Interval Walking Training — Going Beyond Step Count

Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola January 11, 2025

STORY AT-A-GLANCE
 Interval Walking Training (IWT) was observed to help improve lower blood pressure,
depression symptoms and stroke risk while enhancing muscle strength and immune
system function

 Moderate-intensity exercise like walking is highly beneficial, with benefits increasing

from 2,000 to 12,000 steps daily without apparent upper limits on positive effects

 Japanese researchers have developed innovative walking techniques, including IWT and
slow running, offering accessible solutions for people of all ages and fitness levels

 Slow running and light-intensity exercise activates brain genes, increases neural activity
in the hippocampus and provides mental health benefits without requiring athlete-like
levels of discipline

 Walking is enhanced through various methods like weighted vests, Nordic walking,
outdoor nature walks, social walking and using the time for creative thinking and
personal development

The global struggle against physical inactivity is more relevant than ever, with the World
Health Organization (WHO) identifying it as the fourth leading risk factor for death
worldwide. In America alone, many people don’t get enough physical movement, and
that even just a slight increase will already have profound effects on your health.
According to a report published in the National Cancer Institute:1
 "If U.S. adults aged 40 to 85+ increased moderate-to-vigorous physical activity
by 10 minutes per day, approximately 6.9% of annual deaths could be averted —
111,174 preventable deaths per year. Greater benefits were associated with
larger increases in physical activity."

To curb health risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle, health experts and
government health agencies are now encouraging people to exercise more. And one of
the most effective solutions available to everyone is walking. It’s the simplest and most
accessible form of exercise, and new research puts it at the center of a new fitness
movement that will lead to improved overall health.

Japanese researchers have pioneered two transformative methods — interval walking

training (IWT) and slow running. These approaches are not only effective but also
adaptable for various lifestyles and physical conditions.

An Overview of Interval Walking Training

In a documentary titled "New Findings on Walking and Running,"2 Medical Frontiers host
Erica Angyal investigates the rising popularity of IWT and slow running in Japan as
solutions to curbing physical inactivity, especially among middle-aged and senior
citizens.

Originating from Shinshu University in Matsumoto, Japan, IWT is a structured form of

walking that alternates between three minutes of slow, relaxed walking and three
minutes of brisk walking. Initially developed for athletes, IWT has since been adapted for
all age groups and fitness levels.3

To quantify the effectiveness of IWT, the research team conducted a study involving
three groups — one that didn’t walk, one that walked 10,000 steps daily and one that did
30 minutes of IWT. The study revealed striking results:4

Systolic blood pressure in the IWT group dropped four times more than in the
10,000-step group. Diastolic blood pressure decreased by two and a half times
 Researchers believe that the risk of stroke will decrease by up to 40% when
participants follow through this habit for five years

Symptoms of depression were reduced by 50%

Sleep efficiency increased by 12%

These results underscore ability of IWT to significantly improve cardiovascular health

and mental well-being. Additionally, IWT enhances muscle strength, particularly in the
hamstrings, as well as boosts aerobic endurance. Specifically, the researchers noted
that participants who did IWT for five months had 12% stronger hamstrings compared to
the group who only completed 10,000 steps.5

Another notable benefit of the increased physical activity is a stronger immune system.
"I used to get sick often, but now, I rarely catch colds. It’s a major change," one
participant says.6 And this statement is not just anecdotal — published research has
shown that exercise boosts your immune system. Specifically, it produces anti-
inflammatory cytokines, neutrophils, leukocytes, natural killer cells and lymphocytes.7

How to Get Started with IWT

Walking is one of the best ways to boost your fitness level and mental health. That being
said, IWT is an ideal choice because it’s easily implemented. Nose Hiroshi, the creator of
IWT, outlines how to do it below:8

1. Start by properly stretching your muscles.

2. Walk with a small stride. You’ll know you’re at the right intensity when you’re able to
enjoy a conversation with a walking partner.

3. Up the intensity by walking with bigger strides. Your heels are supposed to touch
the ground first, then your toe.

4. Bend your arms at a right angle and swing them back and forth widely to help you
walk with big strides naturally. Aim for a speed that slightly tightens your calf
muscles.
 5. Alternate between three minutes of slow walking and three minutes of fast walking.

6. Aim for a total of 60 minutes of fast walking weekly, spreading your IWT sessions in
several days.

Slow Running — Upping the Intensity from Walking

What if you want to do up the intensity now that you’ve gotten used to IWT? Here’s where
slow running enters the picture. According to Medical Frontiers, slow running requires
more effort than IWT, but not so much as higher-intensity exercise. In essence, slow
running is regarded as a light-intensity exercise, but will provide similar benefits to
moderate-intensity exercise.9

The great thing about slow running is it allows you to reap the benefits without having
the high discipline needed to be an athlete. As noted by Soya Hideaki, Ph.D., a fitness
researcher at Tsukuba University, "Continuing moderate- to vigorous-intensity exercises
requires high motivation."10

Hideaki also notes that despite the lighter intensity, your mental health will still benefit.
Based on his research, slow running activates genes that improve hippocampal function
similarly to running normally. For context, the hippocampus is involved in learning and
memory, and prior research notes that exercise boosts the size of this region in your
brain.11

Hideaki and his team also conducted another experiment in his lab. They monitored
three groups of mice for six weeks — the first did no exercise, while the second did light-
intensity running and the third had vigorous-intensity running. After conducting tests,
the light-intensity group increased their hippocampal neurons 1.7 times compared to the
no-exercise group. Meanwhile, the vigorous-intensity group increased their hippocampal
neurons 1.3 times.

Experiments involving humans have corroborated these findings. Using MRI (magnetic
resonance imaging) scans, Hideaki noted that participants who did a light pedaling
exercise had increased neural activity in the hippocampus compared to when they didn’t
do any exercise. This resulted in better accuracy scores in a post-exercise exam.

So, how does one do slow running? According to the documentary, the key is to run slow
enough that you’re able to maintain a smile on your face. Be sure to maintain a pace
that’s similar to fast walking while keeping both feet off the ground when doing your
strides. For comparison, there is always one foot on the ground while walking.

Walking Is an Exercise That Can’t Be Overdone

Many Americans do not get enough exercise these days. And while getting back to
moving your body will improve fitness and overall health, don’t go overboard with it —
evidence shows that excessive vigorous exercise will also backfire. This observation
was published in a study12 by Dr. James O'Keefe and colleagues from the Mid-America
Heart Institute at St. Louis Hospital in Kansas City.13

In the study,14 the researchers noted that for sedentary people who start exercising, a
dose-dependent improvement in various health markers is observed. These include
reduced mortality, diabetes, depression, sarcopenia, fall risk and osteoporosis. However,
upping the intensity does not automatically mean the benefits increase. In short, there’s
a cut-off point to exercising to promote better health before it worsens.

Essentially, the study shows that participants engaging in high volumes of vigorous
exercise begin to lose longevity benefits. For instance, individuals in their 40s and 50s
participating in full-distance triathlons face an up to 800% increased risk of atrial
fibrillation.

From the team’s observations, it was noted that moderate-intensity exercise (defined as
activity that leaves you slightly breathless but still able to converse) shows a clear "more
is better" approach without apparent upper limits. This means that it can’t be overdone,
allowing you to safely reap the physical and mental benefits of exercise over and over.

In addition, moderate exercise, which includes walking (and by extension IWT and slow
running), is around twice as effective as vigorous exercise in improving all-cause
survival rates. Based on this information, there’s a "sweet spot" achieved through
moderate-intensity exercise that is consistent, instead of going for intense workouts.
When seeking the Goldilocks Zone for walking, O’Keefe advises:

"Clearly, more is better. You get the big gains going from sedentary lifestyles —
2,000 to 3,000 steps a day — up to 7,000 or 8,000. [Here] you have this very
steep reduction in mortality, improvement in survival. It continues to about
12,000 steps a day. Most of the studies show that it plateaus at 12,000."

Take Your Walking Routine Further

Most people will benefit from walking. Barring any serious health condition, I
recommend you incorporate it into your routine as part of a healthy lifestyle. The great
thing about walking, or any moderate-intensity exercise (IWT or slow running), is that it’s
free and can be done anytime, anywhere.

Learning how to walk as an exercise creates a strong foundation that will allow you to
add other forms of exercise. In fact, there’s already different ways to enjoy walking once
you’ve increased your fitness level and you’re looking for bigger challenges. Here are
different ways to spice up your walking routine:

1. Walking with a weighted vest — The extra weight engages more muscles, helping
you build strength and endurance.15 Be aware that if the weight is not evenly
distributed or if you compensate by altering your gait, it will lead to posture
imbalances and musculoskeletal issues, such as back pain or shoulder strain.

To minimize these risks, it’s important to start with a light weight and gradually
increase the load as your body adapts, while ensuring proper fit and weight
distribution of your vest.

2. Nordic walking — This involves walking with fixed-length ski poles and uses 90% of
your muscles, providing a lower and upper body workout in one. It also requires
about 18% to 25% more oxygen consumption compared to walking without poles at
the same speed.16
3. Walking outdoors — Engaging in outdoor walks, especially in forested areas, provide
substantial psychological advantages beyond those of regular walking. These
nature-immersed strolls have been shown to significantly improve mental health by
diminishing a range of negative emotional states.

Participants often report decreased feelings of depression, reduced tension and

anxiety, lowered anger levels, and less fatigue and confusion.17 Walking outside at
solar noon — wearing minimal clothing — will also maximize the benefits of sun
exposure. For tips on safely optimizing this powerful tool, read my article "The Role
of Sun Exposure in Optimizing Your Cellular Health."

However, if you haven’t eliminated vegetable oils from your diet, I recommend
avoiding intense sun exposure, as this can cause the omega-6 linoleic acid in your
skin to oxidize and cause sunburn. Go outside during early morning or late
afternoon instead. Once you’ve removed vegetable oils for at least four to six
months, you can go out during solar noon.

4. Walking with a friend — Adding a social element to your walks adds to the benefits.
According to my interview with O’Keefe:

"Exercising and making social connections at the same time, that is an

absolute goldmine of a longevity activity. That means that even walking
with your dog or your friend … is huge … The whole thing is to move your
body in a fun, playful manner and make it social."

5. Walking with a purpose — Take advantage of the time you spend walking for
creative purposes, learning or productivity. In addition to listening to audiobooks or
podcasts, use the time for self-reflection or brainstorming.

Deborah Grayson Riegel, who teaches leadership communication at Duke

University’s Fuqua School of Business, wrote in Harvard Business Review, "Charles
Darwin, Friedrich Nietzsche, William Wordsworth and Aristotle were all obsessive
walkers, using the rhythm of walking to help them generate ideas. And while any
 form of exercise has been shown to activate the brain, walking is a proven creativity
booster as well."18

Sources and References

1
National Cancer Institute, January 24, 2022
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 Youtube, NHK World-Japan, New Findings on Walking and Running - Medical Frontiers
7 Clin Exp Med. 2020 Jul 29;21(1):15–28
11 Trends Neurosci. 2020 May 11;43(7):533–543
12, 13, 14
Missouri Medicine March-April 2023; 120(2): 155–162
15
J Clin Med. 2019 Jan 4;8(1):41, Abstract
16 Front Physiol. 2021 Sep 3;12:726783
17 Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018 Dec 10;15(12):2804
18
Harvard Business Review February 2, 2021