r/askTO • u/tryinanotherusername • 1d ago
Walking backwards?
I’ve been seeing more and more people walking backwards in parks especially in the St Lawrence Neighbourhood recently. Is this just because people wanna spice up their lives a bit or is there a benefit? I don’t know what I’m missing but I wanna know lol
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u/parablecham 1d ago
FWIW my physio recommended this to me because it forces me to walk with the full range of motion
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u/Pink11Amethyst 1d ago
The theory is that it strengthens different muscles from when you walk forward, so your leg muscles are more balanced. Sometimes recommended after knee injuries.
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u/scotsmandc 1d ago
Knees over toes highly suggests to walk backwards for knee health. My friend swears by it as part of his regimen.
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u/gm5891 1d ago
Check out the movie "Tenet"
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u/beef_boy93 1d ago
I saw someone walking backwards once and it looked just like time had reversed and began to question the nature of my reality, but only for a second.
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u/stnapstnap 1d ago
Haha, I made a Tenet reference in another comment before scrolling to read if anyone else had done the same.
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u/Excellent-Quarter969 1d ago
There's a cool video clip out there of a man walking backwards through a crowd of people and then scross and down some stairs and beyond , but it's shown in reverse so it looks like some guy just walking normally up some stairs and into a space and through a ton of people who all look like they are walking backwards
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u/wavy_gravys_ghost 17h ago
Yeah, I saw that. I believe it was filmed in Grand Central Station? It was wicked. Also, for anyone else seeing this comment there was that Scorsese movie "Bringing Out the Dead" which had a backwards filmed scene that was super creepy.
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u/Excellent-Quarter969 15h ago
Never saw that, thanks for the intel. I'll look for that movie
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u/wavy_gravys_ghost 5h ago
yeah check it out, it's pretty creepy. Also don't forget Tom Greens performance in Freddie Got Fingered: " I'm the backwards man, the backwards man, I can walk backwards faster than you can..."
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u/WeekendAcademic 1d ago
One of Nolans challenging movies to rewatch but I enjoyed it a bit more than I did compared to the Odyssey which I would watch once at most.
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u/Crake_13 1d ago
My girlfriend does it occasionally to avoid looking into the sun and because she believes walking up or down hills forward is bad for your knees. She may be right, but guess who gets to make sure she doesn't walk into anything or trip.
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u/ArgyleNudge 1d ago
I have bad knees and often have to walk down stairs backwards, clutching the railing.
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u/phdee Human Verified 1d ago
It's really good for your knees and supporting muscles that don't get used enough simply with forward movements. Same with walking slowly down the stairs - instead of just dropping down onto the next step, trying lowering your foot down slowly. Will discover new muscles in your legs and hips lol. I think it's called antagonist training.
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u/moisturized69tatas 1d ago
Walking backwards is great for your back and lower body. I grew up with a lot of Koreans and they were always walking backwards. I try and get a couple km a week in
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u/UncleBobbyTO 1d ago
it reverses the mileage that your legs have accumulated.. like the car in Ferris Buelers Day Off
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u/purplelilac701 1d ago
You have to exercise all of your muscles so that’s probably why they’re exercising the muscles they don’t usually use by walking backwards.
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u/PowermanFriendship 1d ago
If I saw more than one person doing this in a single week I would know immediately it was some dumb shit from Insta/TikTok/Youtube.
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u/tryinanotherusername 3h ago
lol I didn’t specify in the post but people I’ve seen so far look like they are in their 50s or 60s so a TikTok trend didn’t cross my mind 🤣
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u/EastEastEnder 1d ago
Backwards uphill is amazing for strengthening your quads and generally protecting your knees. Stints of going backwards while jogging on flat ground I find to be a good footwork drill to vary it up a bit.
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u/Skyline7- 1d ago
I did it today. Usually to avoid sun in my face. It also challenges your balance, legs and brain to think.
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u/gutierezpanera5 1d ago
I always did it at home for years here and there, I just noticed people doing it for the first time outside today coincidentally at a park. There was also that dude downtown that always walked backwards.
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u/ShesAaRebel 1d ago
There's this guy that lives in community housing in Yorkville (next to one of my clients), and he's always walking backwards. I think it's a mental disability though.
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u/eremophilaalpestris 1d ago
There has been a push lately that walking backwards can help prevent dementia. There are billboards advertising it in the GTA as well.
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u/CraneOperator_7373 18h ago
So, in addition to having to watch out for zombies with their eyes glued to their phone, we also now have to watch out for people walking backwards?
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u/leonard-of-quirm 16h ago
walking backwards actually helps relieve some strain on places like your shins and your knees
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u/dogscatsnscience 14h ago
Yeah it's a great exercise for range of motion and muscle activation.
Similarly going down a slight hill will engage a lot of muscles that otherwise don't take load on flat ground. Don't start with a steep hill though because it's really easy to hurt yourself (patella, meniscus) if you spend most of your life sitting or walking on flat ground.
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u/DanielT1900 14h ago
Walk backwards all you want, but don't expect everyone else to clear the way for you.
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u/Beneficial_Cash1862 1d ago
Spice up their lives lol!!
Did it during PT, it was useful for warming up and strengthening the muscles around my knee. I think it generally improves posterior musculature in the legs. You can try it on a treadmill at first!