Is it about the number of steps you take, or the intensity you have when you take those steps?

We’ve all heard it: 10,000 steps a day. It feels like a badge of honor when your watch buzzes, but the truth is the number has more to do with marketing than science.

In the mid-1960s, a Japanese watch company, Yamasa Clock, launched a pedometer called the “Manpo-kei,” which translates to “10,000 steps meter.” The number wasn’t based on research—it was catchy, memorable, and even looked like a man walking in Japanese script (万). From there, the idea spread worldwide.

Fast forward, and modern research has flipped the script. A 2023 study in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology showed that just 3,900 steps per day can significantly reduce the risk of early death, with each extra 500 steps lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease even more.

The lesson? Walking matters, but it’s not about hitting 10,000—it’s about how you do it.

Why Japan Gets Walking Right

If any country deserves credit for elevating walking, it’s Japan.

• Built-in movement: Public transit systems are designed around walking, making it a daily necessity.
• Cultural habits: Millions participate in “radio taisō,” a nationwide broadcast of simple calisthenics.
• Community support: Walking trails and local groups make movement a social ritual.

Japan also faces a unique motivation: it has one of the world’s oldest populations. Since the 1990s, researchers have focused on how to keep seniors active and independent. Their answer? Walk more—and sometimes, walk faster.

The Japanese Interval Walking Method

A breakthrough came in 2007, when Japanese scientists published research in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings. They studied older adults over five months and discovered the benefits of high-intensity interval walking training (IWT).

The program looked like this:

• 3 minutes of relaxed walking (50% effort)
• 3 minutes of brisk, high-intensity walking (70% effort)
• Repeat for five rounds (about 30 minutes total)
• Practice four times per week

The results were striking. Participants lowered blood pressure, gained leg strength, and boosted aerobic capacity—three essentials for healthy aging.

Walking with intention—not just distance—keeps the body strong for the long road ahead.

Why People Love It Now

In 2025, the method is exploding in popularity. TikTok hashtags like #JapaneseWalking and #IWT have millions of impressions. Walking clubs now rival running groups. Shoe brands are designing gear specifically for walking. Even rucking—walking with weighted backpacks—is trending.

Why the surge? Walking is:

• Accessible and free
• Easier on joints than running
• Flexible (indoors or outdoors)
• Proven to improve mood, focus, and stress levels

By adding intensity intervals, the Japanese method turns this everyday habit into a true workout—without the intimidation of a gym or treadmill.

How to Try It Yourself

Here’s how to get started with your own Japanese walking workout:

1. Warm up for 3–5 minutes at an easy pace.
2. Alternate intervals: 3 minutes easy, 3 minutes brisk.
3. Repeat five times for a total of 30 minutes.
4. Push yourself during fast intervals—lengthen your stride, pump your arms, and walk at a pace where talking feels difficult.
5. Mix in terrain: add a hill, stairs, or uneven path for extra challenge.
6. Repeat four days per week for best results.

Don’t worry if you can’t hit the full 30 minutes right away. Even a shorter session of alternating paces offers benefits.

Rethink Your Relationship With Walking

The Japanese interval walking method is more than exercise—it’s a mindset shift. Walking becomes less about step counts and more about purposeful effort.

Forget obsessing over 10,000 steps. Instead, embrace short bursts of intensity, consistency, and the mental reset that walking naturally provides.

Takeaway: Try interval walking—30 minutes, four times a week—and discover a simple, science-backed way to boost your heart, lungs, muscles, and mood.

References

• European Society of Cardiology. “Walking 3,967 steps a day reduces risk of dying from any cause.” European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 2023.
• Shimada, H., et al. “High-intensity interval walking training in the elderly.” Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2007.