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Euronews
30-07-2025
- Health
- Euronews
Is the Japanese walking trend backed by science?
A fitness routine developed by Japanese researchers in 2007 has recently found fresh legs on TikTok, where it's being promoted as an enjoyable, low-barrier, and high-impact way to improve cardiovascular health, strength, and endurance. Known as "Japanese walking," the method is incredibly simple: alternating three minutes of fast-paced walking with three minutes at a slower pace, repeated over 30 minutes. It was first introduced in a 2007 study led by Hiroshi Nose and Shizue Masuki, professors at Shinshu University. Researchers randomly assigned 246 older adults into three groups: no walking, moderate-intensity continuous walking, and high-intensity interval walking. The results were eye-opening. People who followed the interval walking program for five months experienced greater increases in leg strength and overall physical fitness, as well as a greater reduction in blood pressure, compared to those who only walked at a moderate pace. Additional research has expanded on the original 2007 findings. A follow-up study involving more than 700 participants found that interval walking also improved symptoms of age and lifestyle-related conditions, including changes in cognitive function, depression, and sleep quality. Now, nearly two decades later, the method is seeing renewed attention on social media, particular under the #FitTok category on TikTok. This type of interval walking taps into the "overload principle" – a key concept in exercise physiology where short bursts of exertion challenge the body just enough to force it to adapt. 'One's fitness and health is affected by both how healthy the muscles are in terms of their metabolism and how well your heart and lungs and circulation work," John Buckley, a professor of exercise physiology at Keele University in the United Kingdom, told Euronews Health. 'To get those organs to adapt, we have to push them," he added. "By inducing these little zaps of hard exercise, we are pushing the muscles and the heart and lungs into a region where they then have to adapt a bit more". This mirrors evolutionary patterns of movement. Humans are built for intermittent bursts of high effort – such as hunting and escaping danger – interspersed with prolonged, lower-intensity activity. By helping people get more high-intensity activity, Japanese walking could help with key health issues related to exercise and nutrition, including diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, Buckley said. The method could help target these conditions by improving insulin sensitivity, reducing blood pressure, and boosting post exercise energy expenditure. 'Even modest amounts of activity can bring our blood glucose down and can bring our blood pressure down,' Buckley said. 'Those two things are probably the long term things that have the biggest effect on people's heart and people's circulation to their brain to prevent them from having a stroke". While the physical effects of Japanese walking are well-documented, Buckley also sees a potential boost to mental health in the method. 'Physical activity, if you look at the evidence, has as strong a benefit,' he said. He said the focus required during high-intensity intervals may even create a mindfulness effect. 'If you have to up the intensity, then your mind has to be focused on that activity at the time," he said. This is backed by a recent review which found that High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) can significantly reduce symptoms of anxiety, particularly in individuals with lower baseline anxiety. The method is also incredibly flexible and can be easily applied to other types of exercise such as cycling, swimming, or even resistance training. So yes, TikTok might have actually stumbled on a fitness trend that's well worth the hype.
IOL News
29-07-2025
- Health
- IOL News
Japanese walking workout: the TikTok trend taking over fitness feeds
Japanese Walking is just interval walking alternating between three minutes of brisk, heart-pumping strides and three minutes of slower recovery walking. Image: Ketut Subiyanto /pexels If you've been scrolling through #FitTok lately, you've probably seen people raving about 'Japanese Walking'. It's not exactly new; this clever twist on interval walking has been around for years, but the trend has found fresh legs on TikTok. It promises a simple, free way to lose weight, boost heart health, and spice up your daily walk, no fancy gym needed. At its core, Japanese walking is just interval walking alternating between three minutes of brisk, heart-pumping strides and three minutes of slower recovery walking. Repeat this for 30 minutes, about four times a week, and you've got yourself a routine that researchers say can transform your body and mind. Why is everyone suddenly obsessed? One reason is how doable it is. 'Exercise matters and intensity matters,' explains Laura Richardson, exercise physiologist and clinical associate professor of kinesiology at the University of Michigan, according to "Time". 'It's sustainable. It's short. You don't need a gym or fancy equipment. And there's a long list of health benefits.' That's not just hype. One landmark study by Dr Shizue Masuki and colleagues at Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan put interval walking to the test. They asked over 200 adults to power-walk at high intensity for 30 minutes daily. Most quit, too tough, too boring. So the researchers tweaked it: three minutes hard, three minutes easy. People stuck with it and saw real gains. Over five months, participants who interval-walked improved leg strength, boosted thigh muscle, lowered blood pressure, and even improved sleep and mood. Masuki's research, published in "The Journal of Applied Physiology", shows interval walking also helps manage lifestyle diseases like high blood pressure and obesity, while lifting 'good' HDL cholesterol and trimming belly fat. How does interval walking work? It's all about tricking your body into working harder in less time. You're getting your heart rate up and then letting it recover, says gait and walking expert Rashelle Hoffman, from Creighton University's physical therapy department. When you push into that higher heart rate zone, even briefly, your body starts to adapt: stronger lungs, better circulation and improved endurance. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ @coacheugeneteo Walking 10,000 steps... But better 😯 I know I can't be the only one who looks at my step count at the end of the day and feel like a failure. Some days, I get around 2,000 steps. I still aim for at least 8,000 a day - but sometimes, life just gets in the way. But even if it's only an extra ~3000 steps, this simple 30 minute protocol on my walking pad can make a huge difference. ♬ original sound - Eugene Teo The blueprint of sports medicine recommends adults get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise. Interval walking ticks both boxes, meaning you can get big results in shorter sessions. But what's 'high intensity,' really? In Masuki's study, walkers pushed to about 70% of their peak aerobic capacity, enough to feel their heart pounding, but still able to talk. Richardson suggests a simple 'talk test': If you're breathing heavily and can speak only in short sentences, you're probably in the sweet spot. Getting started: No excuses needed What's interesting about Japanese walking is that it slips so easily into real life. You don't need fancy leggings or a new smartwatch, just your legs, a safe space to walk and a timer. Proponents of this 'new trend' recommend easing in if the idea of three full minutes at top speed feels scary. Start with one-minute surges and build up. Even busy parents can make it work. Walking, when done with intention, can bolster bone strength, support joint health, and deliver significant mental health perks. Image: Liliana Drew/pexels Expert-backed hacks to make it stick: Use music: Many songs run about three minutes, perfect for timing intervals. Check your posture: Spine tall, shoulders relaxed, arms swinging for extra power. Go hands-free: Set your smartwatch or phone to beep you through your intervals. Try poles: Walking poles add balance if you're older or just want extra stability. Switch it up: Hills, trails, the beach, changing your terrain keeps things interesting and challenges your muscles in new ways. And if you want to level up, try adding wrist weights or slipping in squats or lunges during a recovery period. Why walking might just be your secret weapon We are obsessed with fancy fitness fads. Japanese walking is refreshing: a workout for real life. No gym fees. No complicated moves. Just step outside your door and start. Plus, walking itself has serious benefits: stronger bones, happier joints, and a big mental health boost. It's gentle enough for beginners and powerful enough to help manage conditions like high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Walking with a bit more purpose could be the secret to a healthier heart, stronger body and calmer mind.
