When was the last time you walked backwards? No, seriously – think about it. For me, it was this morning, and honestly, my knees and brain have never felt better. It all started when I spotted this quirky trend on my daughter’s TikTok. Naturally, I had to give it a go. So, I laced up my running shoes, hopped onto the treadmill, and committed to 30 days of daily 'retro walking'. Did anyone at my local gym bat an eyelid? Not in the slightest. In fact, some even joined me on the backwards bandwagon. Here’s why.
The surprising benefits of backwards walking
It might feel like a fresh trend thanks to social media, but backwards walking isn't exactly new. Its recent rise in popularity can largely be credited to fitness influencer Ben Patrick, who swears by walking backwards – and sled pulls – as an effective hack for injury-proofing your knees.
Walking backwards – also known as "retro walking" – is surprisingly good for your body and brain, and the science backs it up. For starters, it significantly boosts calorie burn because your muscles work harder to balance and move you safely. In other words, a simple stroll in reverse might actually help you get fitter faster.
But it's not just physical; retro walking also has cognitive benefits. Research shows that moving backward engages your brain differently than forward walking, enhancing memory and sharpening your mental function. It's literally a workout for your brain.
Finally, regularly walking backwards can improve your overall coordination and balance. Since your body isn't used to this unusual movement pattern, your brain and muscles have to adapt, enhancing your stability in everyday activities.
Three things I learned from walking backwards for a month
My knees finally got a break
When I first heard about walking backwards for knee health, I was skeptical—until I actually tried it. Turns out, Ben Patrick was right when he said, “Walking backwards is the easiest form of knees-over-toes training, and it puts way less strain on your knees than walking forward.”
You immediately feel your weight shift back into your hips rather than pushing forward into your knees, reducing joint pressure and preventing pain.
Posture and mobility expert Blake Bowman explained it to me this way: walking backward “helps improve end-range knee extension—that’s straightening out your knee fully – while stabilising the joint and boosting nutrient-rich blood flow to the area.”
Plus, walking backwards quickly proved to be a game-changer for my posture, balance, and coordination. It naturally engages your core and glutes, promoting healthier movement patterns overall and significantly lowering your risk of injury.
My quads worked harder than ever
I'll admit it: I love feeling that satisfying quad burn – it’s practically coded into my fitness DNA. So, when I started walking backwards and felt my quads firing up more intensely than ever before, I knew I was onto something special.
Ben Patrick explains why this happens: “The quadriceps muscles – especially the vastus medialis, which is that teardrop-shaped muscle near your knee – have to work overtime during backward walking, especially when the knee travels past the toes.”
And this isn't just fitness talk; there’s solid research backing it up. Strengthening your quads like this is crucial if you're looking to relieve inner knee pain, boost overall knee stability, and bulletproof your joints. If you've ever struggled with knee issues, retro walking might just become your new favourite exercise.
My feet got stronger
It sounds a little odd, doesn’t it? But walking backwards genuinely strengthened my feet in ways regular workouts just couldn’t. Every time I stepped backwards, I noticed myself pushing off through my toes, activating foot muscles that rarely get attention during typical forward walking or standard gym routines.
Posture and mobility expert Blake Bowman pointed out something interesting: “Think about classic leg exercises like squats, deadlifts, or leg presses. They’re all done flat-footed, potentially creating a long-term imbalance between foot strength and upper thigh strength. But when you walk backwards, you’re lifting your toes and pivoting on your heels, activating your anterior tibialis muscle and boosting ankle mobility.”
Other benefits
Beyond my feet, I discovered even more surprising benefits. Walking backwards noticeably enhanced my cognitive function and spatial awareness while giving my hamstrings and glutes a solid workout. My hip flexors felt less tight and strained – honestly, it was a relief not to feel them constantly overworked. And posture? Slouching wasn’t an option. The simple act of moving backward forced me to stand taller, naturally keeping my posture aligned and in check.
So, why not give it a go? Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t taken my walking outside (yet) – that might be taking "unusual" to a whole new level. But people do it. There's even an annual backwards mile run in the Big Apple’s Central Park on April Fool’s Day. This pretty much sums it all up, don’t you think?
For now, I’ll mostly stick to the treadmill, setting the incline at around 10% and walking at a pace of 2 miles per hour. And for how long? Usually just 5-10 minutes – or sometimes only 100 steps. You really don’t need much. After all, as ancient Chinese wisdom says: “A hundred steps backward are worth a thousand steps forward.”
