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It seems like there’s always a new workout trend sweeping the internet. First it was the 12-3-30 treadmill routine, then my social feeds started getting flooded with reformer pilates videos, and now the Japanese walking method is having a bit of a fitness resurgence.
The exercise method—which is formally known as interval walking training (IWT)—was born out of a 2007 study by researchers at Shinshu University in Japan. But it’s caught on recently thanks to TikTok, where users have dubbed the practice Japanese walking due to its research origins.
Rather than walking at a steady pace, this form of interval walking training involves alternating three minutes of fast walking at about 70 percent of your max heart rate with three minutes of slower walking at 40 percent of your max heart rate. (If you can’t get your heart rate up to 70 percent of your max by walking, you can try jogging or running, but then it doesn’t technically count as IWT.)
As mentioned above, the Japanese walking approach comes from a 2007 study that looked at the effects of high-intensity IWT on the physical fitness and blood pressure of middle-aged and older adults. Over five months, 186 women and 60 men ages 44 to 78 either did high-intensity IWT (doing five or more sets of Japanese walking at least four days per week), moderate-intensity continuous walking training (walking for 50 percent of their peak aerobic capacity for at least 8,000 steps, four days per week), and no walking.
Before and after, they measured participants’ thigh and hamstring strength as well as their peak aerobic capacity and found that the group that did at least four 30-minute sessions of interval walking per week developed better physical fitness, had less inflammation, and were also better protected against age-related health problems like dementia and osteoarthritis.
Meet the experts: Noelle McKenzie, CPT, is an ACE-certified personal trainer and co-founder of Leading Edge Personal Trainers. Kristian Karstoft, MD, PhD, is a clinical associate professor at the Department of Clinical Medicine at the University of Copenhagen. Shizue Masuki, PhD, is a professor in the Division of NeuroHealth Innovation at Shinsu University. Joyce Shulman, CPT, is a certified personal trainer and walking coach and the author of Why Walk?.
While the original study was done almost 20 years ago, the research and reported benefits still hold up. Multiple IWT studies have been conducted since 2007, including a study in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation published in January of this year, which found that participants with diabetes and lower extremity weakness developed better walking ability and saw an improvement in health-related quality of life factors like pain and energy levels after following an IWT routine.
Japanese walking is a great way to better your cardiovascular fitness. IWT “is a simple, yet highly effective way to improve your aerobic capacity by optimizing your oxygen uptake,” says ACE-certified personal trainer and co-founder of Leading Edge Personal Trainers Noelle McKenzie, CPT. “Over time, that can lead to an increase in VO₂ max,” which is how much oxygen your body can use during intense exercise.
Ahead, experts explain the benefits of Japanese walking, how it differs from HIIT, and how to try the trend yourself.
The Benefits Of Japanese Walking
There are a lot of potential benefits of interval walking training, but the upsides you earn will depend on where you are in your fitness journey.
For example, if you’re already running multiple miles five or six times per week, taking up IWT likely won’t improve your cardiovascular or physical fitness, says Kristian Karstoft, MD, PhD, a clinical associate professor at the University of Copenhagen and an author of a 2024 review of several interval walking training studies in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. That’s because your muscles and cardiovascular system are already used to working beyond the level of intensity that fast walking intervals demand, and you probably won’t be able to achieve 70 percent of your max heart rate without breaking into a run.
If you’re in this boat, you might want to try alternating jogging with faster running intervals, going back and forth between 40 and 70 percent of your max heart rate, says Shizue Masuki, PhD, a professor in the Division of NeuroHealth Innovation at Shinsu University and one of the researchers from the original study. Just keep in mind that the benefits of this approach haven’t been formally studied the way that IWT has.
On the other end of the spectrum, if you rarely exercise or mostly do low-intensity workouts that don’t elevate your heart rate much, you may reap these benefits:
Improved Cardiovascular Health
In the 2007 study, Masuki’s Shinshu University team found that participants who used the Japanese walking method for 30 minutes or more per day at least four times a week increased their peak aerobic capacity for walking by 9 percent after five months.
Stronger Leg Muscles
The same study found that Japanese walking increased participants’ thigh and hamstring strength by 13 percent and 17 percent, respectively. These stats are especially impressive considering that participants in the moderate-intensity continuous walking training group saw little to no improvements in their leg strength. In fact, their strength measurements were similar to the group who didn’t walk at all.
Lower Blood Pressure
The Shinshu University researchers reported that participants who tried the Japanese walking method experienced a decrease in blood pressure. This is because IWT increases physical fitness and suppresses genes associated with inflammation—which is linked to high blood pressure, Masuki explains. Plus, as your heart works out harder over time, your blood pressure can decrease, per the Cleveland Clinic.
Reduced Risk Of Lifestyle-Related Diseases (LSDs)
Regular interval walking training has also been shown to reduce the risk of lifestyle-related diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. A 2019 study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings found that participants who did 30 minutes of IWT at least four times per week for five months reduced their “LSD score,” which was based on factors like blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), blood glucose, and cholesterol, by an average of 17 percent.
Increased Calorie Burn
Interval training burns more calories than steady-state cardio, where you’re working out at the same intensity for the whole workout, explains certified personal trainer and walking coach Joyce Shulman, CPT, the author of Why Walk?. That’s because you’re pushing your body harder and expending more energy. Plus, interval training creates something called the afterburn effect, where you continue to burn calories even after you’re done exercising as your body works to get your oxygen levels back to normal for recovery. So if you’re looking to burn the most calories possible on your next walk, the Japanese walking method is worth a try.
Better Mood
All forms of walking can provide mental health benefits. When you walk, your body releases mood-boosting hormones including endorphins, oxytocin, and dopamine, says Shulman. So beyond the long-term health benefits, engaging in interval walking training also has the potential to start making you feel better mentally right away.
It’s worth noting that while the majority of studies on interval walking training are based on doing it at least four times per week for at least 30 minutes, you can still see health benefits from starting out smaller. In fact, only 10 to 20 minutes of IWT per session at least four times a week still has the potential to improve your wellbeing, says Masuki.
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Japanese Walking Vs. HIIT
Japanese walking and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) are similar—they both involve alternating intensity levels throughout your workout. However, HIIT is usually more intense.
While Japanese walking involves alternating between three minutes of higher effort and lower effort, HIIT usually involves alternating 30 to 60 seconds of high-intensity work with 30 to 60 seconds of rest or light exercise, explains McKenzie. Plus, while HIIT can be done entirely through walking, it typically involves more strenuous moves like burpees, jumping jacks, or jump squats for the high-intensity periods.
“[HIIT] can be more stressful on the body, demanding more recovery time in between workouts,” McKenzie says. Since you’re doing a 30-second burst of hard work every 30 to 60 seconds, your heart, muscles and lungs are being pushed to their limits. That higher intensity means that you might not be able to sustain a HIIT workout for 30-plus minutes like the experts recommend for Japanese walking. HIIT is best for people who are already at an intermediate or advanced fitness level, she adds.
Japanese walking, on the other hand, is good for workout newbies, or those who are looking to get into a consistent exercise routine because it’s lower-impact and lower-intensity, says McKenzie. It’s also relatively gentle on the joints, making it a good option for anyone who’s nervous about potential injuries.
How To Try Japanese Walking
Start small with two to three 30-minute sessions per week, McKenzie says. It might also help to tack it onto activities that you already do—like walking the dog or running errands. Then, you can build up to four or more 30-minute sessions per week to see the most health benefits. (Technically, you can do IWT every day if you want, but once you hit 50 minutes of fast intervals per week, you won’t see many additional fitness and health benefits beyond that, says Masuki.) If a 30-minute session sounds daunting, you can break your walking into three 10-minute sessions per day instead, she adds.
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Use numbers, like heart rate max.
In terms of the walking intervals themselves, there are a few different ways to make sure you’re alternating between the recommended intensities. If you want to get exact, you can calculate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220. Once you have that number, multiply it by.4 and.7 to determine your heart rate during the 40 and 70 percent efforts, says McKenzie. Then, you can use a fitness tracker or heart rate monitor to make sure you’re staying around those numbers during each interval.
Go by feel.
If you don’t have a way to track your heart rate, you can also rely on your rate of perceived exertion (RPE). Think about how you feel on a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being almost no effort, and 10 being an all-out, exhausting effort. As you’re using the Japanese walking method, the slower intervals should feel like a 4 out of 10 effort, while the faster intervals should feel like a 7 out of 10 effort. Another way to tell that you’re doing it right is that at 40 percent of your max capacity, you should be able to easily hold a conversation for a long time. And at 70 percent effort, you should still be able to talk, but feel a little out of breath, says McKenzie.
Regardless of the exact approach you take, Japanese walking is one TikTok wellness trend that’s actually worth adding to your routine. After all, the science speaks for itself.
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