The Benefits of Walking Backwards
All these years, I have been walking forward, but apparently, I’m missing out. A YouTube clip popped up in my inbox on the subject, and when I investigated, I found quite a few articles telling me the same thing. Who knew?
You should be walking backwards!
Well, maybe not all the time, but there are health benefits to walking backwards.
- Builds muscle strength
- Improves balance and gait
- Burns more calories than forward walking
- Boosts cardiorespiratory fitness
- Increases flexibility and range of motion
- Helps limit knee pain
- Challenges your brain
It’s probably not a good idea to do this while walking the family dog or looking for Pop Tarts on aisle 7. In fact, most any public place will probably get you more weird looks than you usually get. (Although we’ve seen many members of Congress publicly walk backwards from statements they’ve made.)
I may try this around the house, but one place I will not walk backwards is in my faith. I’ve done that too many times in the past. Maybe you have too. We used to call it backsliding. In those moments of backsliding (i.e., walking backward), I didn’t deny my faith. I just chose a moment or season of disobedience. I failed to move forward. And if I’m not moving forward … well, it’s like riding a bicycle. If I stop moving forward, I fall off.
When we stop moving forward in Christ—moving in obedience, moving in line with the work of His Spirit, moving under His lordship—we are essentially walking backwards. Walking backwards physically may build muscle strength but moving backwards spiritually weakens us.
The remedy is simple. Stop. Change direction (i.e., repent!) and start moving forward again in Christ. God is ever calling us back to Him.
“Return, you backsliding children, And I will heal your backslidings” (Jer. 3:22).
“I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from him” (Hos. 14:4).
I am so thankful for the grace of God. Jesus saved me. And when I falter, He calls me back to Him and graciously forgives. Jesus saved me, and He keeps me.
I may try walking backwards around the house (trusting my wife has not rearranged the furniture), but I want to keep moving forward in Christ.
“One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14).
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