Moving your body in new ways can nudge your brain to pay attention. That simple idea sits behind a growing fitness trend: walking backward, sometimes called “retro walking.”
It’s not about showing off at the track. It’s about sharpening how you think while you move.
Researchers have reported that when people walk backward, activity in the prefrontal cortex rises. That area handles decision-making, problem-solving, logic, and working memory.
In one study, participants didn’t even have to get up. They sat still and only visualized walking backward – yet they improved their memory test scores.
Retro walking and the brain
Cognitive decline is a major concern in the geriatric population, with physical exercise being a well-established intervention for cognitive preservation.
A 2025 study from Dayananda Sagar University focused on older adults and cognition. The team recruited 36 participants aged 65 to 75. They trained three times a week for six weeks.
Each supervised session lasted 30 minutes and used four-minute retro walking sets with five-minute rest intervals. The group walked backward on a flat surface at a steady pace to prevent falls.
Intensity increased gradually as confidence and skill improved. Participants were also encouraged to continue training at home.
The researchers used the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) to measure change. That screening tool scores from 0 to 30 and spans memory, attention, language, and executive functions.
At the end, the average rose by almost three points, from 25 (pretest) to 27.7 (posttest).
A score of 25 indicates that further assessment may be required and may reflect mild cognitive impairment, a possible precursor to dementia. A score of 27 or higher is considered normal or healthy with no signs of cognitive decline.
Making the brain work harder
The significant improvement in MoCA scores from pre-test to post-test suggests that retro walking positively influences cognitive function.
Previous research has indicated that engaging in dual-task exercises, such as walking while maintaining balance, stimulates cognitive processing and enhances executive function.
“Retro-walking demands increased attention and coordination, potentially explaining the observed cognitive improvements,” the authors noted.
According to doctors at UCLA, “The precise connection between retro walking and improved cognition is not yet clear. However, researchers suspect that the increased complexity of the physical aspects of the process somehow support the data processing centers of the brain.”
That perspective fits what many trainers see in practice: when a task requires balance, orientation, and foot placement, the brain steps up its control systems.
Adding a novel pattern – like moving backward – keeps you alert without needing fancy equipment.
Joint health and retro walking
Studies report that backward walking can strengthen back and ankle muscles, improve hamstring strength and flexibility, enhance balance, posture, and coordination, and ease lower-back pain.
Because the knees and hips move through a smaller range of motion, retro walking can be easier on those joints. These mechanical shifts change how forces travel through the legs.
Changing direction alters co-contraction patterns in the quadriceps and hamstrings and can reduce compressive stress under the kneecap.
The result can be less irritation while still getting the benefits of steady movement.
Inside the knee osteoarthritis trial
A randomized controlled trial examined adults with knee osteoarthritis. The team recruited 68 people and divided them at random into three groups.
Everyone received a standard physiotherapy program with familiar strengthening moves – straight-leg raises, isometric quadriceps squeezes, and semi-squats – plus a brief ultrasound warm-up.
One group added backward walking. One group added forward walking. A control group did physiotherapy only.
Training ran three days a week for six weeks. Each session included a warm-up, 10 minutes of supervised walking at a comfortable speed, and a cooldown. If pain stayed low, participants could build toward 30 minutes across the six weeks.
Researchers tracked four outcomes before and after: knee pain on a 0–10 scale; function with the WOMAC questionnaire (lower scores indicate better function); quadriceps strength measured with a handheld dynamometer; and performance on the Timed Up and Go test (TUG assessment) – standing up, walking about 10 feet, turning, walking back, and sitting down.
Positive study results
All groups improved. The backward-walking group moved ahead of the control group on several measures. They cut pain scores more than the control group and also showed larger gains in function.
The retro walking group’s quadriceps strength increased by about one kilogram on dynamometer testing compared with the control group. They also shaved more time off the Timed Up and Go.
Overall safety outcomes were favorable, as the retro walking team reported no serious adverse events. A few people in the forward-walking group noticed a mild uptick in pain, and therapists adjusted walking time and exercise load.
At six weeks, researchers found no statistically significant difference between backward and forward walking.
That suggests adding regular, supervised walking – of either kind – to a solid therapy program can deliver meaningful benefits over physiotherapy alone.
It also signals the need for longer or larger trials to determine whether backward walking offers an advantage beyond standard forward walking.
Adding retro walking to your routine
To sum it all up, retro walking requires attention and coordination, which is why it is believed to improve overall brain cognition.
The cognition study used a flat surface, a steady pace, and professional supervision to prevent falls, then increased intensity step by step.
The prefrontal cortex responds when tasks demand planning and control. Backward walking is a simple way to add that demand to a daily routine.
The MoCA shift from 25 to 27.7 shows how training can move someone from a score that flags possible mild cognitive impairment toward a range considered healthy.
For joint health, altering direction changes the load on the knees and ankles while keeping you active. The osteoarthritis trial links that change to better function, less pain, stronger quadriceps, and faster get-up-and-go.
With no serious adverse events reported and flexible progression up to 30 minutes, the approach aligns with everyday therapy goals.
The study details are easy to follow: flat surface, steady pace, gradual progression, short intervals, and consistent practice.
With those pieces in place, retro walking offers a safe, low-tech way to challenge the brain, fine-tune coordination, and keep the body moving.
The full studies referenced in this article were published in the journal BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders and the Journal of Mahatma Gandhi University of Medical Sciences and Technology.
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