The same old routines in any fitness regimen can get old fast. The body continuously adapts and may be very slow in breaking through plateaus if novelty is not introduced at specific periods within a fitness cycle. One of the easiest ways to break our muscle memory is to change the focus of how we contract our muscles, forcing our joint receptors to sense our movement differently. Instead of walking forward, walk backward.
Many people in Japan practice walking or running backward. It is also the ancient Chinese tradition of walking backward for health. According to the theories of modern sports science, walking backwards promotes good blood circulation and metabolism and helps prevent lumbago. It also increases the bearing capacity of your knees, and strengthens the muscles and ligaments of the joints. As you must balance yourself when you walk backwards, the exercise improves the functions of your cerebellum, which coordinates and balances your bodily movements, as well as the flexibility of your body.
