Ditch your shoes and walk backwards: Doctors say it's the secret to beating pain

We all know we’re supposed to exercise, but it’s hard to stay motivated when every step hurts. Knee pain and plantar fasciitis (stubborn heel pain) are two of the biggest reasons people give up on staying active. However, relief might come from a couple of unexpected habits. Dr. Milica McDowell, a physical therapist and co-author of Walk: Your Life Depends On It, suggests two slightly unusual walking techniques that can reset your lower body and cut down on discomfort: walking backwards and walking barefoot.The Backward Reset for Sore KneesIf you suffer from knee pain, the root cause often traces back to weakness in your core and your quadriceps (the muscles on the front of your thighs). When these areas are weak, your knees take a beating. Walking backwards forces a sudden shift in how your muscles fire. This thing. Strengthens those muscle groups that we usually forget about, which helps our body become more balanced so our joints do not have to work so hard. Because it really changes the way we move. Therapists who use evidence to support what they do often use this thing to help people. They will put a patient on a treadmill where they can hold onto the rails, control the pace safely, and walk backward for a few minutes before switching back to normal forward walking. You don't need a therapy clinic to try this, either. Dr. McDowell suggests simply sprinkling a tiny bit of backward walking into your usual routine. If you go out for a 20-minute walk, try flipping things around and walking backward for just two or three minutes of that time—just make sure you're on a flat, safe track or treadmill where you won't trip. Why Going Barefoot Heals Heel PainFor people dealing with the sharp sting of plantar fasciitis, dropping your shoes sounds completely wrong. The natural instinct is to shove a sore foot into the thickest, most cushioned shoe you can find. But according to Dr. McDowell, that's actually where the problem gets worse. Most heavily cushioned shoes are narrow, which locks your foot in place. When your foot muscles can't move or work properly, your internal tissues get overloaded, triggering a miserable, inflammatory tug-of-war in your heel.Data shows that when we walk barefoot, we naturally land much softer. Without the rigid shoe holding it back, the foot spreads out, the muscles engage, and the stress is taken off the inflamed tissues.If you want to give your feet a break, just be smart about where you do it. The clinical research on barefoot walking focuses on people moving over forgiving terrain, so Dr. McDowell recommends finding a safe, comfortable, and soft surface—like a lush patch of grass—to let your feet move the way nature intended.