‘Backward walking’ fitness trend has taken over — experts say it’s worth a try
Some health pros really back this one up.
The “hot girl walk” (better known as simply walking, sometimes without headphones) took over TikTok more than a year ago, but now some online fitness buffs have turned a 180 on the health trend — literally.
The coolest thing you can do is walk backward on a treadmill without faceplanting or soaring into nearby exercise equipment — and clips of it have nearly 2 million views.
However, this backward or retro walk trend isn’t being poo-pooed by fitness experts. In fact, some find great value in it.
“By walking backward you strengthen all the muscles you don’t use in your knees daily,” said @Kali.Ot, an occupational therapist who preaches the workout.
“This increases the stability of your knee and prevents any type of injury,” she added.
Research from 2019 even found that so-called “retro walking” was beneficial to those with osteoarthritis of the knee.
The initially awkward motion does not need to happen for a long time to reap benefits — it can instead be done in short waves, according to personal trainer Michael Hamlin, who added that it’s also a great quadriceps workout.
“Additionally, walking backward may improve balance and proprioception as it challenges the body to move in an atypical way, enhancing spatial awareness and coordination,” Hamlin told Bustle.
He also boasted that there can be “cognitive benefits” from walking backward as well.
“It requires increased focus and concentration, potentially stimulating the brain,” Hamlin added.
Other experts — including Grayson Wickham, a physical therapist with New York City’s Lux Physical Therapy and Functional Medicine — say retro walking can also prevent a great deal of everyday strain on the body.
“The body adapts to the positions and movements and postures you do most often,” Wickham told CNN.
“That can lead to tight muscles and joints, which leads to joint compensation, which leads to joint wear and tear, then pain and injury. The more we can add in varied movement into our day-to-day activities or in the gym, it’s so much more beneficial for the body.”
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