When did working out become so…complicated? Pricey gym memberships, workout systems that take up precious space in the garage, and don’t even get me started on finding the “right” running shoe for your feet (if such a thing even exists).
Yes, there’s far too much confusion surrounding walking and running in terms of fitness. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Working out using your own two feet does not need to resemble an excellent Avril Lavigne song.
Enter: Japanese Walking.
Also known as Interval Walking Training (IWT), it’s a straightforward yet highly effective fitness technique that incorporates interval training methods used by professional athletes. So, it’s no surprise that once TikTok caught wind of this simple, low-impact, 30-minute workout (and discovered it works!), Japanese Walking went viral.
Fitness influencers and news outlets alike heralded Japanese Walking as the real deal: a science-backed, lab-tested alternative to high-intensity sweat sessions that also works better than those flashy, fleeting fitness fads, like the (now debunked) 10,000 steps a day challenge or the “12-3-30” treadmill trend.
Ready to find out what all the buzz is about Japanese walking? Let’s dive in.
The story behind Japanese Walking
In the early 2000s, a team of researchers at Shinshu University in Nagano, Japan, found themselves grappling with a head-scratching dilemma.
Japan’s population is consistently ranked as one of the world’s oldest. In 2023, it was reported that nearly a third of Japan’s population had already hit 65 years old (an estimated 36.23 million people—approximately the population size of Ghana), with one in every 10 people being 80 years or older.
In the study conducted at Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, exercise physiologist Hiroshi Nose and his collaborator Shizue Masuki led a research group on a quest. The goal? To make walking an aging person’s new best friend. They wanted to discover a highly effective walking routine for middle-aged and older adults that would help improve their physical and cardiometabolic health.
Early trials in Japan showed promising results. In Nose and Masuki’s landmark 2007 study, they observed the physical fitness and blood pressure of 246 participants between the ages of 44 and 78 for five months. The results confirmed their suspicions: that those who followed the IWT program showed greater improvements in strength, endurance, blood pressure, and aerobic capacity, compared to moderate, steady-paced walking or those in the no walking regimen.
In older adults, these benefits increased even further, with significant increases to thigh muscle strength (up to 17%) and a reduction in systolic blood pressure.
What a perfect ending, right?
If only.
“No one completed the program, and they complained that the program was too boring and too difficult,” revealed Shizue Masuki.
Rather than give up when participants found their fitness program boring, Nose and Masuki’s research team turned to a popular training method sworn by in the professional sports world: interval training. This type of training is beloved by runners, cyclists, and others who want to increase their speed, agility, endurance, and/or muscle power. It’s efficient (you can achieve more results in less time) and prevents boredom.
For example, if you’re doing jump squats for a few minutes, then burpees and mountain climbers, or shuttle runs and bicycle crunches, repeatedly, it’s pretty challenging to get bored.
What makes Japanese Interval Walking so special?
There’s a certain symmetrical beauty to interval walking training.
Rather than maintaining a quick, steady pace, ITW devotees alternate between three-minute bursts of fast, energetic walking and three-minute intervals of slow recovery periods. Alternate between the two speeds for a total of five rounds, or 30 minutes, and that’s it! You’re done.
Two people walking outside. Photo credit: Canva
For those who want to get technical, during the speedy portion, Nose and Masuki recommend trying to hit 70-85% of your maximum heart rate. Then, during the more relaxed intervals, your heart rate should reduce to 40-50% of your maximum heart rate.
If you’re unsure about your heart rate, consider investing in a heart rate monitor. This one doesn’t need bells and whistles; make sure that it has a stopwatch and the ability to set a target rate with an alarm.
Why this actually works—while other walking exercise plans fail
Your body craves challenge, but it also needs recovery. Japanese interval walking gives you both. During those high-intensity bursts, you’re creating what cardiovascular expert Dr. Mir Ali calls “healthy stress” on your heart and muscles.
“When you increase your intensity of walking or other exercise that raises your heart rate, it’s helpful to cardiovascular health and increases aerobic capacity,” said Mir Ali, general and bariatric surgeon. “Once you’re settled down from that increase, over time, your blood pressure improves.”
The benefits don’t just stop there. Nose and Masuki’s studies also show positive effects on sleep, cognitive function, and depression. Imagine being able to sleep better, think more clearly, and feel happier, all from a simple 30-minute walk. That’s the power of Japanese Walking.
– YouTube www.youtube.com
In a world where fitness increasingly feels expensive and complicated, people want something real and accessible. Japanese Walking connects with so many people because it works—it’s not a fad or a viral moment. Interval walking training was developed in a lab to scientifically strengthen the bones and bodies of Japan’s growing elderly population, and by doing so, offered a rare gift to the rest of the world: a path to fitness that’s not just effective, but also efficient, and. most importantly, sustainable.
Oh, and it’s accessible! You already possess everything you need to succeed in Walking Interval Training. You, a pair of shoes, and 30 minutes to spare, preferably outdoors.