What Is the Japanese Interval Walking Method?
Japanese interval walking, also known as the Japanese walking method (often referred to as Japanese interval walking training or IWT), is an uncomplicated and very efficient type of physical exercise whereby participants walk at both high and low speeds alternating between the two; this exercise method has been shown to yield numerous positive physical health results, such as improved heart rate, fat burning and muscle tone. It was created by Japanese researchers, is low impact, and many levels of fitness can perform it, and it can produce tremendous changes in health in a shorter period than traditional steady walking. The main elements of this technique are the warm-up, cool-down and regular intervals, usually 3 minutes of brisk walking and then 3 minutes of slowing down walking and so on until a total of 30 minutes.
Although the Japanese walking is a trending topic on social media nowadays, Japanese scientists did it decades ago. It has been found that doing it at least four days a week can increase your aerobic fitness, reduce your blood pressure, and increase muscle strength.
Looking for a new way to walk? The Japanese walking can make your daily walk more active. It can increase muscle power, melt fat, and maintain the well-being of joints. It is better to begin with some minutes in the beginning. Consequently, the majority of them have joined the workforce in these nations, thereby remaining within this cycle of poverty. This has led to most of them entering the labor market in these countries hence perpetuating this cycle of poverty.
How To Get Started
Warm-up: During the warm-up, the exercise should start with some slow, relaxed walking, 3-5 minutes.
Intervals: Alternate slow walking and brisk walking 3 minutes.
Speed on fast periods: Walk in a manner that makes you breathe heavily but be able to talk but not to sing.
Cool-down: End with a 3- to 5-minute of light walking.
Frequency: Have a target that is 3 to 5 days per week.
Who it’s good for
Beginners and older adults: It is an easy but efficient method to get or keep fit, and it does not pressure the joints to an extreme level as intensive exercises.
Those short on time: It would give other health benefits a lot within the less time than walking at steady pace.
People who have hit a plateau: They can be used to revive those individuals who are already working but require more intensity to get results.
How Is Japanese Walking Different From Regular Walking?
When walking regularly, you tend to maintain a constant pace throughout the entire time. When walking in Japan you alternate the speed to test your muscles, heart and lungs.
The high-intensity intervals add to the intensity of your work compared to a normal walk. According to Shawn G. Anthony, MD, an orthopedic surgeon and associate chief of sports medicine at Mount Sinai Health System in New York City, the workout is not harsh on your hip and knee joints, but rather, the changes in intensity challenge your heart and muscles.
In IWT the fast walking is approximately 70% of your maximum effort and the slow walking is approximately 40%.
What Are the Benefits of Japanese Walking?
The Japanese walk style is also more effective. Overall, the routine requires two hours a week. Blame It on 10,000 steps taken per day, in comparison to an average time of about 10 hours to accomplish, which is the 10,000 steps recommended to get per day, says Barbara Walker, PhD, an integrative health and performance psychologist as well as a professor of psychiatry and behavioral neuroscience at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.
Learn how adding intervals to your walk can increase your workout results:
More Calorie Burn
Japanese walking will burn more calories as compared to regular walking. Since you are putting in more effort during the periods, you consume a lot of energy. In the course of time, this can accumulate to weight loss with healthy eating according to Anthony.
Muscle Strength
Walking in Japan makes you develop muscles, particularly the leg muscles. Consequently, you can have improved coordination and balance too, says Walker.
More Endurance
There is an additional challenge of picking up the pace. This develops stamina and fitness ability within a lesser period of time compared to a regular walking program, says Walker.
Better Heart Health
The pauses pump up your heart and this can improve the health of your heart. Exercise also has the effect of enhancing the performance of your blood vessels hence reducing blood pressure.
Lower Blood Sugar
The high intensity intervals put your muscles at greater work. The absorption of blood sugar occurs via the muscles thus the process can be used to enhance your blood sugar level.
Mood Boost and Less Stress
Exercise cheers you up and relieves stress. Better still, go out on a walk. Walker says it is even more rewarding because of the fresh air, natural scenery, and the sunshine.
Improved Motivation
You must watch the time and the speed during Japanese walking. This can make you interested and prevent boredom, as stated by Walker. The diversity enables one to be more motivated.
What Does Science Say About Japanese Walking?
A 2007 study discovered that this technique is better at enhancing your strength, fitness and blood pressure as compared to regular walking.
Since that time, other benefits have been proved by numerous studies. During four months of a Japanese walking routine, it is possible to reduce the level of your blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol and body mass index. Your peak VO2 max – which is a major measure of fitness – also increases by approximately 20 per cent.
Japanese walking has mental advantages also, as given by scientists. In one study, elderly people (65 years and above) were made to perform a high-intensity interval walking program or standard walking program. The two groups also showed improvement in mood, sleep, and quality of life, however the people who did interval walking had increased endurance and were more flexible.
How to Try the Japanese Walking Method
It does not take much time or machinery. You will require supportive sneakers, comfortable attire as well as a watch or a timer. Other fitness devices and smartphone applications pre-program your intervals, so that you do not need to work on the workout.
Walker suggests that you also need to find a secure place to walk either outside or inside on a treadmill.
Walking outside? Use a road that has a smooth surface. When you are walking on a rocky trail, you might fall or even stumble because the surface is not even. You can also want to avoid the roads that are full of stoplights or people that may contribute to making you go slow.
Follow these steps:
- Warm up with a few minutes of slow walking to prepare your muscles and joints.
- Pick up the pace and walk fast for three minutes. That’s about 70% of your maximum effort, or where you’re breathing heavily but can still hold a conversation.
- Slow down the pace for three minutes to about 40% of your maximum effort. That’s an easy, comfortable speed, Anthony says.
- Repeat the intervals five times for a total of 30 minutes.
- Cool down with a few minutes of slow walking and stretching.
Is Japanese Walking Right for Everyone?
Many people including the old people can use Japanese walking. The high-intensity intervals are not everyone. In case of his history of heart, joint, or balance problems, Walker recommends that you discuss the approach with your physician. When you are new to workouts or have not exercised during a long time, such a speed can be challenging. The first thing to begin with is to walk slower and more steadily and then gradually include faster walking periods.
Why the Social Media Loves Japanese Walking
It is spreading on social networks with a reason because no equipment is necessary, only shoes and a stopwatch. Super DIY-friendly. It works into your lifestyle walk to the train, during your lunch break, or lazy walk home, and just add the intervals, and the heart will be beating and it is not as harsh as running or HIIT, yet it gets the heart pumping.
Tips to Maximize Results with Japanese Walking
Practice and method are important in order to derive maximum benefit of the Japanese walking technique. Efforts to be in good posture when walking would include keeping your head high, shoulders down to the ground and arms swinging normally. Use your core muscles to increase stability and balance. The intervals should be hard but not depleting, when you can hardly talk, then most likely you go too fast. With time, when you become more fit you can progressively speed up or even lengthen the overall time period of your session to more than 30 minutes.
Other important components include hydration and recovery. Take water before and after having walked particularly when you are exercising outside in hot conditions. The muscle stiffness can be minimized and the flexibility enhanced by stretching your calves, hamstrings and hips at each session. Other individuals even like doing Japanese walking with strength training or on other days with yoga as a way to make a balanced exercise routine.
Tracking Your Progress
It can be easier to track your intervals, steps, and heart rate with the help of a smartwatch, fitness app, or pedometer. To most peoples, an improvement is measured by the drop-in resting heart rate, the increase of endurance, or an increase in walking speed. It is also possible to keep a basic journal of your moods after every walk. It is better to observe positive changes in energy levels, mood, and sleep to support consistency and healthy habit development in the long run.
Bringing Japanese Walking into Everyday Life
The flexibility of this method is one of the finest things about this method- it can perfectly fit into the routine. You can walk your dog during your intervals, or can walk to work, or can be on a treadmill at home listening to music or listening to a podcast. The simplicity of the method ensures that it is not difficult to stick to the exercise even on hectic working days. It is not only a sustainable and enjoyable method of moving your body and feeling stronger each day, but also the best method to achieve what you want to achieve: weight loss, stress relief, and being more fit overall.
