Going backwards

Going backwards

Reversed running

October 26, 2014

By: Gina Yoryet Roman

Yesterday I incidentally found a health magazine in Spanish at a client’s office which talked about running backwards. Although I had never tried running backwards, I did try inclined backward walking randomly in the past.

I was brainstorming to find alternatives once I am done with the Hyaluronic Acid (Suphrahyal) treatment to regenerate my cartilage that I started on Friday October 10th. Hyaluronic Acid provides support for healthy joint function and maintaining joint shock absorption and cushioning. It works by acting as a cushion and lubricant in the joints and other tissues. In addition, it might affect the inflammatory response of the body.

Since I was told by my therapist that I may not be able to run again because my cartilage is too damaged, I’ve thought about other options for weight loss and remain healthy. Interestingly enough, my doctor has reiterated that I will definitely be able to run without a problem. Of course not with the same intensity or endurance as before. Adding strain to my body like that is not important but I do want to be able to run for 20-30 minutes two or three times a week without any pain. After this physically painful experience (knee therapy pre and post surgery, surgery, my fall in a hole last year and everything else involved), my life no longer revolves around running. 

Finding alternatives is now my priority. One of my first and foremost priorities is take swimming lessons to enjoy the many benefits of it as of 2015. I feel like instead of moving forward health and fitness wise, I am going backwards but I will do whatever it takes to be wholesome and pain free again.

I’d like to give reversed running a try and see the results. After reading more about it, this is what I found out through wikipedia.

Backwards running: 

As the head faces forward, running backwards has the danger in that the runner cannot see anything on the ground or in the way of his or her path. Unlike forward running, it is also much more difficult to brace a backward fall or drop into a roll if one trips.

Turning the head around while running can generally eliminate the visual impediment, although it is awkward, limits speed, and may result in neck strain.

Practicing tumbling and exerting force in a backwards direction with the arms through various exercises like crabwalking or planches may aid in stopping damage or injury from falls or stopping falls.

Physical benefits

The combination of normal forward running and backward running is called mixed running or alternative mixed running. Some believe that running backwards helps balance out the strain brought on by normal running. Reversing the direction works the friction of tissues oppositely^[. Running flat or uphill, the heel is used to push off rather than the ball of the foot as normally occurs with forward running, working the tibialis anterior muscle (pushes the heel down, raises front of foot) more as a prime mover than a shock absorber. When running backward downhill, the ball of the foot is used whereas forward downhill running uses mainly the heel to absorb the force. This requires more coordination and therefor develops brain power along with muscle power.

While downhill backward running is essentially the reverse of uphill running, and uphill backward running of downhill running, they are different in that the fibres would fire differently due to differences in the isotonic motions. The former is an eccentric version of a concentric movement, and the latter is a concentric version of an eccentric movement. Both concentric and eccentric movements have advantages in training, which is why most weight lifters perform both for set times.

With all forms there is an obvious backward lean relative to normal running's forward lean, which can shift the stress of the other muscle fibres a small degree^[. Other advantages to backward running are a reduction in fear related to the movement, a form of exercise that is naturally more reserved, gains in balance, and the general enjoyment resulting from entertaining activities like these. Due to constantly having to look behind oneself, or sometimes keeping the eyes fixed, people can learn to run with more neck mobility or without a straight look ahead. This can stress the neck muscles which can be dangerous if done too aggressively, but in the long term could lead to adaptations in them.

Backward running adds another dimension to running, and when complemented by sidestepping in both directions (with and without crossovers front and behind intermittently) covers the essential dimensions of human movement on the two-dimensional plane. Diagonal movement as well as curving running (as is done on long race tracks like 200 m and longer in the Olympics) are additional forms of running.

Backwards running allows referees in sports such as football or rugby to continuously observe an area of play without interfering with play.