2025 was a busy year for my step tracker. I tried “ Japanese walking ,” “ retro walking ,” “ meditative walking ,” “ rucking ,” walking earlier in the mornings, “ 6-6-6 walking ,” “ mindful walking ,” strolling like a Jane Austen heroine , and “ colour walking ” this year (phew). And while I only outright disliked one – “ plogging ,” I’m afraid, is not my cup of tea – it’d be pretty unreasonable to have expected all of these to stick. Predictably, most have not. “6-6-6” walking , for instance, was based on great theory, but I found it a little too prescriptive in practice. “ Rucking ” probably did help my posture a bit. But if I don’t need a bag, I don’t need a bag; and after a couple of weeks of trying the trend, I slowly stopped looking for an excuse to fill one up (and did not buy a weighted vest). So, I thought I’d share the three I still regularly engage in, and why I find them so beneficial. 1) Japanese walking I’ll be honest: I was a little sceptical of this walking method at first, though it’s based on research that links the method to improved blood pressure, stronger thigh muscles, and better aerobic capacity than those who walked 8,000 steps a day at a regular pace. The idea is to walk quickly in intervals (a slower cousin of running’s “ Jeffing ,” AKA the “run-walk-run” method). I walked fast for three minutes, then slower for another three, five times. That cut my daily walking time to just half an hour. GP Dr Suzanne Wylie said at the time , “From a clinical perspective, any form of consistent, moderate-intensity walking, especially if it incorporates posture, breathing, or mindfulness as Japanese walking sometimes does, can further enhance cardiovascular and mental health”. While that’s true, I’ve stayed “Japanese walking” for other, more selfish reasons: it’s fast, it feels more satisfying than a regular walk, and I think it’s made my quads stronger. 2) Retro walking A more recent addition to my routine, this method has proven surprisingly addictive. It’s simple: you walk backwards. While I did this in a park at first, which was indeed mortifying, I’ve since stuck to treadmills. Another reason to get over the initial embarrassment? “Retro walking” has been linked to better arthritis results when paired with conventional treatment, lessened back pain for athletes, more balance, gait speed, and lower body benefits for older people than “regular” walking , and even brain boosts . “When you walk backwards, your movement pattern changes completely: you use different muscle groups and place different loads through your joints,” Dr Wylie said . “In particular, it tends to activate the quadriceps more and places less compressive stress on the kneecap compared to forward walking, which may explain why some people notice improvements in knee discomfort.” That explains my real reason for sticking to the trend: it’s proven great for my worn knees. 3) Chilling out about walking the “right” way Can you tell I love a walking trend – something quantitative, research-backed, and trackable? That’s all well and good, but when I got injured earlier this year, I learned the importance of “meditative” walking . Yes, it seems I needed expert advice to tell me to chill out and enjoy my walk. “We can discuss the physical benefits of running and walking all day long, but it is perhaps the mental benefits that are most important. “Walking... has been associated with breath regulation, decreased anxiety, decreased depression, and increased overall sense of well-being,” said Joy Puleo, pilates expert, avid runner, and director of education at Balanced Body . “Take the pressure off doing it right, doing it too fast or too slow. Just commit to the walk, enjoy your time outside, ask a friend to join.” This is perfect when I don’t feel up for a longer walk; in the past, I’d have given up on going outside due to worries my stroll “wouldn’t count”. I could not have been more wrong about that, I now realise. Related... We Tried Retro Walking I Asked A GP If 'Nordic Walking' Is Better Than 10,000 Steps Walking Less Than 10,000 Steps A Day Can Still Boost Longevity, But Only If You Follow This Rule