Latest news with #intervalwalking
CNET
3 days ago
- Health
- CNET
With Trends Like 'Japanese Walking,' Is Walking Actually Exercise? We Asked Personal Trainers
You've heard of "hot girl walks," but what about "Japanese walking"? It's also known as interval walking training, and The Washington Post reports that even though this technique is now going viral on TikTok, Japanese walking came about after a 2007, Japan-based study concluded that high-intensity interval walking training may help protect against age-related decreases in muscle strength and peak oxygen uptake as well as increases in blood pressure. A more recent, July 2025 study found that prefrail and frail older adults who increased their walking cadence by 14 steps per minute had a 10% increase in the odds of improvement during a 6-minute walk test, which represents an advancement in mobility, function or endurance. With these positive study outcomes, you may be wondering: Does walking count as exercise? To find out, we asked personal trainers. Is walking exercise? Yes, walking is exercise, and experts across physical and mental health disciplines agree. Sergii Putsov, a certified personal trainer with a PhD in sports science, says, "Walking for just 30 minutes every day can lower your risk of severe cardiovascular disease and dementia." April Crowe, a licensed clinical social worker at Paramount Wellness Retreat, adds that "walking in natural environments also boosts cognitive function and creativity, thereby providing a unique kind of therapy." Does walking do more than build your heart's strength? As it turns out, yes. The Mayo Clinic has identified additional health benefits of walking. According to the medical center, walking can improve muscle endurance, boost energy, lower blood pressure, strengthen bones and support the immune system. You can see benefits both outdoors and on a treadmill. Walking alone can also change the shape of your body. In 2017, the Journal of Physical Activity and Health did a meta-analysis of 22 clinical trials related to walking and health. The results revealed that brisk walking reduced waist circumference, fat mass and body fat percentage to a "clinically significant" degree in men and women under age 50 living with obesity. It can also lead to overall weight loss. So, that "hot girl walk" you take could cause noticeable changes to your body if you stick to it. Is walking enough exercise on its own? Walking can certainly be combined with other activities as part of a circuit. You can also walk as a warm-up for jogging or cycling. Walking on its own can deliver results and may have fewer negative impacts on your body than other high-impact sports. Gregor Parella, also a CPT, says of walking for walking's sake: "It is much better than jogging because jogging can put undue pressure on your ankles, especially if you're heavily built. On the other hand, brisk walking is one of the best exercises because it tones up your leg and calf muscles without the same pressure on joints. Even walking at a slow pace is better than being stationary at home, but a faster pace will also hasten the health benefits. A 2019 study in Atherosclerosis found that "walking pace was inversely associated with the risk of death and development of cardiovascular disease" in male physicians with an average age of 67.8. In other words, the faster you walk, the lower your risk of death and cardiovascular disease. Regarding how long you should walk, the US Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week, or 30 minutes a day for five days, for substantial health benefits. This can include walking briskly at 2.5 mph to 4 mph. Walking at a slow or leisurely pace (2 mph or less) is considered a light-intensity activity, which is likely to produce some health benefits compared to sedentary behavior, but not as many benefits as walking health benefits of walking There are many health benefits to walking. Not only can the activity lower cortisol levels, like all forms of exercise, and give you some fresh air, but you may see various tangible improvements in the following health indicators: Better sleep. Low-impact physical activity can lead to more fitful sleep. One small 2020 study published in Sleep Health found that increasing daily steps led to better quality sleep, especially among women. Low-impact physical activity can lead to more fitful sleep. One small 2020 study published in Sleep Health found that increasing daily steps led to better quality sleep, especially among women. Lower risk of type 2 diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, walking at least 30 minutes per day could help you stave off type 2 diabetes. Increasing your daily step count may keep your glucose levels in check. According to the American Diabetes Association, walking at least 30 minutes per day could help you stave off type 2 diabetes. Increasing your daily step count may keep your glucose levels in check. Lower blood pressure. A 2022 study from the American Family Physician reported that a regular walking schedule with moderate intensity can lower systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and heart rate. A 2022 study from the American Family Physician reported that a regular walking schedule with moderate intensity can lower systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and heart rate. Improved balance. Remaining steady on your feet is increasingly important for your health as you age. Harvard Health Publishing states that walking builds lower body strength, which improves balance. Remaining steady on your feet is increasingly important for your health as you age. Harvard Health Publishing states that walking builds lower body strength, which improves balance. Lower risk of cancer. Walking may even reduce your risk of some cancers. A 2013 study out of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention found that postmenopausal women who walked at least seven hours per week had a 14% lower risk of getting breast cancer than women who walked three hours or less every week. Ways to take your walking to the next level If you hit a plateau with your walking routine, you can add some intensity to your walk without having to jog or switch activities. Making your walk more rigorous could increase the number of calories burned by giving your body a new challenge. Ways to up the ante on your daily walk include: Increase the time of your walk. If you're currently walking 30 minutes a day, add more time in 10- or 15-minute intervals. Putsov recommends walking at least 45 minutes a day if your goal is weight loss. If you're currently walking 30 minutes a day, add more time in 10- or 15-minute intervals. Putsov recommends walking at least 45 minutes a day if your goal is weight loss. Increase your speed. You can also add more intensity by picking up speed. Free fitness workout apps with GPS enabled, including Nike Run Club, can help you track distance and time to calculate your pace. You can also add more intensity by picking up speed. Free fitness workout apps with GPS enabled, including Nike Run Club, can help you track distance and time to calculate your pace. Wear wrist or ankle weights. Tying on weights like Bala Bangles Tying on weights like Alternate your pace. Both CPTs we spoke to recommended walking intervals to make walking more challenging. Try walking for five minutes at a regular pace, then five minutes of speed walking, and so on. Both CPTs we spoke to recommended walking intervals to make walking more challenging. Try walking for five minutes at a regular pace, then five minutes of speed walking, and so on. Add an incline to your route. Are you walking on a flat surface for most of your route? Find a hill to increase the difficulty of your trek. You may also want to add retro-walking (walking backward) up an incline. Getty Images How to stay motivated while walking It's easy to get excited about a new workout routine initially, and it's just as natural to get bored or frustrated when you stop seeing major results. You may find music and podcasts helpful because they make time appear to pass more quickly. Just make sure that these sounds are background noise so that you can still be aware of your environment and those around you. Crowe also recommends setting clear, achievable goals. She says it can help to remind yourself about how far you've come, explaining, "Recording all achievements made during walks, whether through mobile apps or personal journals, will act as a reminder," which can push you harder next time. If going it alone is making it harder to stay on track, try walking with a partner or seeing if there is a walking club in your area. Parella says a walking buddy can increase your sense of accountability and make the experience more fun. You may also try new scenery to stay motivated during a walk. Getting some sun will increase your vitamin D intake, which may improve your mood. Walking safety tips Before you hit the sidewalk on your daily walk or hot girl walk, be sure you're well-equipped for the task. While a neighborhood or lakeside stroll may seem harmless, you still want to set yourself up for a safe return.
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Do This 10-Minute Walking Workout 3 Times A Week For Better Cardiovascular Health
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." It seems like there's always a new workout trend sweeping the internet. First it was the 12-3-30 treadmill routine, then my social feeds started getting flooded with reformer pilates videos, and now the Japanese walking method is having a bit of a fitness resurgence. The exercise method—which is formally known as interval walking training (IWT)—was born out of a 2007 study by researchers at Shinshu University in Japan. But it's caught on recently thanks to TikTok, where users have dubbed the practice Japanese walking due to its research origins. Rather than walking at a steady pace, this form of interval walking training involves alternating three minutes of fast walking at about 70 percent of your max heart rate with three minutes of slower walking at 40 percent of your max heart rate. (If you can't get your heart rate up to 70 percent of your max by walking, you can try jogging or running, but then it doesn't technically count as IWT.) As mentioned above, the Japanese walking approach comes from a 2007 study that looked at the effects of high-intensity IWT on the physical fitness and blood pressure of middle-aged and older adults. Over five months, 186 women and 60 men ages 44 to 78 either did high-intensity IWT (doing five or more sets of Japanese walking at least four days per week), moderate-intensity continuous walking training (walking for 50 percent of their peak aerobic capacity for at least 8,000 steps, four days per week), and no walking. Before and after, they measured participants' thigh and hamstring strength as well as their peak aerobic capacity and found that the group that did at least four 30-minute sessions of interval walking per week developed better physical fitness, had less inflammation, and were also better protected against age-related health problems like dementia and osteoarthritis. Meet the experts: Noelle McKenzie, CPT, is an ACE-certified personal trainer and co-founder of Leading Edge Personal Trainers. Kristian Karstoft, MD, PhD, is a clinical associate professor at the Department of Clinical Medicine at the University of Copenhagen. Shizue Masuki, PhD, is a professor in the Division of NeuroHealth Innovation at Shinsu University. Joyce Shulman, CPT, is a certified personal trainer and walking coach and the author of Why Walk?. While the original study was done almost 20 years ago, the research and reported benefits still hold up. Multiple IWT studies have been conducted since 2007, including a study in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation published in January of this year, which found that participants with diabetes and lower extremity weakness developed better walking ability and saw an improvement in health-related quality of life factors like pain and energy levels after following an IWT routine. Japanese walking is a great way to better your cardiovascular fitness. IWT 'is a simple, yet highly effective way to improve your aerobic capacity by optimizing your oxygen uptake,' says ACE-certified personal trainer and co-founder of Leading Edge Personal Trainers Noelle McKenzie, CPT. 'Over time, that can lead to an increase in VO₂ max,' which is how much oxygen your body can use during intense exercise. Ahead, experts explain the benefits of Japanese walking, how it differs from HIIT, and how to try the trend yourself. The Benefits Of Japanese Walking There are a lot of potential benefits of interval walking training, but the upsides you earn will depend on where you are in your fitness journey. For example, if you're already running multiple miles five or six times per week, taking up IWT likely won't improve your cardiovascular or physical fitness, says Kristian Karstoft, MD, PhD, a clinical associate professor at the University of Copenhagen and an author of a 2024 review of several interval walking training studies in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. That's because your muscles and cardiovascular system are already used to working beyond the level of intensity that fast walking intervals demand, and you probably won't be able to achieve 70 percent of your max heart rate without breaking into a run. If you're in this boat, you might want to try alternating jogging with faster running intervals, going back and forth between 40 and 70 percent of your max heart rate, says Shizue Masuki, PhD, a professor in the Division of NeuroHealth Innovation at Shinsu University and one of the researchers from the original study. Just keep in mind that the benefits of this approach haven't been formally studied the way that IWT has. On the other end of the spectrum, if you rarely exercise or mostly do low-intensity workouts that don't elevate your heart rate much, you may reap these benefits: Improved Cardiovascular Health In the 2007 study, Masuki's Shinshu University team found that participants who used the Japanese walking method for 30 minutes or more per day at least four times a week increased their peak aerobic capacity for walking by 9 percent after five months. Stronger Leg Muscles The same study found that Japanese walking increased participants' thigh and hamstring strength by 13 percent and 17 percent, respectively. These stats are especially impressive considering that participants in the moderate-intensity continuous walking training group saw little to no improvements in their leg strength. In fact, their strength measurements were similar to the group who didn't walk at all. Lower Blood Pressure The Shinshu University researchers reported that participants who tried the Japanese walking method experienced a decrease in blood pressure. This is because IWT increases physical fitness and suppresses genes associated with inflammation—which is linked to high blood pressure, Masuki explains. Plus, as your heart works out harder over time, your blood pressure can decrease, per the Cleveland Clinic. Reduced Risk Of Lifestyle-Related Diseases (LSDs) Regular interval walking training has also been shown to reduce the risk of lifestyle-related diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. A 2019 study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings found that participants who did 30 minutes of IWT at least four times per week for five months reduced their 'LSD score,' which was based on factors like blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), blood glucose, and cholesterol, by an average of 17 percent. Increased Calorie Burn Interval training burns more calories than steady-state cardio, where you're working out at the same intensity for the whole workout, explains certified personal trainer and walking coach Joyce Shulman, CPT, the author of Why Walk?. That's because you're pushing your body harder and expending more energy. Plus, interval training creates something called the afterburn effect, where you continue to burn calories even after you're done exercising as your body works to get your oxygen levels back to normal for recovery. So if you're looking to burn the most calories possible on your next walk, the Japanese walking method is worth a try. Better Mood All forms of walking can provide mental health benefits. When you walk, your body releases mood-boosting hormones including endorphins, oxytocin, and dopamine, says Shulman. So beyond the long-term health benefits, engaging in interval walking training also has the potential to start making you feel better mentally right away. It's worth noting that while the majority of studies on interval walking training are based on doing it at least four times per week for at least 30 minutes, you can still see health benefits from starting out smaller. In fact, only 10 to 20 minutes of IWT per session at least four times a week still has the potential to improve your wellbeing, says Masuki. Try our exclusive 4-week walking plan Japanese Walking Vs. HIIT Japanese walking and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) are similar—they both involve alternating intensity levels throughout your workout. However, HIIT is usually more intense. While Japanese walking involves alternating between three minutes of higher effort and lower effort, HIIT usually involves alternating 30 to 60 seconds of high-intensity work with 30 to 60 seconds of rest or light exercise, explains McKenzie. Plus, while HIIT can be done entirely through walking, it typically involves more strenuous moves like burpees, jumping jacks, or jump squats for the high-intensity periods. '[HIIT] can be more stressful on the body, demanding more recovery time in between workouts,' McKenzie says. Since you're doing a 30-second burst of hard work every 30 to 60 seconds, your heart, muscles and lungs are being pushed to their limits. That higher intensity means that you might not be able to sustain a HIIT workout for 30-plus minutes like the experts recommend for Japanese walking. HIIT is best for people who are already at an intermediate or advanced fitness level, she adds. Japanese walking, on the other hand, is good for workout newbies, or those who are looking to get into a consistent exercise routine because it's lower-impact and lower-intensity, says McKenzie. It's also relatively gentle on the joints, making it a good option for anyone who's nervous about potential injuries. How To Try Japanese Walking Start small with two to three 30-minute sessions per week, McKenzie says. It might also help to tack it onto activities that you already do—like walking the dog or running errands. Then, you can build up to four or more 30-minute sessions per week to see the most health benefits. (Technically, you can do IWT every day if you want, but once you hit 50 minutes of fast intervals per week, you won't see many additional fitness and health benefits beyond that, says Masuki.) If a 30-minute session sounds daunting, you can break your walking into three 10-minute sessions per day instead, she 6 $140.00 at HOKAClifton 10 $155.00 at Foam X 1080v14 $164.95 at 41 $145.00 at Use numbers, like heart rate max. In terms of the walking intervals themselves, there are a few different ways to make sure you're alternating between the recommended intensities. If you want to get exact, you can calculate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220. Once you have that number, multiply it by.4 and.7 to determine your heart rate during the 40 and 70 percent efforts, says McKenzie. Then, you can use a fitness tracker or heart rate monitor to make sure you're staying around those numbers during each interval. Go by feel. If you don't have a way to track your heart rate, you can also rely on your rate of perceived exertion (RPE). Think about how you feel on a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being almost no effort, and 10 being an all-out, exhausting effort. As you're using the Japanese walking method, the slower intervals should feel like a 4 out of 10 effort, while the faster intervals should feel like a 7 out of 10 effort. Another way to tell that you're doing it right is that at 40 percent of your max capacity, you should be able to easily hold a conversation for a long time. And at 70 percent effort, you should still be able to talk, but feel a little out of breath, says McKenzie. Regardless of the exact approach you take, Japanese walking is one TikTok wellness trend that's actually worth adding to your routine. After all, the science speaks for itself. 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CTV News
20-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
‘Japanese walking': Does the TikTok trend live up to the hype?
'Japanese Walking' is garnering attention on social media for its well-known effects on endurance, cardiovascular health and fat loss. TikTok users are rallying behind another trend – one that is not particularly new, but yields fat-loss and fitness results without requiring any fancy gear. The long-practiced method, dubbed 'Japanese Walking,' also known to many as interval walking training has been garnering attention on social media for its well-known effects on endurance, cardiovascular health and fat loss – all in under 30 minutes a day. Interval walking is a simple technique that consists of a 3-by-3 cycle. Instead of walking at a consistent pace for 30 minutes, this cycle involves walking briskly for three minutes, followed by slow walking for another three minutes and repeating this method for 30 minutes. Interval walking is also effective in reducing factors associated with lifestyle and metabolic diseases. It improves glycemic control for people with Type 2 diabetes and can help people with chronic diseases or obesity, according to an article published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism from Canadian Science Publishing. This method was originally developed for the elderly in Japan in 2009, so they could exercise with minimal requirements, equipment and supervision and still be able to physically support themselves, according to the journal. 'Interval walking training is a feasible and effective training regimen for older, fragile individuals. It significantly enhances fitness, muscle strength and health markers,' the publication reads. Brent Bishop, a fitness expert and co-founder of First Place Fuel, a nutrition supplement company based in Toronto, calls it an 'effective' method. '(For) somebody who is in their 60s, and those who are just starting out (and) are a little bit less fit,' Bishop explained in an interview with 'They can get their heart rate up decently by walking at a brisk pace.' According to him, this exercise could end up increasing the heart rate up to nearly 80 per cent, which supports cardiovascular health. 'It is one of the most underrated forms of exercise,' he said. 'A lot of people don't do enough of it. There's a lot of sitting, (and) less walking and moving.' Even moderate amounts of exercise can increase blood flow to the brain, which in turn decreases the risk of dementia and increases cognitive performance and memory function, Bishop said. 'Walking can be done every single day, and it can be done quite safely without putting a lot of undue stress on the joints.' Bishop points out that the trend is not saying anything experts weren't already aware of. However, he says, the trend is real and has many health benefits, especially for middle- and older-aged people, or anyone with chronic illnesses or injuries. Meanwhile, he stresses the importance of strength and weight training alongside cardiovascular exercises to reach the optimal level of fitness and weight management. 'Results are about consistency,' Bishop said. 'It's consistency over intensity and duration.'
The Independent
22-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Want to improve your heart health? Try interval walking
Interval walking, a new fitness trend from Japan, involves alternating between high and low-intensity walking. This high-intensity interval training (HIIT) method can burn more calories than normal walking and improve cardiovascular health. Interval training may also lower blood pressure, improve heart rate, and reverse age-related muscle loss. The method suggests walking at a low intensity for three minutes, then a high intensity for three minutes, and alternating between those intensities for 30 minutes or more. Just 9,000 steps a day can lower cancer risk. Adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise weekly.
