Step aside, fart walks — the new ‘phone sober’ stroll trend is taking over

Physicians have openly said that farting while walking after a meal can help to improve long-term health. But now there’s a new trend in town: the phone sober stroll.

After Women’s Health reporter Serene Madani tried a week-long experiment walking outside for an hour without her phone, the trend has started gaining popularity. She did not check her phone before embarking on her walk and left it at home, focusing on her surroundings and detaching from the ever-present technology in her life.

After one day, she started picking a color during her walks; yet another TikTok trend that encourages being present by choosing a single hue to focus on while walking, spotting as many same-color items as possible.

At the end of her experiment, Madani reported four main takeaways: feeling more present, productive, and less moody, and having quieter mornings.

Walking has long been known to benefit mental health and overall wellness. The Mayo Clinic notes that daily walks can help prevent or manage heart disease, strengthen bones and muscles, and improve cognition, mood, and memory, among other benefits.

The phone sober walk is similar to the “silent walking” TikTok trend that gained popularity in 2023, which encouraged walking without listening to music or a podcast.

Experts have long highlighted the benefits of outdoor strolls, but have also noted the importance of leaving technology at the door.

“The idea of silent walking in nature is very reminiscent of a practice in the mindfulness meditation tradition of mindful walking, or walking meditation,” Rael Cahn, PhD, MD, clinical associate professor with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, told Health.com when the silent walking trend emerged.

Cahn noted that walking sans technology can be “very powerful.”

Studies have shown that phone and technology use before falling asleep and after waking up can contribute to anxiety and depression. Leaving phones at home to tune into nature on a walk gives people a chance to decompress 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 encourages on its own, even if you haven’t learned a thing about meditation or mindfulness,” Cahn said.

While it may be uncomfortable to ditch technology at first, it does get 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 really be present,” Cahn said.