A new walking technique is sure to put a pep in your step.
Interval walking training (IWT) involves walking at a slow pace for three minutes, then at a fast pace for three minutes, and then returning to a slow pace for another three minutes.
Researchers say taking long strides, and engaging the upper body by swinging one’s arms are key to getting the most out of the practice.
According to a growing body of evidence, this simple tweak to the way you get your daily steps could slash your risk of an early death and disease more than running on a treadmill can.
Raising one’s heart rate, even for brief spurts, improves blood flow to deliver oxygen and nutrients to all parts of the body, triggers the release of feel-good endorphins, strengthens the heart, burns calories, and enhances cognition.
And because it is less intense on the body than jogging and stair-climbing, the activity is easier on the joints, hips, and knees, and is a safe option for people who are older and more fragile, or new to exercise, to do everyday.
IWT was developed by a team at Shinshu University in Matsumoto, Japan, in 2017.
Their research showed that, five months of IWT, subject saw an average 10 percent improvement in overall fitness, along with long-term benefits including lower blood pressure and a 10 to 15 percent increase in aerobic capacity—equivalent to reversing cardiovascular age by about 10 years, according to researchers.
Interval walking training (IWT) is an exercise program developed by researchers in Japan that alternates between walking at a brisk pace of about five miles per hour for several minutes, followed by a slower recovery pace just slightly faster than a casual stroll
Walking is already one of the best forms of exercise, with studies showing a 30 percent reduced risk of early death, heart disease, and diabetes.
It’s low-intensity in nature, making it sustainable and accessible for anyone while still boosting oxygen flow and blood circulation throughout the body.
Walking gently strengthens the heart compared to high-impact activities like running, enhances lung capacity, and improves metabolism and other markers of chronic disease.
IWT enhances the benefits of walking.
Adding short bursts of higher effort elevates the heart rate more than maintaining a steady pace, boosts calories burned, and prompts a greater release of endorphins.
Participants performed five sets of exercises per session four or more days per week.
IWT involves alternating between three minutes of fast walking – researchers say using about 70 percent effort – and three minutes of relaxed walking, roughly 40 percent effort.
It is meant to be done five times at least four times per week. The entire five-round set including a warm up and cool down should take roughly 24 minutes.
Breathing should be heavy enough that the person is able to speak in truncated phrases, but not sing or have very detailed conversations. Researchers advise reaching 70 to 85 percent of one’s maximum heart rate.
If a person is not at least slightly breathless, the workout is too easy. But if they’re gasping for air, they are working too hard and should slow down.
They should also avoid slouching, clenching their fists, and recommend a straight, tall posture.
According to IWT’s co-creator Dr Hiroshi Nose, most exercise programs for older adults are hard to stick to long-term.
While gyms with treadmills and stationary bikes are effective forms of exercise that can track one’s progress, these can be expensive and hard to stick to long-term.
The researchers from Shinshu University and Jukunen Taiikudaigaku Research Center in Matsumoto published a study in 2017 that included more than 6,400 middle-aged and senior adults from Japan, the US, and Denmark.
They included healthy individuals and those with diseases related to lifestyle, including high blood pressure and diabetes, starting in 2007.
Two graphs demonstrating that adults who consistently followed their interval walking program over 22 months significantly improved their cardiovascular fitness, with the most committed walkers showing the greatest gains
Graph showing that participants who consistently followed their walking program over 22 months significantly reduced their risks for common health problems like high blood pressure and cholesterol, with the most active walkers seeing the greatest benefits
Subjects also wore a tracker around their waist to track steps, speed, and calories burned and signaled to the wearer when to go from slow to fast walking.
At the start of the study and at the end five years later, researchers measured their aerobic capacity, or how well the heart, lungs, and muscles use oxygen during exercise.
A higher aerobic capacity helps one run farther and train harder without getting winded. And a higher capacity is linked to a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, and premature death.
People in the study uploaded their walking data every two weeks to an app and got automated feedback and personalized advice from trainers about optimizing their time walking.
After five months, researchers identified the subjects’ peak aerobic capacities, blood pressure, and muscle strength. They also continued to track their lifestyle-related disease scores.
To see how well people adhered to the exercise plan, researchers continued collecting data for thousands of adults for about two years.
After five months, subjects saw an average 10 percent fitness boost. In the long term, they had lower blood pressure and an aerobic capacity that reached 10 to 15 percent – the equivalent, researchers say, to rolling your cardiovascular age by about 10 years.
Muscles became stronger as well, which reduces fall risks and improves mobility.
They also saw a 20 percent reduction in lifestyle disease scores, which look for obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol.
And overall, people were in a better mood, in part because people walked in groups, which reduced loneliness.
After about two years, 70 percent of people stuck with IWT, compared to roughly 30 percent for gym memberships.
Their findings were published in the journal Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews.
Exercise training is one of the most effective strategies for decreasing the likelihood of age- and lifestyle-related diseases. This promotes an older person’s sense of independence and enhances their quality of life in the rapidly growing elderly population of many countries.
