Interval walking training alternates three minutes of brisk walking with three minutes of slower walking, repeated for around 30 minutes. It was developed by exercise physiologists at Shinshu University in Japan and first described in the medical journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings in 2007, in a study of 246 adults with an average age of 63 (Nemoto et al., Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2007). The original research found improvements in aerobic fitness, muscle strength and blood pressure. It's a genuinely evidence-backed way to make ordinary walking more effective, not just a repackaged version of walking with a trending name.
Who this is for
You want to move more but the idea of a gym, a class, or a structured training plan feels like too much of a leap right now. Walking already feels manageable, and you're wondering whether there's a way to get more out of it without it turning into something more demanding. This is for you, and for anyone curious whether the "Japanese walking" trend they've seen online is actually backed by anything.
Where the method actually comes from
Interval walking training, sometimes shortened to IWT, was developed by Hiroshi Nose and Shizue Masuki at Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine in Nagano, Japan, in the early 2000s (Nemoto et al., Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2007). Their original study compared different walking approaches in 246 participants, mostly women, with an average age of 63, and found improvements in aerobic capacity, muscle strength and blood pressure in the group doing interval walking.
Over the five months of that original study, the interval walking group's aerobic fitness rose by around 10% and their thigh strength by 13 to 17%, while their blood pressure fell, and the steady-pace walking group saw minimal change (Source: Karstoft et al., Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 2024). Later research built on this. A larger study of 679 adults, published in 2019, found peak aerobic capacity improved by around 14%, with benefits levelling off at around 50 minutes of fast walking a week (Source: Masuki et al., Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2019). A small Danish trial of 32 people with type 2 diabetes found that interval walking, but not steady walking, raised fitness by 16%, reduced body fat by around 3 kg and improved blood sugar control, with a compliance rate of around 85% (Source: Karstoft et al., Diabetes Care, 2013).
What the method actually involves
The structure is simple: three minutes of brisk walking, where you're working hard enough that talking is possible but singing isn't, followed by three minutes of slower, easy walking, repeated for around 30 minutes in total. The idea is that alternating intensity gives you more of a training effect than walking at the same steady pace throughout, without needing to sustain a hard effort the whole way through.
This lines up with the NHS's own definition of brisk walking, a pace of around 3 miles an hour, where "you can still talk but cannot sing the words to a song" (Source: NHS, 2026). The NHS also points out that a brisk 10 minute walk counts toward the 150 minutes of weekly activity recommended for adults, which is a useful reminder that you don't need to do a full 30 minute session for walking to count (Source: NHS, 2026).
What the evidence doesn't tell us yet
It's worth being honest about the limits here too. A 2024 review by researchers including the method's developers found that people stick with interval walking well in studies of up to six months, but pointed to long-term adherence, particularly for people managing a chronic condition or living with overweight or obesity, as the main open question. It called for longer studies in real-world settings to see whether the fitness improvements translate into fewer long-term health events (Source: Karstoft et al., Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 2024). The existing studies are genuinely encouraging, but they're not the final word.
Interval walking training, alternating three minutes of brisk walking with three minutes of easier walking for around 30 minutes, was developed by researchers at Shinshu University in Japan and first published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings in 2007 (Nemoto et al., 2007). Studies since then have found improvements in aerobic fitness, blood pressure and blood sugar control, with one trial reporting a 14% improvement in peak aerobic capacity (Source: Masuki et al., Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2019). A 2024 review noted that longer-term evidence on adherence and long-term health outcomes is still needed (Source: Karstoft et al., Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 2024). The NHS's own guidance confirms that brisk walking, even in short bursts, counts toward weekly activity recommendations, so interval walking is a genuine, low-cost way to build on walking you might already be doing (Source: NHS, 2026).
Questions people often ask
It's interval walking training: alternating three minutes of brisk walking with three minutes of slower walking, repeated for around 30 minutes. It was developed by researchers at Shinshu University in Japan and first published in 2007 (Nemoto et al., Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2007).
No. It's ordinary walking done at alternating paces, so no equipment beyond comfortable shoes is needed.
Research on interval walking has found greater improvements in aerobic fitness, blood pressure and blood sugar control compared with steady-pace walking in the same studies, though a 2024 review noted longer-term evidence is still limited (Source: Karstoft et al., Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 2024).
Studies have found meaningful improvements in aerobic capacity and disease-related health markers, with one trial reporting a 16% increase in fitness and reduced body fat in people with type 2 diabetes (Source: Karstoft et al., Diabetes Care, 2013). It's a reasonable tool within a broader approach to fitness, rather than a guaranteed result on its own.
The studies asked people to do at least five rounds of three minutes fast and three minutes slow, so around 30 minutes or more, on four or more days a week, with fitness benefits levelling off at around 50 minutes of fast walking a week (Source: Masuki et al., Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2019). Starting with what feels manageable and building up gradually is a reasonable approach.
This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you are concerned about a specific symptom, please see a GP or other qualified healthcare provider.