Japanese Interval Walking Training

Most people know that walking is good for every aspect of your health, but this small tweak to your daily walks can give you a huge benefit...

That is just what Japanese researchers when they studied (IWT) Interval Walking Training.

What is it?

IWT is very simple, and it goes like this:

• 3 minutes brisk walking (it should be hard to hold a conversation)
• 3 minutes at a much slower recovery pace
• Repeat this for five rounds, or 30 minutes

What did they discover?

A study done in 2007 by Rose and Masuki compared IWT to continuous pace walking. The participants that performed IWT showed greater cardiovascular benefit than those who walked at a continous pace.

The study included 700 participants with the average age of 65 years and observed over the course of 5 months. Results for the IWT group included:

• 14% increase in VO2max (aerobic capacity)
• 17% improvement in Lifestyle-related disease scores (blood pressure, blood glucose, blood lipids, and BMI)
• Noticeable increases in muscular strength in the thighs

Why does this work?

These results are due to the low-impact interval training. This type of training challenges the heart and lungs, while allowing for recovery every few minutes. This allows for longer duration, thus increased benefits. Low-impact intervals are perfect for sparing our joints and reducing the risk of injury such as a strained muscle. Over time, this will improve:

• Cardiovascular health
• Blood pressure regulation
• Metabolic health (Type 2 Diabetes)
• Muscular strength

How to get started:

Find a safe place to walk for 30 minutes, such as a trail outside your office, outside your home, on your treadmill, or even inside a shopping center such as a shopping mall. Make sure you spend 5 minutes just walking in order to get your blood flowing. If you can, try to do this walk without your phone in your pocket. I have noticed on my own walks, my phone becomes a distraction, when I there is so much to look at, listen to, smell, and admire walking outdoors. I have noticed that if I just wear my "smart watch", and I do not look at my phone, time goes much faster, and I enjoy the time even more. This will add even more mental benefits and allow your nervous system to unplug from the inescapable digital world that contantly craves our attention. Have some water nearby so that you can prevent dehydration in the hot summer weather! Try this 3-4x per week, and you will notice the changes.

Bottom Line:

Motion is life! If we're not moving, we're getting older. Walking is a great way to get a full host of health benefits, and just speeding it up for a few minutes at a time will supercharge those benefits even more.