Start out slow until you get
the feel for backward walking. Try not to hold on to the rails or
only hold lightly. Keep your first few sessions shorter until you
calves get accustomed to this workout. You will probably find that
increasing the treadmill elevation to 8-14% and the speed to a brisk
or very brisk walk will give you a good workout. Dr. Timothy Flynn
(physical therapist and runner) contributed to much of the research
on this exercise. Backward walking was initially used as a method
of training for people with runner’s knees. The biomechanics
of backward walking were found to put less pressure on the kneecap
yet provide a good strengthening response for the quadriceps. You
may feel out of place doing this at a gym, but you will soon find
several people asking what you are up to and may notice others joining
in.
Researchers have evaluated heart rate and oxygen use during backward
walking and found it to be similar to running.
Backward walking is most safely performed on a treadmill and can
be quite helpful for runner’s knee. Start out slow until you get
the feel for backward walking. Try not to hold on to the rails or
only hold lightly. Keep your first few sessions shorter until you
calves get accustomed to this workout. You will probably find that
increasing the treadmill elevation to 8-14% and the speed to a brisk
or very brisk walk will give you a good workout. Dr. Timothy Flynn
(physical therapist and runner) contributed to much of the research
on this exercise. Backward walking was initially used as a method
of training for people with runner’s knees. The biomechanics
of backward walking were found to put less pressure on the kneecap
yet provide a good strengthening response for the quadriceps. You
may feel out of place doing this at a gym, but you will soon find
several people asking what you are up to and may notice others joining
in.
