Janet Dufek

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Professor, School of Integrated Health Sciences

Expertise: Biomechanics, Ergonomics/Human Factors, Exercise Equipment Evaluation

Biography

Janet Dufek is a biomechanist and founding advisory board member of the REBEL (Rehabilitation, Exercise Science, Biomechanics, Engineering and Life Sciences) Research Group. Her research focuses on lower extremity function with an eye toward injury prevention. More specifically, Dufek has used a landing model to assess kinematic and kinetic responses to various experimental conditions, but, more so, to examine individual responses to these experimental perturbations. Dufek has also used running and walking protocols to examine similar phenomena.

She regularly collaborates with colleagues in Physical Therapy, Engineering and Nursing to address questions of clinical concern. She has worked with pediatric populations with cerebral palsy and autism, and adult populations with diabetes.

Dufek currently serves as a professor within the Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences. Dufek has also served as the school's associate dean, and a graduate coordinator for the doctorate programs in kinesiology and interdisciplinary health sciences. She holds associate graduate faculty status in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UNLV and is an adjunct professor in UNLV’s Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine and at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Education

Ph.D., Biomechanics, Integrated Exercise Science; University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 1988
M.S., Scientific Foundations of Kinesiology; Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, 1982
B.S., Physical Education, University of Wisconsin-Superior, Superior, Wisconsin, 1981

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Janet Dufek In The News

How to Walk to Build Muscle, According to Fitness Experts

Prevention

One of the best things you can do as you get older is walk regularly. Walking is easy, accessible, costs nothing, and may even add years to your life. Still, simply going for a stroll every day can start to feel a bit boring. “Any repetitive motion in one plane of motion, such as walking forward, will activate the same muscles each time,” added Amy West, M.D., a sports medicine physician at Northwell Health in New York. That means you won't get the aerobic and strength gains you need as you age—but incorporating different ways to walk to build muscle can get you all those perks.

Experts explain why we should all start walking backwards

The U.S. Independent

Looking to revitalise your fitness routine? A straightforward yet impactful method could be to start walking backwards. While a brisk forward walk offers myriad benefits – strengthening bones, building muscle, boosting cardiovascular health, and easing stress – its familiar rhythm can become monotonous. This is where retro walking, or reverse walking, presents a compelling alternative.

Everyone knows walking is good for you, but walking backward could add to the benefits

Here’s a simple way to switch up your walking routine, according to experts: try going backward. Taking a brisk walk is an exercise rich in simplicity, and it can have impressive mental and physical benefits: stronger bones and muscles, cardiovascular fitness and stress relief, to name a few. But like any workout, hoofing it for your health may feel repetitive and even boring after a while.

Should you add ‘retro walking’ to your workout routine?

Here’s a simple way to switch up your walking routine, according to experts: Try going backward. Taking a brisk walk is an exercise rich in simplicity, and it can have impressive mental and physical benefits: stronger bones and muscles, cardiovascular fitness and stress relief, to name a few. But like any workout, hoofing it for your health may feel repetitive and even boring after a while.