I created the Japanese walking workout on my Apple Watch — here's how to do it

How To
By published

Inspired by the viral walking method?

a photo of the Japanese walking workout set up on the Apple Watch 10
(Image credit: Future)

The Japanese walking method made headlines recently as a science-backed way to lower your blood pressure and burn more fat. The interval walking method originated in Japan, and is a form of HIIT training. As its name suggests, you alternate your pace throughout.

It’s pretty simple: you walk for three minutes at a low intensity, then walk three minutes at a high intensity, raising your heart rate and moving quickly. You keep switching pace for 30 minutes.

You should be able to do this with most of the best Apple Watches on the market that run watchOS 11 (if you’re using an Apple Watch 4, 5 or original SE, you won’t be able to do this).

Here’s how to create a custom workout on your Apple Watch:

  • Go to the Workout app on your Apple Watch
  • Turn the Digital Crown to select the workout you want to do, in this case: Outdoor Walk
  • Click on the three dots in the upper right corner, then scroll down to Create Workout
  • From here, you can select a goal based on Distance, Calories burned, or Time. In this instance, you’ll want to select Custom.
  • From the Create a New Custom Workout screen, select Add to add the intervals.
  • Add an interval of 3 minutes work, using the Time option.
  • Then add 3 minutes of recovery.
  • You’ll then want the intervals to repeat 5 times in total to create the 30-minute workout. Add a repeat, and select both intervals.

Once you’ve set these intervals, you can name the workout and save it to your Apple Watch. When you select the workout, the watch will alert you every time you need to change pace, meaning you won’t need to keep looking at your phone or stopwatch as you walk.

When you’re walking, you’ll be able to see how long you have left in each interval, as well as your average pace and your heart rate.

If you decide the walking workout isn’t for you, you can delete custom workouts at any time. Simply head to the workout from your Apple Watch, and click the edit icon in the top right-hand corner. Once you’re in the workout, scroll down to the bottom and click Delete Workout.

building a custom workout on the Apple Watch

(Image credit: Future)

If you’re meeting up with a friend who is also using an Apple Watch, you can send them the workout from your watch from this screen, using the ‘Send Workout’ option.

If you’re creating a running workout, or something more intense, you might want to add a warm-up and cool-down.

You can build a custom workout in all Activity types on the Apple Watch, aside from Multisport and Open Swim. It’s a great way to remove the guesswork from your session, and use the watch to complete in-depth training sessions.

Looking for more inspiration? Why not try these walking workouts next:

Jane McGuire
Jane McGuire
Fitness editor

Jane McGuire is Tom's Guide's Fitness editor, which means she looks after everything fitness related - from running gear to yoga mats. An avid runner, Jane has tested and reviewed fitness products for the past five years, so knows what to look for when finding a good running watch or a pair of shorts with pockets big enough for your smartphone. When she's not pounding the pavements, you'll find Jane striding round the Surrey Hills, taking far too many photos of her puppy. 

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