Yes, there\u2019s far too much confusion<\/a> surrounding walking<\/a> and running<\/a> in terms of fitness<\/a>. But it doesn\u2019t have to be this way. Working out using your own two feet does not need to resemble an excellent Avril Lavigne song<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enter: Japanese Walking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also known as Interval Walking Training (IWT), it\u2019s a straightforward yet highly effective fitness technique that incorporates interval training methods used by professional athletes. So, it\u2019s no surprise that once TikTok caught wind of this simple, low-impact, 30-minute workout (and discovered it works!), Japanese Walking went viral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fitness influencers<\/a> and news outlets<\/a> 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<\/a>) 10,000 steps a day challenge<\/a> or the \u201c12-3-30\u201d treadmill trend<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ready to find out what all the buzz is about Japanese walking? Let\u2019s dive in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the early 2000s, a team of researchers at Shinshu University<\/a> in Nagano, Japan, found themselves grappling with a head-scratching dilemma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Japan\u2019s population is consistently ranked as one of the world\u2019s oldest<\/a>. In 2023, it was reported that nearly a third of Japan\u2019s population<\/a> had already hit 65 years old (an estimated 36.23 million people\u2014approximately the population size of Ghana), with one in every 10 people being 80 years or older.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019s new best friend. They wanted to discover a highly effective walking routine for middle-aged and older adults<\/a> that would help improve their physical and cardiometabolic health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Early trials in Japan showed promising results. In Nose and Masuki\u2019s landmark 2007 study<\/a>, 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<\/a>: 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What a perfect ending, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If only.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo one completed the program, and they complained that the program was too boring and too difficult,\u201d revealed<\/a> Shizue Masuki.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rather than give up when participants found their fitness program boring, Nose and Masuki\u2019s research team turned to a popular training<\/a> 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\u2019s efficient (you can achieve more results in less time) and prevents boredom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, if you\u2019re doing jump squats for a few minutes, then burpees and mountain climbers, or shuttle runs and bicycle crunches, repeatedly, it\u2019s pretty challenging to get bored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s a certain symmetrical beauty to interval walking training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rather than maintaining a quick, steady pace, ITW devotees alternate between three-minute bursts<\/a> 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\u2019s it! You\u2019re done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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<\/a>. Then, during the more relaxed intervals, your heart rate should reduce to 40-50% of your maximum heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re unsure about your heart rate, consider investing in a heart rate monitor<\/a>. This one doesn\u2019t need bells and whistles; make sure that it has a stopwatch and the ability to set a target rate with an alarm<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your body craves challenge, but it also needs recovery. Japanese interval walking gives you both. During those high-intensity bursts, you\u2019re creating what cardiovascular expert Dr. Mir Ali calls \u201chealthy stress\u201d on your heart and muscles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen you increase your intensity of walking or other exercise that raises your heart rate, it\u2019s helpful to cardiovascular health and increases aerobic capacity,\u201d said Mir Ali, general and bariatric surgeon. \u201cOnce you\u2019re settled down from that increase, over time, your blood pressure improves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The story behind Japanese Walking<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What makes Japanese Interval Walking so special?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"outdoors,](\"https:\/\/www.upworthy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/08\/origin-180.png?w=1200&quality=80\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhy this actually works\u2014while other walking exercise plans fail<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n