Therapeutic efficacy of walking backward and forward on a slope in normal adults

In this study, the therapeutic effects of backward walking were examined. [Subjects and Methods] In all, 16 subjects were randomly assigned to an experimental group and 17 to a control group. All subjects walked barefoot on a treadmill (HM50EX, Daeho, Korea) for 20 min, five times per week, for a total of 4 weeks. The average gait velocity of the subjects was 3 km/h on a 10% slope. The experimental group walked backwards and the control group walked forwards. [Results] The experimental group showed significant increments in both medial-lateral and anterior-posterior balance, step length, and velocity compared with the pre-intervention results. In addition, the control group showed significant increments in anterior-posterior balance and velocity compared to the pre-intervention results. Significant differences in post-training gains in anterior-posterior balance, step length, and velocity were observed between the experimental and control groups. [Conclusion] Backward walking positively affected gait and balance ability after intervention.