Julianne Moore's Secret Workout? Walking Backwards Uphill for Better Brain Health, Balance, and Core Strength

At 64, Julianne Moore has an unusual answer for how she stays sharp and strong.

She walks backwards uphill.

It sounds like a party trick. It is actually one of the most underrated brain-and-body workouts you can do, and there is real science behind why it works.

The Trainer’s Tip That Stuck

In a recent PEOPLE interview, Moore credited an old trainer for the idea. "You should take the opportunity to walk backwards," he told her.

She took the advice and ran with it, literally.

Now, whenever she gets the chance, she walks backwards, especially up a hill. As she put it, "your brain’s like, whoa, what’s that?"

That surprise is the point. It is what shakes your nervous system out of autopilot and turns a walk into a workout.

The Science Behind Walking Backwards

Walking in reverse forces your body and brain to negotiate a new pattern.

There is no muscle memory to fall back on, so both fire harder to keep you steady.

Sharper Memory and Focus

A 2018 study in Cognitive Science found that backward movement, even watching someone walk backwards, boosted short-term memory.

Researchers at the University of Roehampton reported that participants who walked backwards scored significantly higher on memory tasks straight after.

The theory is straightforward.

Backwards walking removes the autopilot effect of normal locomotion, forcing the prefrontal cortex and motor control areas to engage.

That extra focus doubles as a brain workout.

Different Muscles, Less Joint Load

Backwards walking recruits your hamstrings, calves, and stabilizer muscles more than forward walking, while putting less strain on the knees.

Analysis published in the Journal of Biomechanics found that reversed gait produces greater per-stride muscle engagement and improved balance markers.

That is why physical therapists have used it for years in knee rehab. It builds joint stability without the compressive load of forward walking or running.

Balance and Coordination

Walking backwards also improves proprioception, which is your sense of where your body is in space.

This matters more with age.

Falls are a major cause of injury and lost independence in older adults, and the fix starts with training the small stabilizers most workouts ignore.

Why Add the Uphill Element?

Moore does not just walk backwards. She walks backwards up a hill. That single change stacks the benefits.

More Muscle, More Metabolic Cost

Any incline increases the demand on your glutes, hamstrings, and calves. Even a modest slope can double the energy cost compared with flat walking.

A science-backed breakdown of why incline walking burns more fat than flat running covers the numbers in depth.

Add the reversed direction on top of that incline, and you get a compact, joint-friendly workout that hits muscles most runners undertrain.

Better Core Engagement

Walking uphill forces your torso into a slight lean.

Doing it backwards forces your core and posterior chain to keep you upright and stable in a totally new way.

That is how a slow, awkward-looking walk becomes a legitimate core workout. And unlike planks, it also trains balance and coordination at the same time.

How This Connects to Backwards Running

Backwards walking is the low-impact cousin of backwards running, a growing trend in training circles.

Runners who have added retro work to their routines report improved knee comfort, better forward running economy, and stronger stabilizer engagement.

This deep-dive on whether you should start running backwards walks through the research on retro running for runners specifically.

If you are not ready to jog backwards on a track, backwards walking is the perfect on-ramp. It gives you similar joint and stabilizer benefits without the coordination risk.

How to Safely Try Julianne Moore’s Trick

You do not need a hill on day one. Start flat, and build up.

The Safe Starter Progression

Find a flat, open surface. A track, a quiet park path, or a long empty hallway all work.

Begin with 1 to 2 minutes of slow backwards walking.

Keep steps small and controlled. Engage your core, keep your posture tall, and glance over one shoulder every few steps, alternating sides to avoid neck strain.

Build up to 5 minutes over a couple of weeks. Once you can do that with steady posture, add a gentle incline.

Once You Are Ready for the Hill

A small grassy slope is ideal. If you prefer indoors, a treadmill on a low incline works well, just set the speed low and use the handrails for safety.

Do 3 to 5 rounds of 60 to 90 seconds backwards uphill, walking forwards down as recovery.

Twice a week is plenty.

And check with your doctor first if you have balance issues, vision problems, or a recent knee or hip injury. The point is challenge, not risk.

The Bigger Idea Moore Is Really Pointing At

Moore made it clear that her point goes beyond one weird exercise.

She talked about the value of breaking your routine on purpose, whether that means a new game, a new language, or a walk in a new direction.

The nervous system thrives on novelty.

Neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to keep rewiring itself, is fed by unfamiliar tasks. Walking backwards uphill is one of the simplest ways to give your brain that dose.

If you are a runner in your 40s, 50s, or beyond, adding a few minutes of reversed uphill walking to your week costs almost nothing and pays off in balance, core strength, and mental sharpness.

Turn around. Head uphill.

Let your brain say "whoa, what’s that?" You are training the parts of yourself most workouts miss.