Interval Walking and Blood Pressure: What the Studies Measured
Does interval walking lower blood pressure? In the one randomized trial that tested it, people who alternated fast and slow 3-minute blocks for five months saw a bigger fall in resting systolic pressure than people who walked at a steady pace. The study was small, though, and it did not report the size of the drop. Here is what was measured, and what it does not tell you.
What the interval walking trial measured
The trial behind Japanese walking is Nemoto and colleagues, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings in 2007 (PMID 17605959). It had 246 men and women with an average age of 63, who were randomly placed into one of three groups for five months: no walking training, moderate continuous walking, or interval walking.
The interval group repeated five or more sets of 3 minutes of easy walking followed by 3 minutes of fast walking, at least four days a week. The continuous group walked at a moderate pace, aiming for 8,000 steps or more on four or more days a week. Everyone's blood pressure was measured at rest before and after.
The result: the reduction in resting systolic blood pressure was larger in the interval group than in the continuous group (P = .01). The authors concluded that interval walking may protect against the rise in blood pressure that comes with age.
What that result does not say
It is easy to read more into one sentence of an abstract than it holds. A few honest limits:
- No number. The abstract reports that the drop was larger, not how many millimetres of mercury it was. So you cannot take "X points lower" from it.
- One trial, one group. The participants were middle-aged and older adults in Japan. Your own result may differ.
- Many did not hit the targets. In the interval group, 11 of 19 men and 31 of 68 women met the exercise targets. Real life is hard on plans.
- It does not replace treatment. A study of volunteers says little about what to do if your doctor has told you your pressure is high.
What walking in general does to blood pressure
For a wider picture, look at the Cochrane review of walking and blood pressure (Lee and colleagues, 2021, PMID 33630309). It pooled randomized trials of walking against no walking. The 73 trials were mostly moderate-intensity walking, on average for about 15 weeks and about 153 minutes a week.
- Systolic (the top number) fell by about 4 mmHg on average, with moderate-certainty evidence (95% CI 3.01 to 5.22 mmHg lower).
- Diastolic (the bottom number) fell by about 2 mmHg, with low-certainty evidence (95% CI 1.07 to 2.51 mmHg lower).
- Reductions showed up in the age groups examined and in both women and men.
Those trials were about walking in general, not interval walking. They do suggest that the habit of walking itself is worth something for blood pressure, before any question about fast versus slow.
So is interval walking better for blood pressure?
Possibly, and that is the fair way to put it. One randomized trial favours intervals over steady walking for resting systolic pressure; a large review shows walking of any kind tends to lower it a little. Nobody has yet shown, in several independent trials, exactly how much more intervals add.
Two practical points follow. First, the most reliable benefit is the one you can keep up: a plan you do three days a week beats a perfect plan you drop. Our guide to the benefits of Japanese walking covers the other results from the same research group. Second, intervals are a way to add effort in a short session, not a requirement. If you walk steadily and enjoy it, that is a fine start.
How to try it safely
- Talk to your doctor first if you have high blood pressure, take medication for it, or have a heart condition. Ask what pace is fine for you.
- Warm up for 2 to 3 minutes at an easy pace.
- Fast phase, 3 minutes: brisk enough that you could say a sentence but would rather not. It does not need to feel hard; how fast you should walk explains the talk test. If the weather is bad, a walking pad at your desk works too.
- Slow phase, 3 minutes: an easy stroll. Keep moving; this is recovery.
- Repeat up to five times, then cool down. Start with two or three rounds if you are new.
- Stop and rest if you feel dizzy, short of breath beyond what feels normal, or any chest discomfort.
Ayumi times the 3-minute blocks for you. Every switch between fast and slow comes with a vibration and a voice cue, so you can keep your eyes on the path instead of a clock. Try Ayumi on the App Store.
A note on measuring
Blood pressure varies through the day, and a single reading says little. If you want to see whether walking is changing yours, take readings at the same time of day, seated and rested, over several weeks, and share them with your doctor rather than reacting to one number.
Studies: Nemoto et al., Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2007 (PMID 17605959; 246 adults, mean age 63, 5 months, randomized); Lee et al., Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2021 (PMID 33630309; 73 randomized trials of walking). Photo: Radik 2707, Pexels License, pexels.com. Results vary from person to person. General information, not medical advice; talk to your doctor before starting if you have high blood pressure or a heart condition.