Japanese interval walking; Easy tips to understand and follow the viral fitness technique

Walking for fitness? Revolutionary, we know. But this Japanese technique could not just keep you active, but also improve your cardiovascular health

What is Japanese interval walking? Here's all you need to know about the viral fitness technique

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What is Japanese interval walking? Here's all you need to know about the viral fitness technique

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Surrounded, as we are, by all-pervasive images of buff fitness influencers lifting incredulous amounts of weight, chugging creatine and running miles on end, more sedate forms of exercise such as walking or dancing can seem almost quaint in comparison. But, if you dig deeper into the other side of the Internet, you’ll find that a Japanese routine that shakes up this very basic exercise is quickly taking hold, and with good reason too.

Women going through post menopause can retain their lean muscle mass through interval walking

Japanese interval walking is a routine that seems remarkably innocuous at the very outset — the idea is to alternate between three minutes of fast and three minutes of slow walking, for 30 minutes at a time. The idea, it seems, is not a new one — a 2007 study by Japanese researchers found that people who did high-intensity interval walking on four or more days a week over a five-month period increased their peak aerobic capacity, indicating an improvement in physical fitness as compared to those who had undertaken a walking regime of continuous, moderate intensity.

Why it works

Exercise scientist Benafsha Gazdar considers this an excellent way to approach fitness, especially if your daily routine is sedentary. “In addition to making people more active, there is a lot of research backing interval training or HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) from not just a weight loss angle but also an overall wellness perspective. This routine is especially beneficial for people who have cardiovascular issues or women who are nearing peri or post menopause, and need to protect their lean muscle mass.

Walking offers a safer option for individuals with health complications

That’s because long steady cardio is not recommended for such individuals, whereas HIIT can help them to approach their fitness goals without posing a risk for other complications,” she explains. She adds that unlike jogging or sprinting, which require a baseline level of fitness to even get started, walking is considered a safe activity. “Being pushed into a more strenuous activity can actually backfire as it can cause injuries or even sudden cardiac arrest, as is becoming worryingly common these days. Walking, on the other hand, has advantages especially when practiced in an interval format. By pushing up your heart rate in a controlled manner, it trains your heart muscle without bringing it into a zone that could be dangerous,” she continues.

Benafsha Gazdar

Make it yours

To get started, Gazdar recommends smaller high intensity intervals of 30 seconds, followed by a minute, 90 seconds or even two-minute rest intervals of slower walking. “The idea is to bring your heart rate to 60 to 80 per cent intensity. Simply put, you should be walking briskly enough for you to find it difficult to sustain a conversation. Alternate this with a recovery interval and gradually keep increasing these intervals until you can reach the three-minute-intervals threshold,” she says.

A wearable can help to monitor your heart rate

If you are keen on this being your gateway into a more serious routine, she recommends monitoring your heart rate using a wearable device and learning how to calculate your exercise intensity in terms of your heart rate. Additionally, she warns against getting carried away, and attempting too much, too soon. “Your goal must be to build gradually so that you can build strength and stamina without harming your body,” she concludes.

A group workout at the Marine Drive promenade. Pic/Satej Shinde