Reverse runners maintain muscular balance and avoid injuries by emphasizing various muscles and exercising different areas of fatigued muscles. If that isn't enough, jogging backwards has been shown to help athletes recover from sprained ankles, knee problems, torn hamstrings, and shin splints. Walking backwards is easier on the knees than forward walking. The muscles that support the body use energy when they contract. As these muscles relax, they need time to recuperate before they can be used again. Forward walking requires the leg muscles to keep contracting while the legs walk forward, which uses up much of the recovery time for those muscles. Backward walking requires the opposite-leg muscles to relax while the other leg walks backward, which allows them more time to recover. This is why walking backward is better for injured legs or legs that have gone unused for a long time. The muscles that would normally be used when walking forward are given more time to rest and repair themselves. This also applies to runners who want to reduce the risk of injury. Walking backward may not seem like a useful exercise for ankle sprains, but it does help increase the blood flow to the relaxed foot, reducing pain and swelling caused by injuries such as ankle fractures or severe bruising/contusions (bruises with no break in the skin). Walking backward may also be helpful for people who experience knee pain when walking forward.