If you can believe it, this time a TikTok trend isn’t inherently dangerous. That’s right, the latest TikTok health trend to pick up steam is one that some experts are willing to endorse: walking backwards. While strange, according to recent reporting by Scientific American, doctors have actually been on this trend for a long time.
New Jersey Physical therapist Kristyn Holc explains that backwards walking works out your rear-end. “The muscles within your hips and in your bottom become really important for promoting functional mobility and reducing pain,” Holc says.
Waling backwards, or retro-walking, engages these muscles and strengthens them overtime.
Not every benefit listed in the above TikTok is guaranteed. But there’s something to be said for that reduction in knee pain. According to Holc, retro-walking alleviates pressure on the inside of the knee, which can reduce chronic pain.
You’re also likely to see improvements in balance after incorporating retro-walking into your routine.
We already know walking is great for our overall health. We can engage muscles, increase cardiovascular fitness and strengthen our bones by walking for as little as 30 minutes a day.
Getting Started Walking Backwards
Most experts recommend beginning your retro-walking journey on a treadmill. This doesn’t just take away the need to look behind you, but also comes with handrails to get your adjusted to it. It might look a little silly, but you’ll have more control than out in the open, where anything could be behind you.
According to Holc, retro-walking can be done in small bursts of a few minutes, eventually working up to about ten minutes of backward walking a few times a week.