canny granny

British comedian Spike Milligan used to sing of ‘Walking Backwards for Christmas‘ but maybe it’s not as silly as it sounds.

Walking backward burns more calories, improves coordination, and gives your heart and lungs a better workout than walking forward. But only if you maintain your speed.

It forces your leg muscles to work harder and in different ways.

Walking backwards forces a “concentric contraction” (shortening) of your quadriceps, a metabolically expensive movement (meaning it burns lots of calories) compared to the “eccentric” (lengthening) movement these thigh muscles make when you walk forward.

Just do it in a safe place  where you won’t bump into something!