Doctors have openly said that farting while walking after a meal can help improve long-term health. But now there’s a new trend in town: phone-conscious walking.
after Women’s health CERN reporter Madani tried a week-long experiment where he walked outside without his phone for an hour, the trend started to gain popularity. He didn’t check his phone before starting his walk and left it at home, focusing on his surroundings and disconnecting from the ever-present technology in his life.
After a day, he started picking colors during his walk. Another TikTok trend that encourages presence is by choosing a color to focus on while walking and seeing as many items of the same color as possible.
At the end of his experiment, Madani reported four main things: feeling more present, more productive, less moody, and having more relaxed mornings.
Walking has long been known to benefit mental health and overall health. The Mayo Clinic notes that daily walking can help prevent or manage heart disease, strengthen bones and muscles, and improve cognition, mood, and memory, among other benefits.
Phone mindful walking is similar to TikTok’s “silent walking” trend, which became popular in 2023 and encouraged walking without listening to music or podcasts.
Experts have long touted the benefits of walking outdoors, but they also point to the importance of ditching technology.
“The idea of taking a silent walk in nature is very reminiscent of an exercise in the mindfulness meditation tradition of mindful walking, or walking meditation,” Rael Kahn, PhD, MD, clinical associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, told Health.com.
Kahn noted that technology without walking could be “very powerful.”
Studies have shown that using phones and technology before going to sleep and after waking up can contribute to anxiety and depression. Leaving phones at home to tune into nature on walks gives people a chance to de-stress and focus on their surroundings instead of their notifications.
“By moving the body, engaging the body, there’s a natural engagement with the senses that the movement itself encourages, even if you haven’t learned anything about meditation or mindfulness,” Kahn says.
While it may be uncomfortable to let go of technology at first, it gets easier and the benefits are worth it.
“The richness of experience and the aliveness of the senses is not boring at all when you can actually be present,” Kahn said.
