I tried the ‘Japanese walking’ method for a week — and I’m hooked

Here on the Tom’s Guide fitness desk, we love nothing more than a walking trend — from silent walking to the viral 12-3-30 workout, we’ve tried them all. The latest trend in walking? The Japanese Interval Walking Training (IWT), which promises to burn more fat and lower your blood pressure. To find out more, I grabbed a comfy pair of sneakers, one of the best fitness trackers, and gave it a go. Read on to find out what happened.

What is the Japanese interval walking method?

The interval walking method originated in Japan, and is a form of HIIT training. As its name suggests, you alternate your pace throughout. Here’s how to do it:

• Set a timer on your watch or phone and walk for three minutes at a low intensity. This should be a 4/10 effort — you’re still moving, but you should easily be able to hold a conversation with someone next to you.
• Then walk three minutes at a high intensity. This is a 7/10 walking effort — you should be working hard.

Keep switching between paces for 30 minutes.

What are the benefits?

Up until now, we’ve been told that 10,000 steps a day is the holy grail to aim for when it comes to walking, but is the IWT method better for you?

While there’s no right or wrong when it comes to adding more steps to your day, studies have found IWT has several health benefits. After three months of doing a 30-minute interval walk three times a week, participants had a lower blood pressure and cholesterol, increased leg strength, and more aerobic capacity than those who walked continuously at a moderate pace for the same time.

You’re also likely to burn more calories walking intervals, as by nature, you’ll increase your heart rate during the faster-paced minutes. If walking for weight loss is your goal, remember you’ll need to be in a calorie deficit, burning more calories than you consume. One easy way to track this is to strap one of the best fitness trackers to your wrist.

I gave Japanese Interval Walking Training a go — here’s what happened

To find out more, I gave this method a go on my daily walks for a week. Here’s how I got on:

I was instantly hooked

This method immediately took me back to speed sessions on the track, and I loved it. I loved pushing myself during the faster-paced intervals, then slowing down and catching my breath before going again. Unlike other walking workouts, you jump straight into this one, meaning you’re getting your heart rate pumping almost straight away — perfect if you’re short on time.

I walk every morning, and have done so for years, and this was a great way to mix things up. I noticed my heart rate was higher than it would be on my normal morning walk, although I admit I tend to stroll along with a coffee, not power down the street with purpose.

During the faster intervals, I had to think about my form — keeping my core engaged, my torso up, and my arms swinging in time with my legs. This helped me maintain pace, albeit to the amusement of my fellow dog walkers.

I had to rewind my audiobook several times

I confess, I struggle to do two things at once. On the first day of this challenge, I used the timer on my phone and missed chapters of my audiobook as I watched the minutes tick by.

The next day, I set up the challenge as a custom workout on my Apple Watch 10. The watches buzzed every time I needed to change pace, allowing me to leave my phone in my pocket.

It’s not one to do with a toddler

Two mornings a week, when he’s not in nursery, my toddler joins me on my morning walk. Sometimes in the sling, other times in his stroller. The extra resistance of carrying or pushing my baby made this a real workout and left me sweating. New levels of mom strength unlocked, and all before 9 a.m.

My verdict

If you’re looking for a way to mix up your daily walk, increase your fat burn, and reap several health benefits, give Interval Walking Training a go. I loved it, and while I won’t be committing to it seven mornings a week (I’ll admit, I missed my chilled, meditative walks too much), I’ll be sure to keep this up a couple of times a week.

As a runner, I use my walks as a form of active recovery, but this was a great way to work on my cardiovascular endurance, without the impact of running. Plus, it was done in 30 minutes. If fitting long workouts into your routine feels overwhelming, this can be done with no equipment, on your lunch break, in your local park. No excuses — what are you waiting for?

More from Tom's Guide

• How to lose weight and get in shape by walking
• I walked 7,000 steps with the Apple Watch 10 and Garmin Forerunner 265 — and one was way more accurate
• I did the 12-3-30 treadmill workout for a month — here's my results