fitness
Walking backwards on treadmills is the latest TikTok trend, and some experts are endorsing it.
TikTok/@stillworking1003; TikTok/@kali.ot
Some health positives truly Support this one.
The “sexy girl walk” (known as simple walking, sometimes without headphones) took over TikTok more than a year ago, but now some online fitness enthusiasts have done a 180 degree turn on the health trend — literally.
The coolest thing you can do is walk backwards on a treadmill without planting your face or flying over nearby exercise equipment — clips of which have racked up nearly 2 million views.
However, this reverse or ancient walking trend is not frowned upon by fitness experts. In fact, some find great value in it.
“By walking backwards, you’re strengthening all the muscles in your knees that you don’t use every day,” said @Kali.Ot, an occupational therapist who recommends the exercise.
“This increases the stability of your knee and prevents any type of injury,” she added.
Research from 2019 even found that so-called “retrograde walking” was beneficial for those with knee osteoarthritis.
The initially difficult movement doesn’t need to last long to reap the benefits — it can instead be done in short waves, according to personal trainer Michael Hamlin, who added that it’s also a great exercise for your quadriceps.
“Additionally, walking backwards may improve balance and proprioception because it challenges the body to move in a non-stereotypical way, enhancing spatial awareness and coordination,” Hamlin told Bustle.
He also boasted that there could be “cognitive benefits” from walking backwards as well.
“It requires increased concentration and possibly brain stimulation,” Hamlin added.
Other experts — including Grayson Wickham, a physical therapist at Lux Center for Physical Therapy and Occupational Medicine in New York City — say backward walking can also prevent a significant amount of daily stress on the body.
“The body adapts to the positions, movements and postures you do most often,” Wickham told CNN.
“This can lead to tight muscles and joints, causing the joints to overcompensate, leading to wear and tear on the joints, and then pain and injury. The more varied movement we add to our daily activities or at the gym, the more beneficial it becomes for the body.”
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