I have the Japanese to thank for perfecting the art and flavor of matcha (lattes), for which I could not live without (it’s more than just a caffeine fix; my obsession for its calming yet energetic vibes knows no bounds). And if it weren’t for finding my ikigai, the Japanese concept that blends your passion, talent, purpose, and fulfillment (AKA your reason to get up in the morning), I wouldn’t be here writing this story or be able to say I’m a reformed morning-hater-turned-sunshine-seeker. So when I heard the very country my most life-changing wellness rituals came from was behind a walking workout, my gut told me it was the real deal and not just another TikTok trend gone viral. But I’ll say this: TikTok fitness creator Eugene Teo claims that with the Japanese walking routine, you’ll get 10 times the benefits of hitting 10,000 steps a day in just 30 minutes. And it’s not just hearsay—the science is there. Here are all the facts about the trendy and evidence-backed Japanese walking method.
What Is the Japanese Walking Routine?
Interval training, but make it a 30-minute high-intensity, low-impact stroll. Here’s what it breaks down to:
- Three minutes of fast walking (about 70 percent of your peak aerobic capacity)
- Three minutes of slow walking (about 40 percent of your peak aerobic capacity)
- Alternate walking at each pace for five sets (totaling 30 minutes), four times per week
How do you know if you’re going at the right tempo for you? Use the talk test. For your faster interval speed, your heart rate should be elevated to the point where you can only speak a few words at a time. In other words, if you’re Chatty Cathy without needing to pause for breath, amp it up. Your lower-intensity stride should be no sweat, including having a conversation.
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What Are the Benefits of It?
The Japanese way of walking goes back nearly 20 years and has caught on thanks to a 2007 study based in Japan. The researchers examined the effects of no walking, moderate-intensity continuous walking (walking at a moderate effort and taking at least 8,000 steps per day), and high-intensity interval walking. They discovered that the high-intensity interval walking group experienced noticeable improvements in strength, endurance, and decreased blood pressure, more so than the people who engaged in moderate-intensity continuous walking. Fast-forward 11 years later, and the health perks still hold true: Another study from 2018 observed that subjects who practiced the Japanese walking workout over the course of 10 years showed a 20 percent boost in leg strength and a 40 percent increase in peak exercise capacity. The end game? Those participants were protected against age-associated declines in physical fitness, and even those who didn’t keep up with the workout for the full decade saw some of the benefits.
When you switch up your step pace, you keep your body guessing and challenge it just enough to trigger metabolic change. Interval walking increases the intensity of getting your steps in, raising your heart rate, engaging more muscles, and helping you burn more calories and fat than walking at a steady speed (assuming you stick to the intensity and frequency ground rules of the Japanese walking protocol)—all without putting excess stress on the joints and muscles of your lower body. Plus, the bursts of faster-paced movement can get you that much closer to reaching the American Heart Association’s recommendation of at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity—or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity—per week.
While Japanese walking is a low-stakes workout for virtually anyone, if you feel bored with your regular saunter, need an alternative to high-impact cardio, or struggle to find the time or motivation for the gym, it could just be the type of exercise you didn’t know you needed. And let’s not forget this more-bang-for-your-buck detail: The Japanese walking technique takes 30 minutes versus the one to two hours 10,000 steps translates to, not to mention it comparatively delivers 29 times the enhancement in aerobic fitness, 10 times the vigor in leg strength, and three times the improvement in blood pressure, according to Teo.
How to Get Started
If you’ve yet to join all the hot girls taking their walks, don’t hesitate to kick off your foray into Japanese walking with three minutes of regular walking, followed by one minute of brisk walking (or whatever combination feels best for you). Then, as you get more comfortable in your strut, lengthen the duration of your fast-paced walking interval incrementally, say, by 30 seconds to one minute at a time. But if walking is already part of your repertoire, try upping the ante by lowering the amount of time you step slowly or extending the number of minutes you power walk. And if you’re really feeling confident, throw a weighted vest into the mix to amplify all the said gains (it’s the workout accessory of the year for a reason).
