Backward walking is walking in reverse at a slow, steady pace, with your eyes open and a clear space of about 3 meters behind you. You cannot see where each foot will land, so your balance and leg muscles have to work in a way they do not in ordinary walking. Physios often add it to a balance program once walking forward feels steady.

How to do the backward walking

Before you start, clear a strip of floor about 3 meters (10 feet) long behind you. Move rugs, cables and furniture out of the way, and choose a spot beside a counter, rail or wall you can touch.
Stand tall with your feet hip width apart. Look straight ahead, not down at the floor.
Step one foot back and land on the ball of the foot first, then lower the heel. Keep each step short and comfortable.
Shift your weight back onto that foot, then step back with the other one. Keep your arms relaxed at your sides.
Keep going slowly to the end of your cleared path and stop. Walk forward back to where you began, then start the next length.

What you should feel

Your calves, the front of your thighs and your hips working a little differently from normal walking. You will probably have to think about every step. Most people find it strange at first, and it gets easier with practice.

Common mistakes

Twisting round to look behind you in the middle of a step, instead of checking the path before you set off.
Taking long, reaching steps backward.
Leaning forward from the hips or staring at the floor.
Going faster than you can control.

How often

Many programs begin with 3 to 5 lengths of about 3 meters, once or twice a day, resting between lengths as needed. Your physio will adjust this.

Stop and check with your physio if

You feel dizzy, lightheaded, faint or sick, or the room seems to spin. Hold your support, sit down and get medical advice the same day before you practice again. If you faint, it does not settle within a few minutes of sitting still, your vision suddenly blurs or goes double, or you cannot stand or walk steadily, call emergency services.
You stumble or come close to falling, or you need to grab the counter or wall to steady yourself more than once or twice in a length.
New pain in a knee, hip or ankle that alters the way you walk.

From the clinic

Walking backward is harder to control than walking forward, because your feet land where you cannot see. Practice beside a kitchen counter, a rail or a hallway wall so one hand can touch it, and keep a sturdy chair near the end of the path. If you normally use a stick or walking frame, keep it with you and ask your physio whether to use it for backward steps. If you have had a fall in the last year, feel shaky on your feet, have low bone density (osteoporosis), or your medicines make you drowsy or woozy, have another adult stand beside you while you practice, and ask your doctor or physio for a falls check. Wear flat shoes that fit well and grip the floor, not socks, tights or bare feet.

A sudden loss of balance is different. Call emergency services straight away for any sign of a stroke, even if it goes away: sudden dizziness with unsteadiness or falling over, a face that droops on one side, an arm you cannot lift or keep up, slurred or muddled speech, weakness or numbness on one side of your body or face, sudden blurred vision, double vision or loss of sight, or a sudden severe headache.

If you have had a hip replacement, get the go-ahead from your surgeon or physio before you try backward walking. Stepping backward takes the leg behind your body, and many surgeons ask you to avoid that for the first months after some operations.

The man in the video walks backward with his arms loose and his gaze forward, which is the pattern to copy. Once plain backward walking feels easy, backward tandem walking, with each foot placed directly behind the other, is a harder step that your physio may add.

Written and checked by the PocketPhysio editorial team. Last updated 2026-09-26.

This page is general education, not a diagnosis or a personal treatment plan. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, see a physiotherapist or doctor before starting new exercises.

Backward walking