18-07-2025
The Japanese Walking Method Boosts Fat Loss and Heart Health—Here's How to Get Started
The Japanese Walking Method Boosts Fat Loss and Heart Health—Here's How to Get Started originally appeared on Men's Fitness.
As much as you might love lifting heavy at the gym, walking is one of the most underrated formsof exercise out there. This activity punches above its weight when it comes to boosting heart health, strengthening muscles and bones, and reducing your risk of conditions like stroke, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
But admittedly, walking can get a little boring. That's where the Japanese Walking Method (sometimes called interval walking training) comes in, a fitness trend that's recently gained traction on social media platforms like Instagram and Tiktok.
But is this workout method simply a passing fad—or does it actually have legs? (Pun intended.) To find out, we looked at the research behind it and chatted with Ian Groves, a certified personal trainer and managing director of Training Station.
What Is the Japanese Walking Method?
Created by Japanese professor Hiroshi Nose, the Japanese Walking Method is a 30-minute high-intensity walking workout where you do three minutes of fast walking (about 70 percent of your peak aerobic capacity), then switch to three minutes of slow walking (about 40 percent of your peak aerobic capacity). You keep repeating these intervals for the full 30 minutes.
While this walking method has recently gone viral on social media, Nose's original research was published in 2007 in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. In this study, he and co-authors recommend doing this type of interval walking five days a week.
What Are Its Benefits?
Compared to regular walking, the Japanese Walking Method can offer a few extra benefits, according to Groves, like better cardiovascular fitness, lower blood pressure, improved muscle strength, better functional fitness, and even changes in body composition.
Science backs this up: In the Mayo Clinic Proceedings study, the participants who adhered to the Japanese Walking Method (as opposed to lower-intensity continuous walking) saw reductions in blood pressure and body weight and improvements in leg strength and aerobic capacity (where your body is using as much oxygen as it can, as efficiently as it can, during exercise).
Newer research, like a 2018 study in The FASEB Journaland a 2024 review in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolismsupport the above findings and also show that the Japanese Walking Method can also improve blood sugar levels and protect against age-related declines in physical fitness in older adults.
'If you're not doing much exercise at all, even traditional walking will give you some of these benefits to start with,' Groves says. 'But if you've been walking regularly for a while, you might hit a bit of a plateau. That's where the Japanese Walking Method can help.' Switching up your pacing keeps your body guessing, improves your heart health, and ultimately gives you more bang for your buck, he adds. Plus, it's low-impact and doesn't require any equipment, so almost anyone can give it a try.
Who Is It Best For?
The Japanese Walking Method is perfect for beginners, older adults, or anyone getting back into exercise after a break, according to Groves. 'From my experience as a personal trainer, I've also seen that some people just don't enjoy being in a gym environment, and this method is ideal for them. It gets you moving, builds fitness, and can be done anywhere,' he says.
On the flip side, if you're recovering from an injury or dealing with serious joint pain, the Japanese Walking Method might be a bit too intense for you, and steady walking could be a better fit, Groves explains.
Additionally, if you're already lifting heavy or training hard in the gym five or six days a week, this workout probably won't challenge you much. 'It's just not intense enough to make a big difference at that level,' Groves says.
Tips for Getting Started
You don't have to jump straight into 30 minutes of walking if you're not ready, and there's no need to start with strict intervals like three minutes fast, three minutes slow, according to Groves.
'Take it at your own pace—even alternating one minute of slow walking with one minute of faster walking is a great place to start,' he says.
Another pacing pointer Groves recommends: Don't go too hard on the fast intervals and burn yourself out early. If you do that, you'll likely struggle to finish the full 30 minutes, he says.
Groves also recommends keeping an exercise diary or using an app to track your progress. 'It's a great way to stay motivated and see how far you've come,' he says.
Finally, if you feel like you can't continue during a session, stop, rest, and try again next time. 'It's all about building consistency, not perfection,' Groves says.
The Bottom Line
The Japanese Walking Method is simple, effective, and doable for most people. You don't need a gym membership, any fancy equipment, or hours of free time to get a solid workout in.
'You head out for 30 minutes, do five rounds of walking, and by the end, you feel like you've achieved something,' Groves says. 'And once people start seeing results from the Japanese Walking Method—which they will if they stick with it—they tend to keep coming back to it.'The Japanese Walking Method Boosts Fat Loss and Heart Health—Here's How to Get Started first appeared on Men's Fitness on Jul 16, 2025
This story was originally reported by Men's Fitness on Jul 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
Solve the daily Crossword
