Backwards Treadmill Workouts

CrabbyCancerMama

I was having some knee pain today so I did my cardio backwards on the treadmill at a slower pace. I read backwards treadmill is even more effective than jogging, anyone else find it beneficial? I can say I was sweating and breathing just as I would from regular running

JoRocka

I don't know if it's MORE beneficial- that's way to subjective quite frankly.

But it does work your hammys quiet a bit- especially on an incline.

cwolfman13

So if you walk backwards on a treadmill, you can go run a 5K, 10K, 1/2 marathon, etc? I'm not buying it.

"more beneficial" would be highly subjective. JoRocka is right though...works the hammys pretty good. Just don't fall...I've seen people fall doing all kinds of weird stuff on treadmills.

odusgolp

This would inevitably end in another concussion...

dfc4

The new coordination challenge is causing you to work harder.
i do some backward walking & side steps on the treadmill on my coordination days

JoRocka

I walk all sides on the treadmill- because honestly my body gets angry at me for walking one direction for such a significant period of time on the deadmill.

I walk forward- laterally R/L and then backwards- good over all muscle work- but I don't think it's "more beneficial" than say- actually running- just something different.

Azdak

No, it is not "better". How hard someone can work --i.e. How many calories they burn during exercise--will be determined by workload intensity; and the intensity that can be sustained depends primarily on fitness level (plus your mechanical ability to perform the movement).

Theoretically you can burn the same number of calories doing ANY aerobic activity, as long as you are at the same intensity (O2 uptake).

Despite what the infomercials say, there is NO magic exercise or movement that will burn more calories while working at the same aerobic intensity.

When doing a new activity, it is common to experience a higher rate of perceived exertion because your body is not used to the movement. That is almost always an illusion--you are usually working at a lower aerobic intensity.

Backward treadmill walking has limited application as a rehab tool. That's about the only benefit.

AnvilHead

I read that if you walk backwards on the treadmill it puts calories ON rather than burning them OFF.

T1DCarnivoreRunner

At a slower pace tells me that you probably burned fewer calories than normal (assuming duration is the same). If the only way you could walk without exacerbating your knee injury is backwards, then you can be confident that you burned more calories by walking backwards than if you had sat still.

Alisonswim46

I did backwards treadmill walking during PT for my ankle. It was to hep me work on my gait. I still do it once in a blue moon,but mostly as a warm up Or check in with my stride.

cwolfman13

AnvilHead wrote: »

I read that if you walk backwards on the treadmill it puts calories ON rather than burning them OFF.

Ahhh...kind of like reverse driving mileage...

lorrpb

Alternating forward and backwards is most beneficial because it works different muscles in different ways. I alternate every few minutes on the elliptical.