Don't have time for 10,000 steps a day? Try 'Japanese walking'

A fitness trend known as Japanese walking is , promising major health benefits with minimal equipment and time.

Based on interval-style bursts of fast and slow walking, Japanese walking was by Professor Hiroshi Nose and Associate Professor Shizue Masuki at Shinshu University in Matsumoto, Japan. It involves alternating between three minutes of walking at a higher intensity and three minutes at a lower intensity, repeated for at least 30 minutes, four times per week.

The higher-intensity walking should be done at a level that is “somewhat hard”. At this level, it is still possible to talk, but holding a full conversation would be more difficult.

The lower-intensity walking should be done at a level that is “light”. At this level, talking should be comfortable, though a little more laboured than an effortless conversation.

Japanese walking has been likened to high-intensity interval training or Hiit, and has been referred to as “”, although it is less taxing than true Hiit and is performed at lower intensities.

It is also easy to perform and requires only a stopwatch and space for walking. It requires little planning and is less time-consuming than other walking targets, such as achieving 10,000 steps a day. This makes it suitable for most people.

What does the evidence show?

Japanese walking offers significant...