Forget 10,000 steps. The Japanese walking method is easier and faster

As fitness trends go, there’s lots to like about Japanese walking. It’s free, easy, time efficient and suits anyone unused to exercise. While walking 10,000 steps can take up to 100 minutes, the Japanese walking method takes just half an hour at a time – and the payoff could be healthier blood pressure, better cardio fitness and (maybe) better lower-body strength.

Also called interval walking, it was developed by Japanese researchers two decades ago as a way of turning walking into a workout, and is like a soft version of High Intensity Interval Training. With HIIT, you switch between bursts of high intensity movements, like sprinting, and a few minutes of slower paced exercise that let you recover. With interval walking you’re alternating three minutes of walking at a slower pace with three minutes of brisk walking at 70 per cent of your maximum heart rate.

Walk, don’t run. The Japanese walking method is accessible to almost all levels of fitness.Credit: Getty

“If you’re very unfit this could be a great way to kick-start a journey to better fitness. To someone whose fitness level is low, brisk walking is a high intensity activity,” says Dr Angelo Sabag, lecturer in exercise physiology at the University of Sydney.

There are good reasons to make a walk more intense.

“Exercising at higher intensities helps your heart pump blood more efficiently and improves how your body delivers and uses oxygen. Over time this makes everyday tasks, like walking up a hill feel easier because your body can meet the energy demands more effectively.”

Although the Japanese research originally focused more on heart health, other studies have since found that, compared with walking at a steady pace, it can improve blood glucose control for people with diabetes – at least in the short term.

“Most studies have only followed people for a few months, so it’s hard to say how effective interval walking is for long-term glucose control. It could be helpful if done regularly, but to continue seeing improvements over time, you’ll likely need to gradually increase the intensity and/or duration of exercise,” Sabag says.

Another limitation of interval walking could be its effect on leg strength – the original Japanese research suggested that it may help maintain strength in the thigh muscles.

“Walking can improve lower-body strength if you’re not used to doing exercise, but to really improve it you need regular resistance training – ideally twice a week – with exercises like squats and lunges,” he says. “If you enjoy walking but aren’t comfortable with running, and want to increase the intensity of your workouts, adding resistance training is a great option.”

Another twist on interval walking is “eccentric walking” which means including muscle-lengthening movements like lunges and up and downhill walking, adds exercise scientist Professor Ken Nosaka from Edith Cowan University.

“If you can incorporate these movements into a walk it can improve leg strength,” says Nosaka whose 2023 research with Japanese colleagues found that eight weeks of eccentric walking also improved balance and cognition in a group of older walkers. “It may look eccentric if we include lunges while going for a walk, but the more people do it and benefit from it, the less eccentric it will become.”

Does interval walking have brain benefits compared with regular walking? There’s not enough research to know – but there’s evidence that regular HIIT can, and that its effects are long-lasting. Last year, researchers at the University of Queensland found that six months of HIIT training improved brain function, including memory, in healthy 65 to 85-year-olds. Their training involved three weekly treadmill sessions switching between four minutes working at 85 to 95 per cent of their maximum heart rate with three minutes of recovery at a slower pace.

“Five years later, the improvements to cognition were still there, even though the participants hadn’t continued doing HIIT,” says Dr Daniel Blackmore, research fellow with the Queensland Brain Institute.

But if your aim is to get fitter, Sabag’s advice is to see interval walking as a stepping stone towards better fitness, rather than an end in itself.

“It’s a fantastic place to begin – but not your final destination. It’s also important to do something you like doing and that you’ll keep on doing,” he says.

How intense is your workout?

If you don’t have a device to measure your heart rate, this guide from the Better Health Channel shows you how. Or use their talk test as a rough guide:

• If you can talk and sing with no puffing, you’re exercising at a low level.
• If you can comfortably talk, but not sing, you’re doing moderate-intensity activity.
• If you can’t say more than a few words without gasping for breath, you’re exercising at a vigorous intensity.

Make the most of your health, relationships, fitness and nutrition with our Live Well newsletter. Get it in your inbox every Monday.