If you thought walking was just a warm-up to your real workout, think again. Japan has a walking method that’s all the rage on TikTok and beyond. It’s called Japanese walking (or Nihon Aruki if you’re feeling fancy), and while it doesn’t involve any running, it could upgrade your fitness game.
What Is Japanese walking?
It’s interval training’s low-key cousin. Instead of pounding the pavement with sprint drills, Japanese walking alternates between three minutes of brisk walking and three minutes of slower, recovery-paced walking. Repeat that fast-slow rhythm five times, and voilà: You’ve clocked a 30-minute workout that’s deceptively effective.
The method isn’t just a passing social media fad. It comes straight from science. Back in a 2007 study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, researchers in Japan split participants into different groups: some walked moderately every day, while others did these fast-slow intervals. Guess who came out stronger, fitter, and with better blood pressure? Yes—the interval walkers. The results were so good, the researchers concluded that high-intensity walking could help fight off age-related declines in strength and endurance.
Translation: Walk smart now, and your knees, heart will be grateful.
Walking intervals aren’t just physical; they’re a mental reset, too. The practice encourages good posture, mindfulness, and an awareness of your surroundings. By focusing on rhythm and breath, you slip into a meditative state. Stress levels drop, mood lifts, and your back feels less like you’ve been hunched over a laptop all day.
Accessible and sustainable
Not everyone wants—or can—run. Injuries, age, or simply not enjoying high-impact workouts keep plenty of people off the treadmill. Japanese walking is inclusive, easy to learn, and doesn’t require special gear. It’s low-barrier, but highly effective.
Thirty minutes of Japanese walking gives you all the cardiovascular perks of longer, steadier strolls—and fits neatly into a lunch break.
Why it’s trending now
Japanese walking has exploded online, with global searches climbing by over 150 per cent in the past month. Fitness experts are praising it as the ‘anti-intimidation workout.’
In other words: no sweatbands, no Lycra bodysuits—just a pair of comfy sneakers and a willingness to alternate your pace.
Running may still reign supreme for calorie burn and speed, but Japanese walking is making a case for itself as the smarter, more sustainable movement practice. It’s accessible, efficient, and backed by legit science—not just TikTok hype.
So next time you’re tempted to skip a workout, remember this: lace up, head outside, and walk your way to better health, three minutes at a time.