The Latest Fitness Trend: Retro Walking

Hot girl summer will be here before you know it. That means you have the rest of winter and spring to kick it into gear. There’s a new fitness trend going around called retro walking.

The trend of retro walking involves walking backward on a treadmill or an elliptical machine. A few studies have been done on the potential benefits of retro walking. People who walked backward on a treadmill for 30 minutes at a time over four weeks increased their balance, according to a study.

Interestingly, a group of women decreased their body fat and boosted their cardiorespiratory fitness after a six-week program of backward walking, according to a clinical trial.

Other studies show backward motion may help those with knee and back problems.

On TikTok, an occupational therapist praised the workout. “By walking backward, you strengthen all muscles you don’t use in your knees daily,” the TikToker said.

Retro walking isn’t a new concept. CNN reported that people in China have been walking backward for centuries for physical and mental health. Moving backward is also common in sports. There’s even a Guinness Record holder, Plennie Lawrence Wingo, who reverse-walked from Santa Monica, California to Istanbul, Turkey in 1932.

Not every fitness trend you see on social media is worth trying out. The New York Times reported that there are an estimated 50,000 fitness influencers on Instagram. Sometimes these fitness influencers promote fitness advice that’s misguided or dangerous.

A study from last year found that nearly two-thirds of the 100 most popular fitness influencers lacked sound advice or posted messages that could negatively affect people’s mental and physical health.

It’s worth mentioning that before beginning any new exercise program, you should consult your doctor. It’s also best to stop immediately if you experience pain.

Check out more of this fitness trend here.