Backward walking for strong knees: free, cheap, and premium

Find a gentle hill, a ramp, or a quiet sloped driveway with clear footing. Turn around and walk up it backward: short steps, land on the ball of the foot, and let the knee travel forward over the toes as you push. Walk forward back down.

• Start: 2–5 minutes, a couple of times a week. Add time when it feels easy.
• Look: over your shoulder every few steps, or walk next to a fence or rail. No traffic, no crowds, no dogs on long leashes.
• Ease off if your balance wobbles or a knee feels sharp. Flat ground backward is a fine first step.
• Feet: flat, flexible shoes or barefoot on safe ground. See the shoe hub.

A Spanish squat is a band-resisted squat that physical therapists and strength coaches use to load the quads with the shins staying fairly upright. It’s a simple at-home partner to backward walking.

1. Loop a heavy long band around something that won’t move (a squat rack, a heavy post, a sturdy beam) at about knee height.
2. Step into the loop so the band sits behind both knees, just below the joint. Back up until it’s taut.
3. Lean back into the band, chest tall, and sit down until your thighs are about parallel, letting the band hold your knees back.
4. Pause, then stand. Or just hold the bottom position: 3–5 holds of 20–45 seconds is a common way to start.

Check the band for nicks before every session, and anchor it only to something that can’t tip or slide.

Band: LEEKEY long loop band set (4 bands, 15–125 lb). Most people use one of the heavier two.

For backward walking every day, regardless of weather, ATG makes a dedicated machine: The Backward Treadmill. It’s manual (no motor, no plug). You drive the belt yourself against adjustable resistance on a fixed 8-degree decline, which is ATG’s indoor answer to the backward sled drag.

• Price: $650 on ATG’s site ($520 ATG member price), as listed Oct 2026. Check the site for current pricing.
• Specs (per ATG): heavy-duty steel frame; 48″ × 25.5″ footprint; folds to 29″ × 25.5″; 13.5″ × 43″ belt; 275 lb user limit; about 80 lb.
• Warranty (per ATG): 3 years on welded frames, 180 days on wear parts, home use.
• Heads-up: ATG notes manual belts make some mechanical noise, and resistance isn’t measured on the unit, so find a setting and stick with it.
• Safety: start at low resistance with hands on the rails, and step off if balance gets shaky.

Motorized alternative: some regular treadmills have a slow reverse mode with long handrails, such as the Redliro reverse-mode treadmill. It’s a different feel: a flat deck and a motor-set speed, with no resistance or decline. Clip the safety key and start at the lowest speed.

Ben Patrick’s books lay out the ATG approach in his own words (Amazon):

• Knee Ability Zero by Ben Patrick: no-equipment starting point
• ATG for Life by Ben Patrick and Derek Williams: twice-a-week illustrated program
• ATG Zero by Ben Patrick: the core no-equipment routine