Japanese walking: 3 minutes slower, 3 faster
Japanese walking, or interval walking training, is 3 minutes of slower walking then 3 minutes of faster walking, at least 5 times, at least 4 days a week. It is the method tested in a Japanese trial of 246 adults with an average age of 63: after 5 months, that group's thigh strength and aerobic capacity had risen more than the group walking at a steady pace. A session is about 3,410 steps at ages 61 to 85.
What the sources say
246 adults (60 men and 186 women, average age 63) were split into no walking training, steady walking (8,000 steps or more on 4 or more days a week) and interval walking: 5 or more sets of 3 minutes at low intensity then 3 minutes at high intensity, on 4 or more days a week, over 5 months.
Nemoto et al., Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2007, Effects of High-Intensity Interval Walking Training
In the interval group, knee extension strength rose 13%, knee flexion strength 17%, aerobic capacity for cycling 8% and for walking 9%, all more than in the steady group. Its fall in resting systolic blood pressure was larger too.
Nemoto et al., Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2007, Effects of High-Intensity Interval Walking Training
Not everyone kept to it: 11 of 19 men and 31 of 68 women in the interval group met the targets.
Nemoto et al., Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2007, Effects of High-Intensity Interval Walking Training
The CDC calls walking at 2.5 mph or faster brisk, and moderate-intensity activity is where you can talk, but not sing.
Increase your activity gradually over weeks to months, and start with lower-intensity activities.
National Institute on Aging (NIH), How Older Adults Can Get Started With Exercise
The numbers, worked out
| Age | Steps | Miles | Km | Total calories at 160 lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ages 41 to 60 | 3,390 | 1.5 | 2.4 | 140 |
| Ages 61 to 85 | 3,410 | 1.5 | 2.4 | 155 |
15 minutes at 2.5 mph and 15 at 3.5 mph, by the walking calculators. Those paces are ours, to give steps: the trial set each person's effort by their aerobic capacity, not by speed.
| Week | Walk a day | Sets that fit |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1: Root | 3 min | 0 |
| Week 2: Flow | 5 to 8 min | 1 |
| Week 3: Breathe | 10 min | 1 |
| Week 4: Own it | 12 to 15 min | 2 |
The plan's optional walk after each session, at its longest that week. A set is 6 minutes.
Steps a minute: studies of adults walking, ages 41 to 60 and 61 to 85.
Calories: the 2024 Compendium of Physical Activities, adults and 60 and over.
What to do with it
- Use a watch or a phone timer: 3 minutes easy, 3 minutes quicker.
- Start with one set, and add a set as your walks grow: the second table shows what fits.
- Quicker means you can talk, but not sing.
Build your walking week by week with a 28-day walking plan
Short daily sessions at home, a step harder as you get stronger.
Stop if anything hurts, or if you feel dizzy, short of breath or chest pressure.
General information, not medical advice.