The soldier walk is walking forward at a comfortable pace while you lift each knee high and swing the opposite arm, like a soldier on parade. Each high knee keeps you on one leg a little longer than an ordinary step, so the standing leg has to hold you steady. Physios use it in balance and walking programs to train a high step that clears the floor, and a longer moment of support on one leg.

How to do the soldier walk

Choose a clear, straight path alongside a counter or hallway wall, so a hand can reach it quickly.
Stand tall and look ahead. Bend your elbows to about a right angle.
Step forward and lift the knee of the stepping leg up in front of you, toward hip height, as the opposite arm swings forward.
Set that foot down ahead of you and repeat with the other leg, keeping a steady, comfortable rhythm.
Stay upright throughout. At the end of the path, stop, turn around with small steps and walk back the same way.

What you should feel

Work at the front of the hip as each knee rises, and balance effort in the leg you are standing on. Your breathing may pick up a little, but it should not feel like hard work.

Common mistakes

Tipping the trunk backward so the knee can come up higher.
Swinging the arm on the same side as the lifted knee.
Rushing, so each foot lands heavily.
Watching your feet instead of the way ahead.

How often

Many programs start with 2 to 4 lengths of a hallway, once or twice a day. 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 catch a foot, stumble or feel close to falling.
Sharp pain in a hip, knee or your lower back as the knee lifts or the foot lands.
Chest pain or pressure, dizziness or feeling faint, a racing or irregular heartbeat, or being far more out of breath than the effort should cause.

From the clinic

The voice guide asks you to do this near a wall or counter, although the man in the video walks without one. Follow the voice guide, and lift your knees only as high as you can while staying upright. Clear the path of rugs and cables first, and move low furniture aside. Wear flat shoes that fit well and grip the floor, not socks, tights or bare feet. If you walk with a stick, have fallen in the last year or often feel unsteady, have someone walk beside you and ask your physio whether this drill suits you yet.

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 a moment on one leg still feels shaky, start with marching on the spot beside a counter and move on to the soldier walk later.

If you have had a hip replacement, get the go-ahead from your surgeon or physio before you try the soldier walk. Each high knee takes the hip up to about a right angle, sometimes further, and many surgeons ask you to avoid that for the first months after some operations. After a knee fracture or knee surgery, including a knee replacement, follow your surgeon's or physio's plan, and start this exercise only when they have cleared you. After an ankle fracture or ankle surgery, follow your surgeon's or physio's weight-bearing plan, and start this exercise only when they have cleared you.

If chest pain, pressure or tightness does not ease quickly when you rest, spreads to your arm, neck, jaw, stomach or back, or comes with sweating, feeling sick, feeling light-headed or being short of breath, call emergency services straight away, as this can be a heart attack. If it eases quickly and none of these happen, get medical advice the same day, and do not exercise again until you have been checked.

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.

Soldier walk