I believe the most underrated cardio exercise. 99% of people do not do this exercise for whatever reason but i am going to show you some benefits which will convince you to start using this exercise in your routine.
these are only some of the benefits related to backward walking:
it helps with tightness in the calves: since you are moving on your toes first, you get a nice stretch on your calves.
great for knee issues: since your weight is not shifted suddenly to your knee, you are going to have a great longevity with this exercise.
hamstring and glute exercise: since you are moving your legs back, you need to work your glutes and hamstring.
stretching hip flexors: there are five hip flexors but the mainly psoas major and TFL(tensor fasciae latae), are getting a massive stretch with this exercise and losing the tightness they had due to long times of sitting and sleeping with knees up.
back workout: you are using the stabilizer muscles everywhere, one of which is the back. you need to shift weight back to be able to move smoothly and that happens from the help of several muscles, especially erector spinae muscle group and even quadratus lumborum.
you fix your kyphosis and back slouch and neck: as mentioned, you need to shift your weight back and that is hard with a round shoulder, so you are forced to correct your posture and that also helps you keep your head up and look straight instead of the ground.
it burns lots of calories: you are burning calories seriously without breaking a sweat! now you might sweat a bit but it is not because of hard physical activity, rather from proprioception and coordination.
it helps a lot with balance and stability: you are not going to be afraid of going down on a squat or lunging and trying to keep your hip from going sideways. this is going to strengthen your core muscles so you maintain balance of your own bodyweight.
last but not the least, it is a great exercise for your brain: believe it or not, this is being used in medical centres by physiotherapists and doctors for people suffering from a wide range of illnesses like stroke and multiple sclerosis to people with learning difficulties. it really keeps you alert and raises awareness and believe it or not, is a really great way to start meditation if you have not already started it. you are not going to be distracted nor bored in this method for meditation.