The technique is based on alternating walking speeds (Image: Alamy/PA)
The fitness industry is never short of trends, with new workouts and wellness challenges regularly taking off online. From exercise snacking and vibration plates to the 75 Hard Challenge, social media is constantly serving up the next big thing. The latest routine gaining attention from fitness influencers is the Japanese walking method — but what does it actually involve, and could it be worth adding to your routine?
To find out, Steve Chambers, a certified personal trainer and gym manager at Ultimate Performance, explained how the walking workout is structured, as well as the benefits it may offer and the points to keep in mind before trying it.
What is the Japanese walking method?
Chambers describes the Japanese walking method as a form of cardiovascular training, but one with more structure than simply heading out to increase your daily step count. Also known as Interval Walking Training, or IWT, the approach is built around planned changes in pace.
The method typically means walking for three minutes at an easier, more comfortable speed, then switching to three minutes of brisker, more intentional walking. That pattern is repeated for about 30 minutes. According to Chambers, the value of the workout comes less from the total number of steps and more from the repeated shifts in intensity across the session.
Before starting, Chambers recommends doing a warm-up. He also says the Japanese walking method can be guided by the RPE scale — the Rating of Perceived Exertion — which runs from one to 10 and helps people judge how hard they are working. During the slower three-minute intervals, he suggests keeping effort at the lower end, no higher than around five out of 10. At that pace, you should still be able to hold a conversation if you are walking with someone else.
The faster intervals should feel noticeably more challenging. Chambers advises aiming for about seven or eight out of 10 on the effort scale — hard enough to raise your heart rate significantly, but not so intense that you cannot repeat the cycle several times during the half-hour walk.
Fitness influencers have been recommending the walking workout online (Image: Alamy/PA)
What are the advantages?
Needs minimal kit
“You can do it either on a treadmill or outdoors on foot,” says Chambers. “All you need is a stopwatch or a phone to help time the three-minute cycles.”
“This training method is accessible to lots of different types of people, including those who are brand new to training and don’t know where to start,” says Chambers. “The entry level for it is really low because your seven out of 10 versus somebody else’s will be completely different, so it’s accessible for different fitness levels.”
“Running has a high impact on your joints when your feet hit the floor. However, the surface impact of walking is a lot lower, so this walking method of training is much more friendly on the joints,” says Chambers. “Therefore, from a longevity perspective and an injury prevention perspective, this is a massive win.”
The benefits and drawbacks have been discussed (Image: Alamy/PA)
Works numerous different muscles
“All the lower body muscles – such as your glute muscles, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calf muscles – are engaged during this interval walking method,” the personal trainer explains. “Even the smaller muscles, ligaments and tendons in and around the feet will all be working while you walk.”
He notes that walking also naturally activates both your core and your arms.
Boosts cardiovascular fitness
“During the faster intervals, you heart will be working a little bit harder and will be pumping more blood around the body, which will improve your cardiovascular fitness,” Chambers states.
“I would recommend asking a friend or family member to join you, as it can be a great opportunity to catch up with somebody,” Chambers suggests. “Sharing this journey can help boost enjoyment and motivation, which makes people more likely to keep going and do it more regularly.”
“Everyone is so busy these days, so if you haven’t got a lot of time in your diary for training, you can just do this in a half an hour slot that you have spare,” Chambers explains. “So, this is a really time-efficient training method which is another big win.”
Are there any limitations of this method to consider?
“One drawback is that there’s a limit of how much muscle growth, definition and strength that somebody could get out of following this walking training method,” Chambers warns. “This is because although the muscles are working whilst you are walking, there isn’t that external load that needs to be there to further increase strength levels and improve muscle definition. Therefore, I would recommend doing it in conjunction with other forms of training such as resistance training.”
He also stresses the importance of approaching every fitness trend circulating on social media with a healthy degree of scepticism.
“I’ve seen many fitness trends come and go over the years, and while some are gems, some have no research to back them,” says Chambers. “So, if you see a fitness trend on social media I would recommend doing your own research and it might be worth consulting a personal trainer too to see if they know anything about it.”
