London: Brisk walking is widely praised for its health benefits such as stronger muscles and bones, improved cardiovascular fitness, and reduced stress levels. But when the routine starts to feel repetitive, experts suggest a simple variation – try walking backwards.

Also known as retro walking or reverse walking, this lesser-used movement is gaining attention among physiotherapists and fitness professionals for its potential to improve flexibility, engage underused muscles, and train the brain through unfamiliar movement patterns.

“There’s nothing unnatural about backward walking,” said Janet Dufek, a biomechanist and faculty member at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. “I see a lot of people in my neighbourhood and they walk, and that's good. But they are still stressing the same elements of their structure over and over again. Walking backward introduces an element of cross-training, a subtly different activity.”

Dufek, a former college basketball player, has spent years researching human movement, particularly how to reduce injury through better mechanics. She says that reverse walking can increase hamstring flexibility and reduce stress on the knee joint, especially helpful in rehabilitation settings.

“Backward walking is very different than forward walking from a force perspective, from a movement pattern perspective,” she explained. Instead of landing heel first, “you strike the forefoot first, often quite gently, and often the heel does not contact the ground. This reduces the range of motion in the knee joint, which allows for activity without stressing the (knee) joint.”

A tool for cross-training and recovery

Reverse walking has also become a go-to accessory exercise for some personal trainers. In Nashville, trainer Kevin Patterson recommends starting with the treadmill — either powered on at a slow speed, or switched off completely to create what he calls a “dead mill”, where clients propel the belt manually.

“It can take a while to get the treadmill going, but from there we have them be the horsepower for the treadmill,” Patterson said. “The treadmill is great for older clients because you have the handles on the side and you reduce that risk of falling.”

He uses the technique as part of warm-ups or rehabilitation workouts, adding variety without overwhelming the body.

Easy to start, surprisingly challenging

Dufek suggests incorporating a one-minute segment of backward walking into a 10-minute walk, gradually increasing the time and distance as confidence improves. It can even be done with a partner: one walks backward while the other walks forward, facing each other and clasping hands to stay balanced, switching roles later on. 

“At first, you start really, really slowly because there’s a balance accommodation and there is brain retraining,” she said. “You are learning a new skill. You’re using muscles in different ways.”

Though unusual at first, backward walking is familiar to many athletes. Dufek recalls her own experience, saying, “I played basketball and I probably spent 40% of my time playing defence and running backwards.”

The benefits of cross-training, even in small adjustments like walking direction, are well documented. Dufek points out that even subtle changes, such as rotating running shoes with different levels of wear, can reduce the risk of overuse injuries by placing slightly different stresses on the body.

From daily walks to backward running

For those who master the skill, there’s even a niche sport: backward running, with some enthusiasts taking it as far as completing full marathons in reverse.

While that may be a stretch for most, experts agree that adding occasional backward walking to your routine could offer both physical and cognitive rewards, and help keep exercise fresh and injury-free.

(With AP inputs)