Walking is the most underrated exercise there is. Interval walking makes it work harder for you with one simple change: you alternate a few minutes of fast walking with a few minutes of easy walking. No running, no gym and no equipment, and the research behind it is better than you might expect.
What is interval walking?
Interval walking means switching between about 3 minutes of fast walking and 3 minutes of easy walking, over and over. It was developed by researchers at Shinshu University in Japan, led by Professor Hiroshi Nose, which is why it is often called Japanese walking.
In their studies, the fast walking was done at 70% or more of each person's peak aerobic capacity for walking, and the easy walking at 40% or less. Participants aimed for at least five rounds, on at least four days a week. That is about 30 minutes a session, plus a warm-up.
What the research shows
In a trial of 246 adults with an average age of 63, people were assigned to interval walking, steady walking at a moderate pace or no training. Compared with the steady walkers, the interval walkers saw bigger improvements in:
+8-9%
peak aerobic capacity, a key measure of fitness
+13%
thigh muscle strength (knee extension)
+17%
hamstring strength (knee flexion)
Their resting systolic blood pressure also fell further than in the steady walking group. A larger follow-up study of 666 people around the age of 65 found that fitness and thigh strength went up, while body weight, body fat, blood pressure and blood glucose went down. The least fit participants improved the most.
One honest caveat: most of this research was done in middle-aged and older adults. If you are young and already fit, a fast walk may not push you hard enough, so you may need hills, an incline or a faster pace to get the same effect.
How to do interval walking
Warm up for 3-5 minutes
Walk at an easy, comfortable pace to get your body ready.Walk fast for 3 minutes
Go as fast as you can keep up for the full 3 minutes. You should be breathing hard and only able to say a few words at a time. On a scale of 1 to 10, aim for about a 7.Walk easy for 3 minutes
Slow right down until you can chat comfortably. This is your recovery, so let it be genuinely easy.Repeat 5 times
Five rounds of fast and easy walking takes 30 minutes. Finish with a few minutes of easy walking to cool down.
For comparison, the NHS describes a brisk walk as about 3 miles an hour: you can still talk, but you could not sing. Your fast intervals should feel a step harder than that.
| Time | What to do |
|---|---|
| 0:00-3:00 | Warm up at an easy pace |
| 3:00-6:00 | Fast |
| 6:00-9:00 | Easy |
| 9:00-12:00 | Fast |
| 12:00-15:00 | Easy |
| 15:00-18:00 | Fast |
| 18:00-21:00 | Easy |
| 21:00-24:00 | Fast |
| 24:00-27:00 | Easy |
| 27:00-30:00 | Fast |
| 30:00-33:00 | Easy |
| 33:00-36:00 | Cool down |
A 4-week plan to build up
If you are new to exercise, start small. The NHS advises building up your walking gradually.
| Week | Sessions | Each session |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 3 rounds of 2 minutes fast, 3 minutes easy |
| 2 | 3-4 | 4 rounds of 3 minutes fast, 3 minutes easy |
| 3 | 4 | 5 rounds of 3 minutes fast, 3 minutes easy |
| 4 onwards | 4 or more | 5 or more rounds. Add hills or walk faster to keep progressing |
Interval walking and lifting weights
If you lift, interval walking is a handy way to add cardio without much impact on your joints. It fits well on rest days or after a lifting session, and the extra activity helps if you are trying to lose fat.
It also counts towards the NHS guideline of 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, alongside strength exercises on at least two days. Four 30-minute sessions gets you most of the way there. If you sync your steps to the free BarbellBites app from Apple Health or Health Connect, you can watch your daily average climb too.
Make it harder or easier
- Harder: walk up hills during the fast intervals, raise the incline on a treadmill, add a sixth round or shorten the easy intervals to 2 minutes.
- Easier: shorten the fast intervals to 1-2 minutes, keep the easy intervals at 3 minutes and do fewer rounds.
If you like this style of short, sharp effort, our guide to exercise snacking shows how to fit more of it into a busy day.
FAQs
Is interval walking better than normal walking?
Can I do interval walking on a treadmill?
How often should I do it?
Will interval walking help me lose weight?
Sources
- 1.Nemoto K, et al. (2007). Effects of high-intensity interval walking training on physical fitness and blood pressure in middle-aged and older people. Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
- 2.Morikawa M, et al. (2011). Physical fitness and indices of lifestyle-related diseases before and after interval walking training in middle-aged and older males and females. British Journal of Sports Medicine.
- 3.Karstoft K, et al. (2013). The effects of free-living interval-walking training on glycemic control, body composition, and physical fitness in type 2 diabetic patients: a randomized, controlled trial. Diabetes Care.
- 4.NHS. Walking for health.
- 5.NHS. How to improve your strength and flexibility.