Forget about jogging!

A bizarre new trend has recently emerged in the city of Zhengzhou, capital of east China's Henan province, which sees fitness fanatics crawling around the park on all fours every morning.

Some participants claimed it has healed their neck and back pains, reported People's Daily Online. 

Residents on the 'morning crawl' are of different ages - from young children to elderly people.

They are seen bending their upper bodies towards the ground and moving forward on their hands and feet.

Most of them would wear gloves to keep their hands clean. 

The unusual activity attracts the attention of many onlookers in the parks, according to the report.

During the workout, residents also do light exercises for their shoulders and legs.

Many participants believe the new trend is extremely beneficial for their well-being.

Ms Wang, who crawls regularly, said: 'This way of exercise healed my spinal issues. 

'Crawling everyday around the footpath will relax you.'

Doctors believe that the unique practice originated from ancient Chinese medicine and could date back to the end of Han Dynasty (189-200AD).

Mr Sun, another enthusiastic participant, told China News the muscle tension in his neck had gone away and his blood pressure has dropped - thanks to the new way of exercising.

He added: 'We have a master here who we call teacher Duan. He has been crawling in the park for five to six years. 

'Teacher Duan is now in his 90s and he is still very healthy. We are all learning from him.'

According to Lu Peiwan, a doctor from a local hospital, the exercise could date back to the end of Han dynasty (189-200AD).

The movements were supposed to imitate of crawling motions of different animals.

Dr Lu said: 'Crawling could disperse the body weight onto the limbs. This relieves the pressure on the spin and could be extremely useful for preventing any back problems. 

'Additionally, crawling involves muscles that one would not otherwise use.'

(dailymail.co.uk)