
Amazing Benefits Of Walking Backwards Everyday You Never Knew About (Heal Pain, Posture & Stress)
Rangan Chatterjee
May 28, 2025
Mindsip insights from this episode:
Combat screen apnea by improving breathing habits during screen time
Looking at a screen often causes you to hold your breath or breathe improperly, a phenomenon known as 'screen apnea' which negatively impacts your nervous system.
Perform the happy hip hack to restore muscle balance
The 'Happy Hip Hack' is a simple exercise where you step forward while raising the arm on the same side to restore balance between your tonic and phasic muscles.
Release tight hip flexors to activate glutes
Weak or 'sleepy' glutes are often not a strength issue, but are inhibited by tight, overactive tonic muscles like your hip flexors.
Move correctly before strengthening to avoid dysfunction
Before strengthening an area, you should first learn to move in a way that doesn't stress the joint, otherwise you risk reinforcing harmful patterns.
Incorporate backward walking to improve posture and reduce stress
Backward walking is considered an antidote to modern life because it opens up your posture, introduces play, and helps down-regulate your nervous system.
Exhibit open posture to reflect confidence and personality
The way you hold your body, such as being open and tall, is often a direct reflection of your personality and confidence levels in life.
Recognize higher injury risks in recreational running compared to NFL
The injury rates for recreational running are significantly higher than for playing American football in the NFL.
Rethink running: 90% of runners don't enjoy it
According to a Strava survey, 90% of runners don't actually enjoy running; they do it because they perceive it has benefits.
Engage in five minutes of backward walking to boost brain function
Five minutes is the magic number for a backward walking session, as the brain begins to create new neural pathways after the initial 90-second mark.
Cultivate playfulness to promote a healthy nervous system
A lack of playfulness and curiosity can be a sign that you are stuck in a sympathetic, or 'fight or flight,' state.
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