This Japanese walking technique improves health and prevents disease

People often clock thousands of steps a day yet still wonder why the scale or their blood pressure hardly budges. A simple twist on walking, first tested in Japan, may be the missing ingredient.

This “Japanese walking” exercise methodology, called interval walking training (IWT), swaps steady strolling for bursts of brisk movement, then recovery‑paced steps.

Cardiometabolic researcher Kristian Karstoft of the University of Copenhagen’s Center for Healthy Aging has spent more than a decade tracking its effects.

Why pace changes matter

Most walkers cruise at one comfortable speed and never raise their heart rate high enough to stimulate deeper adaptations.

Switching between fast and slow bouts nudges the body to use oxygen more efficiently, a trait measured by VO2peak.

That oxygen boost drives down resting blood pressure and encourages muscles to burn more sugar for fuel. It also keeps a session feeling manageable because the recovery intervals prevent the distress that can accompany continuous hard effort.

Regular shifts in speed even appear to sharpen insulin action, regulating blood sugar swings that set the stage for diabetes.

Scientists call that improvement better glycemic control, a term describing how tightly the body keeps glucose within a healthy range.

How “Japanese walking” works

Japanese physiologists outline a straightforward walking recipe, alternating three minutes at roughly seventy percent of personal maximum effort with three minutes around forty percent. Completing five of these cycles takes about half an hour.

“Additionally, interval walking training is a great way to meet the recommended 150 minutes a week of moderate‑intensity aerobic activity,” noted Sarah F. Eby, the sports medicine specialist at Mass General Brigham and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School.

That schedule, performed on at least five days each week, fits neatly into current public‑health advice to accumulate one hundred fifty minutes of moderate exercise. 

A simple watch or phone app can cue the switches, though early Japanese volunteers used a waist‑worn beeper nicknamed JD Mate. Supportive shoes and a safe sidewalk are the only other requirements.

Proof in older adults

In a seminal five‑month experiment involving adults averaging sixty‑three years old, IWT raised VO2peak ten percent and drove systolic pressure down nine millimeters of mercury compared with either continuous walking or no exercise.

Knee strength climbed as much as seventeen percent, a critical buffer against falls. Body mass index dipped and fasting glucose improved within weeks, suggesting metabolic changes arrive quickly.

What surprised the investigators most was adherence. Ninety‑five percent of more than eight hundred participants kept the habit for the full study window.

Those who logged at least four sessions a week enjoyed the biggest gains, reinforcing the idea that consistency outranks intensity.

The pattern held over nearly two years, although adherence slipped for volunteers starting with higher waistlines.

Benefits of IWT Japanese walking

A Danish trial later pitted IWT against energy‑matched continuous walking in adults living with type 2 diabetes.

Only the interval group shrank abdominal fat and cut twenty‑four‑hour glucose fluctuations, despite similar caloric burn.

“Compared to energy‑expenditure and time‑duration matched continuous walking training, IWT is superior for improving physical fitness, body composition, and glycemic control in individuals with type 2 diabetes,” stated Karstoft.

Follow‑up mechanistic work pointed toward enhanced glucose effectiveness, meaning muscles absorbed sugar without extra insulin. 

Safety and sticking with it

Because walking remains fully aerobic, lactate rarely spikes and the risk of cardiac complications stays low. No serious adverse events surfaced across dozens of trials, even among recent joint‑replacement patients cleared by their surgeons.

Digital prompts can help sustain motivation once novelty fades. Yet data from a Danish smartphone roll‑out show that unsupervised users averaged only nine minutes of fast walking per week after a year, underscoring the value of social or clinical follow‑up.

Coaching, group strolls, or gamified leaderboards may lift engagement, particularly for people carrying extra weight.

Researchers are testing whether regular phone calls paired with step‑count feedback can duplicate laboratory adherence in the real world.

Getting started today

Consult your clinician if you have chronic conditions, then pick a flat route and set a timer for thirty minutes. Begin with one minute brisk, one minute relaxed for fifteen cycles, or even shorter bursts until comfort builds.

“Studies specifically looking at the benefits of interval walking training have found improved physical fitness, muscle strength, and glycemic control,” said Eby.

She advises ramping up gradually so each brisk interval still allows a short phrase before breath runs out.

Track sessions on a calendar; seeing streaks grow is strangely satisfying. Celebrate milestones such as a lower belt notch or an easier climb up the porch steps.

A final word for anyone who thinks walking is too gentle to matter, remember that pace, not mileage, drives adaptation.

The Japanese approach proves that swapping a few calm blocks for a confident stride can steer health markers in the right direction long before you break into a jog.

The study is published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism.

—–

Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates. 

Check us out on EarthSnap, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

—–