Backward walking may be the best exercise you aren't doing. Learn the impressive benefits

Walking has been embraced as an affordable, accessible and effective form of exercise that everyone can benefit from. You likely only think of moving forward when heading out for a walk, but what if I told you that next time you lace up those sneakers, you should turn around and walk backward?

Backward walking — also called retro-walking — is exactly what it sounds like: the act of walking in reverse. It involves walking backward while maintaining proper posture and balance. The movement engages different muscles than forward walking, activating the glutes, hamstrings and calves and stretching the quads and hips.

Walking backward has benefits beyong toning, too. It can help improve coordination and is a great way to switch up your workout routine and challenge your mind and body in a new way. Here are even more reasons to add it to your routine.

Backward walking challenges your brain

Backward walking offers a nice change of pace to your regular walking routine, keeping things interesting and preventing boredom. By challenging your body to move in an unfamiliar way, you are training your brain and muscles to adapt quickly.

“Walking backwards is not a ‘secret’ or ‘miracle’ exercise, but, it definitely provides some benefits," Dr. Rand McClain, sports medicine physician and owner of the Regenerative & Sports Medicine clinic in Santa Monica, California, tells TODAY.com. "The most obvious difference between walking backwards versus walking forward is that walking backwards requires more focus and coordination, challenging the body and brain.”

“Different muscles are used to walk backwards and some of the same are used, but in a different sequence and balance,” McClain adds. ”That not only affects the muscles — typically getting them to work harder than they are used to — but affects the brain and the nervous system in new ways that help activate direct pathways involved in the movement itself as well as indirect pathways that help the brain grow and develop new neurons and synapses (a concept often referred to as neuronal or simply brain ’plasticity’).”

Backward walking benefits

The primary muscles used to propel you forward are the quads, hamstrings and calf muscles. Walking backward, on the other hand, engages the glutes, hamstrings and even the shins, which help to maintain balance. When you walk backward, you also naturally engage your core muscles to maintain stability and balance. This can contribute to better posture and spinal alignment over time.

As you walk in reverse, you are challenging your joints and muscles to move in a different range of motion. The increased mobility gained from walking backward can make everyday movements more comfortable and effortless, whether it is reaching for something on a high shelf or bending down to tie your shoes.

According to one study, people who walked backward improved their balance, length of their steps and speed of their steps. The same study showed that backward walking can actually put less strain on the joints compared to walking forward. So, if your knees, ankles or feet are feeling store or stiff, try walking backward to loosen things up.

Another study found that walking backward on a treadmill helped stoke patients improve their cardiopulmonary fitness, increased their walking speed and improved their balance.

Walking backward can help in developing coordination, strength, flexibility, cardiovascular fitness and “extra” calorie burning (due to it being more difficult), says McClain. “Also, it can often provide an alternate source of exercise for someone with injury or degeneration (arthritis) because walking backwards can often avoid using those injured or degenerated muscles or joint components (ligaments, arthritic areas and menisci) that walking forward aggravate,” he adds.

3 easy ways to add backward walking to your routine

• Start small: Ease into it by simply walking backward throughout your day. You can walk backward down a hallway in your house, from the kitchen to the family room, or down the driveway to get your mail.
• Try intervals: During your daily walk, walk forward for 5 minutes and then walk backward for 1 minute. Repeat this routine a few times. If you want to incorporate even more backward motion, make the interval lengths equal by walking for one block or one minute forward, and then one block or 1 minute backward, alternating every minute.
• Use the treadmill: If you walk indoors on a treadmill, it’s a great opportunity to incorporate some backward walking with assistance. Since treadmills have handrails, they provide more stability and will help with balance as you get used to the new movement. Step on the treadmill backward, start the belt at a low speed (slower than you typically walk forward), and rest your hands lightly on the handrails before stepping on the belt.

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from Today: