Here at MindBody Physical Therapy & Wellness, we’re always looking for innovative ways to help our clients regain mobility and improve their overall health. Recently, we came across an interesting Wall Street Journal article about the potential benefits of walking backwards.

According to the WSJ article, walking backwards can strengthen muscles that aren’t worked as much by regular forward walking. By challenging our balance and coordination in a new way, backwards walking may also help prevent falls as we age.

There are upsides to this exercise and our team uses this exercise and incorporates into some client treatment plans. We guide clients through short bouts of backwards walking, making sure they feel steady and secure. The challenge is doing this in a way this is safe and right for you.

We don’t expect backwards walking to fully replace regular walking – forwards is still the best way to efficiently get from point A to B! But mixing in some backwards intervals can help provide a useful strength and balance boost. To learn more about the potential benefits of backwards walking, check out the full WSJ article here.