Japanese walking: How this viral technique works and what real benefits it has for your health

According to the Mayo Clinic , walking is beneficial because it helps "maintain a healthy weight and lose body fat," "prevent or control various conditions," and "improve cardiovascular fitness," among other things. In Spain, we are fortunate to have countless landscapes where you can practice this sport, which experts recommend, especially for those over 60. Of course, it's always important to study and analyze your physical abilities, age, and the goals you want to achieve because, depending on these, you'll need to take a different number of steps .

You'll probably think it's a practical and simple exercise, as it simply involves putting on your sneakers, going out, and following the route you prefer at the speed that suits you best. But we want you to know that there are different types, such as the Afghan march or the Japanese walk.

The latter is a method devised by two Japanese professors and has been studied to confirm its benefits, and yes, it does have them. What's more, personal trainers like Eugene Teo corroborate this. It's also known as "intermittent walking" or "Japanese walking."

What is Japanese walking?

Hiroshi Nose and Shizue Masuki are two Japanese teachers who invented Japanese walking. It consists of walking four times a week for 30 minutes, alternating three periods of higher intensity with three periods of lower intensity . It doesn't require any specific equipment, just good clothing, appropriate footwear, and a stopwatch to keep track of time.

To test its health benefits, a 2007 study found improvements in the body, such as a reduction in blood pressure. Separately, in 2018, another study found that Japanese walking is an exercise that improves muscle power and aerobic capacity, which are associated with age, as reported by The New York Times .

However, around 22% of participants did not complete the study and 17% did not complete the lower intensity program, so we would also be talking about an exercise that is probably not suitable for everyone, according to an article published in The Conversation . If you have any questions, it's best to consult a specialist who can help you through the process and tell you if you're eligible.

However, Japanese walking has been compared to higher-intensity interval training , also known as HIIT . Although it's true that the former is less intense than the latter. Are you up for trying it next time you go for a walk?