Key Takeaways
Japanese walking may be better for heart health because it alternates between slow and fast walking, adding intensity without impact. Walking between 9,000 and 10,500 steps each day is linked to the lowest risk of dying from heart disease. Moving more is good for you, no matter what exercise you do.
Japanese walking alternates between slow and fast walking every three minutes for half an hour. Meanwhile, counting steps and aiming to get 10,000 has become a common daily target for those who walk for exercise.
Japanese walking may be better for heart health benefits and burning calories.
Japanese Walking Might Be Better for Your Heart
There is some evidence that Japanese walking, also called interval walking training, may improve cardiovascular outcomes to a greater degree than steady-state walking, said Dara Ford, PhD, RD, the program director of the Master of Science in Nutrition Education at American University.
“If someone is looking to add a bit of intensity to their exercise without increasing impact, Japanese walking may be an appropriate option,” she said.
One study on the practice found that it can improve aerobic capacity (VO2max) and lower blood pressure,
How 10K Steps Support Heart Health
While the study did show possible, modest benefits, many people did not meet the study goals, making it “a relatively weak study,” said Martin Binks, PhD, a metabolic disease scientist and the chair of the department of Nutrition and Food Studies at George Mason University’s College of Public Health.
He said any activity that increases the heart rate has additional cardiovascular benefits, but if the exercise is so burdensome, it may lead you to stop altogether. He added that it is possible to achieve health goals with plain old walking.
A recent study found that any amount of daily steps above the 2,200 steps per day was associated with lower mortality and a lowered risk of cardiovascular disease, and walking between 9,000 and 10,500 steps per day was associated with the lowest mortality risk independent of sedentary time.
Which Is Better for Burning Calories?
While the number of calories burned during exercise is highly individual, Ford said increasing cardio will increase the number of calories you burn. When exercising at a higher intensity, like with Japanese walking, you will likely burn a greater number of overall calories.
“Moving from steady-state walking to Japanese walking could also help break out of a plateau for fitness and support weight management efforts,” she said.
Japanese walking will likely burn more calories per unit of time, which is a benefit, Binks added, so if interval walking causes you to go further in a shorter time, it is technically more efficient.
Which Is Easier To Stick With?
Steady-state walking is likely going to be perceived as easier because it doesn’t include those three-minute push periods, Ford said.
However, a Japanese walking session should last about 30 minutes, while walking 10,000 steps can take as long as an hour and a half to two hours, depending on the person.
As a result, Japanese walking may be considered more difficult in terms of intensity, while accruing 10,000 steps is more time-consuming.
Which Option Is Best Overall?
The 10,000-step target was adopted as a recommendation in the U.S. following the convening of expert panels, said Binks. However, he said it is not based on scientific evidence and does not represent any “magic number” for health.
“That being said, moving more is good for you, period,” Binks said. “Lets not overcomplicate it; the best activity is the one that a person will do.”
The best thing for your health is to start where you are and increase incrementally, such as:
Trying moderate intensity walking
Adding more steps to your daily routine
Parking further away to increase your overall daily activity
“One of the biggest mistakes made when embarking on a fitness journey is going too hard, too fast, which can lead to injury and burnout,” Ford said. “Start where you are, progress slowly, and keep it enjoyable.”
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Nemoto K, Gen-no H, Masuki S, Okazaki K, Nose H. Effects of high-intensity interval walking training on physical fitness and blood pressure in middle-aged and older people. Mayo Clin Proc. 2007;82(7):803-811. doi:10.4065/82.7.803
Ahmadi MN, Rezende LFM, Ferrari G, Cruz BDP, Lee IM, Stamatakis E. Do the associations of daily steps with mortality and incident cardiovascular disease differ by sedentary time levels? A device-based cohort study. Br J Sports Med. 2024;58(5):261-268.doi:10.1136/bjsports-2023-107221
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