Back it up

Bored with your plain old running routine? Switch gears into reverse. A study in South Africa had fit women between 18- and 23-years-old run or walk backwards for six weeks. After just 18 45-minute sessions, their body fat dropped by an average of 3 percent. The unnatural motion gives your muscles a completely foreign workout, working them in new (and unusual) ways. Make sure to try it on the treadmill so you don’t run into anything!