Backwards Run

Body WeightIntermediate

The backwards run is a dynamic exercise that enhances agility and coordination.

  1. Start by standing upright with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Begin to run backwards, keeping your knees slightly bent.
  3. Focus on maintaining balance and control as you move.
  4. Use your arms to help propel your body and maintain momentum.

How to perform the Backwards Run

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Backwards Run using your body weight.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your primary working muscles.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your working muscles rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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