For most of us, walking is something we do automatically. It doesn’t require much effort, so many of us fail to remember the benefits of walking for health.

Physical activity doesn’t need to be hard. Whether you’re regularly active or not, even a quick ten-minute daily walk can deliver a host of health benefits. But what happens if we stop walking ahead and start challenging our brains and bodies by walking backwards? Not only does this change of direction demand more of our attention, but it may also bring additional health benefits.

One of the most well-studied benefits of walking backwards is improving stability and balance. Walking backwards can improve how a person walks and balance for healthy adults and those with knee problems. Walking backwards causes us to take shorter, more frequent steps, leading to improve the muscles of the lower legs. But the benefits of changing direction aren’t just that—an interest in backwards movement has led researchers to discover various other benefits. While normal walking can help us maintain a healthy weight, walking backwards may be even more effective. Energy expenditure when walking backwards is almost 40 percent higher than walking at the same speed forwards, with one study showing reductions in body fat for women who completed a six-week backwards walk.

Walking backwards is simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. So, how can you add walking backwards into your exercise plan? When walking backwards, we’re more likely to crash into something or fall over, so in the interest of safety, it’s best to start indoors where you won’t crash into someone or outside in a flat, open area. Look over your shoulder. Keep your head and chest upright while reaching back with your big toe for each step, rolling through the foot from toe to heel. Once you become more confident walking backwards, you can begin to speed things up.

【小题1】Why does the author mention “the benefits of walking” in the beginning ?

A．To introduce the benefits of walking.	B．To show people’s lack of exercise.
C．To lead us to “walking backwards”.	D．To tell us the importance of walking.

【小题2】What does the underlined word “expenditure” mean ?

A．Increase.

B．Consumption.

C．Experiment.

D．Construction.

【小题3】What does the fourth paragraph talk about?

A．When is safe to walk backwards?	B．Why should we walk backwards?
C．How can we start walking backwards?	D．What’s the weakness of walking backwards?

【小题4】What is the best title for the passage ?

A．Physical Activity Is Easy And Simple.

B．Walking Backwards Is Really Good For You.

C．Walking Doesn’t Require Any Special Equipment.

D．Walking Ahead Challenges Our Brains and Bodies.