Want to boost your metabolism and mood? Forget fart walking — try ‘posture walking’ instead

Two women power walking outdoors by the ocean smiling

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

If you didn’t already know, poor posture can negatively impact your gut, digestion, energy and breathing during exercise, including while you walk. “Posture walking” has been trending up over the past month, and there’s a good reason why.

Posture walking refers to a quick upgrade you can make during walks to help improve digestion and generally feel better. Fraser Richardson, sports and exercise expert at Protein Works, shares five ways to improve your posture while you walk. Sweep aside Japanese Walking or even fart walks, because there’s a new walking method in town. Here’s everything you need to know, and how it can help you.

How should your posture be when walking?

Fraser Richardson

Fraser has a BSc in Sport & Exercise Science and works with Protein Works.

“Most people think about posture as something that matters when you’re sitting at a desk, but rarely when they’re out walking,” says Richardson.

“The truth is, posture when walking is just as important, if not more so, because it impacts not only your muscles and joints, but also your digestion, breathing and energy levels.”

Richardson adds that when your body is in motion, gravity “amplifies” the impact of poor alignment, like a forward-leaning head or slouched spine. This strains the joints and could compress your organs. Instead, there are a few tweaks you can make to help you walk better.

“Posture walking is the practice of walking with deliberate, upright alignment…shoulders relaxed but open, head stacked directly over the spine (not leaning forward), core gently engaged, with a smooth and balanced stride,” he explains. “It’s about being mindful of how you move, not how far, how fast, or what gear you’re using.”

And there are some benefits to straightening up your stance.

Woman outdoors by a river performing a standing triceps stretch with right arm — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

1. Better digestion

“Walking with a slouched posture can compress the stomach and intestines, slowing gut motility and worsening issues like bloating, reflux and constipation,” says Richardson. He advises keeping your spine tall with your head stacked over your body, which also helps you avoid tech neck.

“Posture walking gives the gut more room to function, helping food move smoothly through the digestive tract and supporting overall digestive health,” he adds.

2. Improved breathing

“Good posture allows the diaphragm and lungs to expand fully, increasing oxygen intake,” Richardson explains. “By avoiding that diagonal neck tilt…you free up the airways, boosting stamina and reducing fatigue.” Most importantly, you can breathe better using a more expansive breath.

3. Reduced pain

“Hunched shoulders and a forward head posture put extra stress on the spine. Walking tall with the head aligned above the shoulders encourages spinal alignment, reducing the risk of aches and chronic pain,” he says.

4. Boosted energy and mood

Richardson reveals perhaps the most surprising benefit of walking with better posture, and it relates to your mood.

“Research shows posture can affect hormone levels and mood. Walking upright with shoulders back can increase confidence, lower stress and improve overall mental well-being.”

5. More efficient movement

Turns out you can be more energy-efficient by aligning your body better, according to Richardson. “An aligned body moves more smoothly, wasting less energy. Proper posture engages the core and glutes, helping you burn calories more effectively while lowering injury risk.”

Personally, I wouldn’t bank on an increase in calorie burn. It’s a number that’s hard to quantify and subjective based on a person’s physiology and a number of other factors, so I would focus more on walking efficiently and playing around with factors like cadence or terrain if you do want to increase intensity.

Why improved posture matters

Many of us spend time hunched over tech and sitting at desk jobs, myself included. The result? Over time, poor posture can become more permanent and translate over to other areas of your life, including exercise.

“If color walking is about what you see, and rucking is about what you carry, posture walking is about how you move,” Richardson says. “Its rise suggests a shift toward health-first walking, where the benefits go beyond cardio fitness and calorie burn to digestion, spine health and even mood regulation.”

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Sam Hopes is a level 3 qualified trainer, a level 2 Reiki practitioner and fitness editor at Tom's Guide. She is also currently undertaking her Yoga For Athletes training course.

Sam has written for various fitness brands and websites over the years and has experience across brands at Future, such as Live Science, Fit&Well, Coach, and T3.

Having coached at fitness studios like F45 and Virgin Active and personal trained, Sam now primarily teaches outdoor bootcamps, bodyweight, calisthenics and kettlebells.

She also coaches mobility and flexibility classes several times a week and believes that true strength comes from a holistic approach to training your body.

Sam has completed two mixed doubles Hyrox competitions in London and the Netherlands and finished her first doubles attempt in 1:11.

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