Should You Be Walking Backwards on the Treadmill?

There’s always that one guy at the gym who looks like he’s glitched the treadmill. Walking backwards. Sometimes uphill. Sometimes at a suspiciously dramatic incline. And you, clinging to your water bottle, are thinking: has he unlocked some secret to longevity, or is this just the fitness version of crypto—lots of hype, little sense?

Let’s be real. The backward-walking thing isn’t new. It’s just having its wellness micro-trend moment again—because apparently, walking forward got too mainstream. TikTok says it fixes your knees, heals your back, and boosts your brain. TIME called it “the best workout you’re not doing.” Which, to me, sounds like something said about literally every weird exercise trend since goat yoga.

Still, the science bros insist there’s something there. So let’s walk through it (forwards, promise).

The Alleged Benefits

Here’s the argument: walking backwards apparently makes you take smaller, more deliberate steps, which improves balance and strengthens your lower legs. It fires up the quads and calves in a different way, and for people with bad knees or back pain, it might actually feel easier. There are even studies—small, questionable ones—that show backward walking reduces pressure on the kneecap, helps with joint mobility, and activates those neglected paraspinal muscles in your back.

So yeah, it’s not total nonsense. Physical therapists have been using it for rehab for years, especially for patients with knee osteoarthritis or people recovering from injuries. It forces your brain to coordinate differently, too, which is why some claim it boosts cognitive function.

In short: it’s mildly useful. Especially if you’re rehabbing, old, or playing professional tennis.

The Problem with All That “Research”

Here’s where it gets iffy. Most of the “studies” on backward walking involve, like, 20 people max. Half of them are university students, and the other half are “patients” walking in swimming pools in Brazil. These papers usually add backward walking on top of other regular workouts, so when participants improve, no one actually knows what caused it. Was it the backwards walking? Or was it just moving more in general?

Also, a bunch of these trials end after six weeks, with zero long-term follow-up. No one knows if any of the benefits stick around—or if people just got dizzy and quit. So yes, the research exists, but it’s the flimsy kind that looks great in headlines and terrible under scrutiny.

Even experts quietly admit this. A 2023 review literally called the available evidence “methodologically disappointing.” Translation: everyone’s talking about it, but no one’s done a proper study.

The Real-World Stuff No One Says

Now, let’s get practical. Walking backwards on a treadmill is, first of all, dangerous. You’re moving in a direction your eyes aren’t built for, on a moving belt, surrounded by strangers doing bicep curls they shouldn’t be doing. One misstep and you’re doing an unscheduled trust fall into the dumbbell rack.

It’s also not exactly efficient. Sure, it burns a few extra calories (some say around 40% more than regular walking), but that’s probably because you’re overcompensating not to fall on your ass. If the goal is fat loss or strength, there are safer, better ways to do both—like literally anything involving resistance or, you know, walking forward.

So… Should You Try It?

If you’re bored, sure. Go ahead. Throw it in for a few minutes at the end of your walk. But don’t pretend it’s going to “retrain your gait” or “activate deep neuromuscular pathways” or whatever nonsense your fitness influencer says between sponsored supplement ads.

Backward walking can be a nice rehab tool. It’s just not the revolutionary workout the internet wants it to be. The science is messy, the benefits are modest, and the risks are real if you’re not paying attention.

So unless your physiotherapist told you to—or you’re just really into confusing strangers at the gym—maybe stick to walking the way humans were designed to: forwards.