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Step Back to Move Forward: The Surprising Benefits of Walking Backward at the Gym

Woman walking backward on a treadmill at AFAC gym

In a world where fitness trends come and go, one age-old practice is making a surprising comeback: retro walking, or the art of walking backward.

While it might sound unconventional, this form of exercise is not just a novelty. It’s a path to profound health benefits that many of us are unaware of. From enhancing muscular balance to improving cardiovascular health, the advantages of walking backward extend far beyond the simple joy of mixing up your routine.

In this blog post, we’ll dive deep into why incorporating backward steps into your gym workouts could be a game-changer, offering fresh perspectives and unexpected perks.

Whether you’re looking to shake up your training or simply want to try something different, retro walking promises to challenge the way you think about movement. Let’s take a step back into fitness with retro walking at AFAC gym in Thornton, Colorado.

Putting One Foot Behind the Other at the Gym

Throughout our lives, we’ve always moved in one standard direction when walking: forward. Putting one foot in front of the other seemed to be the natural and sole option as we accumulated countless miles on the gym treadmill, surrounded by fellow fitness enthusiasts.

Recently, a fresh twist on this traditional exercise has gained popularity through TikTok: walking backward, or “retro-walking.” Even though it’s currently a hot topic on social media, the benefits of this practice have long been advocated by physical therapists and fitness instructors. Retro-walking is a gentle yet effective way to burn calories, strengthen your legs, enhance coordination, and potentially alleviate pain, according to experts. It’s also considered a smart way to cross-train.

Retro-walking is a more intense workout than it appears. The strain in your lower legs is unmistakable, far surpassing what you experience with regular walking (unless you significantly increase the incline on your treadmill). Moreover, it poses a cognitive challenge. With no way to see what’s behind you, you must sharpen all your senses to maintain balance and avoid stumbling.

Many professionals agree that incorporating backward walking into fitness routines is beneficial for most people because it can enhance:

Retro walking also has been found to help many diverse groups of people including athletes, the elderly, the young, obese individuals, post-stroke patients, and people with osteoarthritis.

Let’s explore these benefits in more detail.

Walking Backward Benefits Older People

Walking backward is a simple yet effective method to activate the gluteal muscles, the shins, and the muscles in your feet and ankles. It also reduces the impact on each step, thereby lessening the stress on the knees and lower back. This exercise is highly accessible and appropriate for individuals of all ages and fitness levels, making it an attractive option for many.

Elderly individuals in particular find backward walking appealing as a straightforward method to enhance their fitness routine and fortify the joints in the lower body. Additionally, retro-walking helps improve proprioception, which is the ability to perceive the position and movement of the body in space. Typically, the brain relies heavily on what we see to coordinate movement. However, as reflexes and vision deteriorate with age, older adults may become more susceptible to balance loss and falls. Backward walking demands more active thought about movement and encourages the brain to rely more on other senses, enhancing overall sensory awareness.

Walking Backward Helps You Engage Important Muscles

Walking backward compels you to maintain a straighter posture than usual. This reversal of your usual stride introduces a fresh challenge for the abdominal, lower limb, and back muscles, with your glutes particularly taking on more work. Meanwhile, your calf muscles operate in a different manner. Typically, when moving forward, your calves contract concentrically, shortening as they lift your body. In contrast, when you walk backwards, these muscles extend, lengthening under your weight. This change provides a beneficial twist to your fitness regimen.

Additionally, walking backward targets the quadriceps at the front of your thighs. Studies have shown that individuals who engaged in backward walking three times a week for six weeks experienced notable improvements in quadriceps strength compared to those who walked forward. The quads play a crucial role in extending the knee and straightening the leg, and these muscles operate differently during backward walking. Some people report reduced knee pain as they strengthen these muscles.

Moreover, backward walking lessens stress on the inner side of the knee, a common site for arthritis in older adults. It also increases stretching in the hip flexors, which are vital for posture, balance, and stabilizing the lower spine. This stretching can help ease back pain. As flexibility tends to decrease with age, keeping the muscles around the hips and lower back active and flexible becomes essential for enhancing functional mobility and minimizing discomfort.

Janet Dufek, a biomechanics expert at the University of Nevada, along with her team, discovered that walking backward for 10-15 minutes daily over a month enhanced the hamstring flexibility of 10 healthy female students. This exercise also strengthens the back muscles that support spinal stability and flexibility. In another piece of research led by Dufek, a group of five athletes reported a decrease in lower back pain following periods of backwards walking.

Dufek’s studies suggest that backward walking offers benefits for lower back pain relief, largely due to the stretching of the hamstrings, which are often linked to lower back issues.

Backward walking and running drills are already incorporated in the training routines of various sports, especially team and racquet sports that demand agility to move in multiple directions swiftly. By reducing stress on knee joints and building strength, retro-running plays a crucial role in injury prevention for athletes.

Walking Backward Can Be Good for People with Injuries

Individuals suffering from patella (kneecap) issues might consider the benefits of backward walking. The push-off motion that initiates reverse walking offers a break from the discomfort typically felt beneath the kneecap when moving forwards.

Additionally, walking down slopes in reverse has been shown to relieve symptoms of plantar fasciitis in the bottom of the foot.

In occupational therapy settings, retro-walking is utilized to improve daily functional activities. For example, elderly individuals may practice approaching a kitchen sink and then walking backward away from it, enhancing their ability to move in reverse smoothly.

Regular engagement in backward walking also promotes increased range of motion in the knees, hips, and ankles. This occurs as the joints are compelled to move in unfamiliar ways, which aids in loosening and stretching the surrounding muscles and tendons. Moreover, backward walking is typically easier on the knees, particularly when descending slopes, making it a viable option for those with knee challenges. It also reduces pressure on the lumbar spine, potentially easing back pain.

Illustrating this point, a 2020 study suggested that backward walking could be therapeutic for men with chronic nonspecific back pain.

Reverse walking can help people who have experienced strokes, too. A small 2021 study involving 20 people with chronic stroke symptoms found that participants who walked backwards on a treadmill for 30 minutes, three times a week for four weeks, showed improvements. The study noted potential benefits including enhanced walking speed, better cardiopulmonary fitness, and improved balance.

Reverse Walking Can Make You More Flexible

Many people spend their days seated, which results in muscles becoming tense and constricted. Particularly, the hip flexors — the muscles located at the front of the thigh and hip — become tighter. Walking backward helps stretch these muscles, promoting enhanced flexibility. This increase in flexibility is associated with better physical performance, improved blood flow to the muscles, and a lower likelihood of injuries.

Walking Backward Can Improve Your Gait and Balance

Retro-walking can assist individuals in correcting their walking patterns. It engages our neuromuscular programming, enabling people to overcome minor limps or limitations in their range of motion. Often, just walking backward for 20 to 30 feet at a time can significantly benefit some patients.

A small 2016 study involving 33 participants showed that walking backward on a treadmill for 20 minutes, five days a week for four weeks, could enhance balance and gait control. Additionally, a systematic review and meta-analysis conducted in 2019 suggested that backward walking might serve as an effective method to boost balance in individuals prone to falling.

Reverse Walking Is Good for Your Brain

The advantages of walking backward extend beyond physical health. Research has shown that when we walk backward, different areas of the brain are activated compared to walking forward. Notably, the prefrontal cortex—which is critical for cognitive functions such as decision-making and problem-solving—becomes more active during backward movement.

In a Dutch study, 38 participants were tested on their ability to perform a Stroop test—where they respond to words printed in incongruent colors (like the word “blue” written in red ink)—while moving backward, forward, or sideways. The results indicated that those moving backward had the quickest reaction times, possibly because their brains were already engaged in managing a contradictory task.

Another study concluded that various backward movements, such as walking backward, watching a video of a train moving backward, or even imagining moving backward, enhanced the participants’ memory recall capabilities. It suggests that walking backward demands greater mindfulness of one’s movements, enhancing focus and reducing attention to stressors.

Backward walking is also cognitively demanding. This new type of movement stimulates the mind, helping with concentration and potentially offering cognitive benefits. It’s also engaging and enjoyable, which might encourage consistency in gym workouts, contributing to increased physical activity and potential weight loss. Backwards walking has also been found to burn more calories than walking forwards.

How to Incorporate Backward Walking into Your Gym Workouts

Walking can be enjoyed nearly anywhere, and the same holds true for walking backward—though safety considerations are crucial. Due to a limited visual field, there’s a higher chance of encountering obstacles. A good starting point is using a treadmill at the gym. This setup reduces the need to continually check behind you, and you can use the handrails for support while you adjust to the movement. Treadmills also come with a safety clip that stops the machine if you stumble—a useful safety measure, particularly for older adults at risk of serious injuries from falls.

While backward walking is largely safe, certain individuals should be particularly cautious and consult a doctor before starting, especially those with existing musculoskeletal issues, vertigo, limited mobility, Parkinson’s disease, or balance disorders.

When you do start walking backward during your gym workouts, begin slowly to allow your brain to adapt to the new way of walking. For a 30-minute session, alternate between retro-walking and forward walking every two minutes at a speed of about 0.5 miles per hour. As you grow more accustomed to walking backward, you can increase the duration, speed, and incline for added challenge and muscle engagement.

If you work up to walking backward continuously for 10 minutes, three times a week, you may begin to see improvements in balance and joint strength after about four weeks. However, even a minute or two each day spent walking backward can contribute positively to your health.

Rewind to Fast Forward: The Surprising Power of Walking Backward at AFAC Gym

While it might seem like a recent fad, walking backward has been used for hundreds – perhaps even thousands – of years as a way to increase health and fitness. As easy as walking forward is for most of us, doing so in reverse comes with some risk and requires practice. That’s why you need a gym like AFAC with state-of-the-art treadmills to help you incorporate this beneficial exercise into your workout program.

We hope you’ll stop by AFAC to speak to take a tour of our gym and speak to our team about our affordable memberships. Our personal trainers can get you started with a fitness program that’s tailored to your fitness level and goals. AFAC gym is committed to supporting your health and wellness efforts, so you’ll see the results you’re working so hard for. That’s why we’re the best gym in Thornton, Colorado, with hundreds of 5-star reviews.

To learn more about our top-rated gym and our incredible array of strength training and cardio equipment — as well as our unique offerings and amenities like daily group classes, cryotherapy, InBody 770 assessments, hydro massage, and our rock climbing wall and cave — we hope you will contact us or visit for a personalized tour. Our team will be happy to help you. For more information and assistance, you can also contact our gym owner, Susan, at 720-849-0245 or susan@adventurefitness.club.

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