Nearly two decades ago, scientists in Japan created a simple routine called “interval walking training,” later popularized as “Japanese walking.” Research has shown this method can boost aerobic capacity (VO2max), reduce blood pressure, and improve blood sugar control.
How to try Japanese walking:
- Fast walk for three minutes (around 70 % of your maximum aerobic effort)
- Slow walk for three minutes (about 40 % of your maximum aerobic effort)
- Continue the cycle until you reach a total of 30 minutes per session
A study involving over 200 adults—average age 63—demonstrated that interval walking increased blood pressure stability, thigh muscle strength, and peak aerobic capacity.
“Interval walking is one of the most overlooked yet highly effective tools for long‑term health, especially for middle‑aged and older adults,” said Dr. Ramit Singh Sambyal, a general practitioner at Metro Hospitals in South Delhi, India, who focuses on preventive and lifestyle medicine.
While ordinary walking can provide benefits, the effects often plateau. “Interval walking changes the equation,” Sambyal explained. “By alternating short periods of brisk walking with slower recovery, the cardiovascular system is challenged in a dynamic way.”
He added that interval walking is easy to adopt, needs no special equipment or gym access, and “pushes the body just enough to trigger metabolic change.”
Sambyal indicated the best candidates for this practice include people who:
- Find regular walking routines boring or unchallenging
- Have mild joint problems and can’t tolerate high‑impact activities
- Seek to reverse early metabolic syndrome or insulin resistance
- Want to lose weight but struggle to find time or motivation for the gym
Interval walking can raise the relative intensity of walking while sparing the joints, muscles, and tendons of the lower body.
“This strategy works well for individuals who can’t handle running or hiking due to injury, weakness, or balance concerns,” said Kevin McGuinness, a physical therapist at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C.
McGuinness noted that the study used three‑minute intervals because the older participants became exhausted beyond that point. “There isn’t anything magical about the three‑minute length; it’s simply the most commonly studied protocol,” he said.
“You’ll still see benefits with shorter intervals if you can’t start with three minutes,” McGuinness added. “Starting with a normal walking span of, say, three minutes followed by one minute of brisk walking and gradually extending the brisk phases as fitness improves is a sensible approach.”
Beyond physical gains, interval walking may also improve mental well‑being. Anahita Kalianivala, PhD, a clinical psychologist in Reno, Nevada, observed that some clients feel frustrated when they can no longer engage in the activities they once enjoyed or experience sudden fatigue afterward.
“Approaches like interval walking can help the nervous system relearn how to tolerate activity,” Kalianivala said. She explained that time‑based activity pacing—commonly used in cognitive behavioral therapy for chronic pain—involves stopping before exhaustion, entering recovery mode, and then initiating another planned activity interval. “This structure associates activity with safety rather than danger or crash.”
If you’re interested in Japanese walking, consider beginning with shorter brisk bursts than the original three‑minute intervals to ease into the routine.
Olabisi Badmus, MD, MPH, affiliate assistant professor of family and preventive medicine at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, recommends setting “attainable goals.” He often starts patients with five to eight minutes of comfortable pacing followed by 30 seconds of brisk walking, repeated over a 30‑minute session.
“Patients can gradually build confidence, self‑efficacy, and momentum toward long‑term behavior change,” Badmus said.
Japanese interval walking offers a simple, low‑impact method to enhance cardiovascular and metabolic health, especially for older adults or those recovering from injury. Exact adherence to the original three‑minute intervals isn’t necessary—shorter brisk walking bursts can still deliver impressive results.