What are the advantages and disadvantages of running backwards?

Running is the most popular sport. Whether young or old, many people like running. Running regularly is good for our health. Regular running can speed up the blood circulation of the body and make the whole person look refreshed and energetic. Sometimes when we are running, we often see some people running backwards. What are the advantages and disadvantages of running backwards?

Benefits of running backwards

The benefits of backward running are that it can improve muscle balance and physical fitness, effectively prevent and treat hunchback, eliminate sports fatigue, and also help with weight loss.

Muscle balance

Running backwards can strengthen muscle groups that are not used in normal running methods. It can improve the activation of muscle groups in the back of the body, such as the gluteal muscles, calves, and posterior thighs. Improving muscle imbalances can increase athletic performance and reduce the risk of injury.

Improve physical fitness

At the same speed, running backwards consumes 30% more energy than running forward. One study found that a group of young women replaced their original six-week exercise program with backward running/walking training, and eventually lost about 2.5% of their body fat. In addition, their physical fitness was tested using normal running methods, and the results showed that their maximum oxygen uptake (VO2Max) also increased significantly.

Effectively prevent and treat hunchback

Running backwards is not like normal running where the body's center of gravity is in the front, but rather the body's center of gravity is moving backward. The center of gravity is the most important factor in human posture. When running backwards, the center of gravity moves to the heels, the spine tends to be upright, the body leans forward and the lumbar curvature decreases, which can correct bad postures such as hunchback.

Eliminate sports fatigue

Running backwards can also relieve fatigue in the quadriceps and other hip flexor muscles. After running for a long time, the fatigue of the hip flexor muscles can make people feel tired of running. Running backwards can relax the hip flexor muscles well and eliminate fatigue during exercise.

Has a weight loss effect

Because backward running requires the mobilization of more parts of the body, the muscles are relatively tighter, and at the same speed, running backwards consumes 30% more energy than running forward. Running backwards regularly can help you lose weight.

Disadvantages of running backwards

Accidents are likely to happen

Because they are running backwards, their eyesight cannot always be focused in the direction of travel, and they cannot avoid obstacles on the road in time, making it easy for them to fall and have accidents.

Possible dizziness

In order to avoid obstacles behind you when running backwards, you have to turn your head or twist your waist from time to time. When the neck turns, it is easy for the carotid artery to be compressed and the lumen to narrow, resulting in reduced blood flow and reduced blood supply to the brain, hypoxia, and dizziness.

Things to note when running backwards

1. Do warm-up exercises before running backwards. Running backwards is also a reverse exercise, which requires more effort to mobilize all parts of the body to participate, and is relatively more difficult. This means that warm-up exercises before backward running are very important. Moving various body parts and joints before exercise can avoid sports injuries and allow muscles and joints to participate in exercise in better condition. Do some stretching and knee exercises. For ankle joints, kicking or stretching movements, the time should be kept at about 10 minutes.

2. Choose a safe place, because the most important thing about running backwards is that you cannot see the road conditions behind your body and you lack hindsight. Therefore, when choosing a sports venue, it is best to choose a flat grass field or park, and be careful to stay away from places with a lot of vehicles and crowds. Avoid running backwards on roads with many potholes, landmarks, cars, etc.

3. The distance of the reverse running section should not exceed 100 meters. It is best to choose a straight road for the reverse running section so that the line of sight is not blocked. The straight-line distance should be controlled at about 50-100 meters, and run backwards back and forth. This can avoid accidents.