Japanese walking on a treadmill
Japanese walking works just as well indoors. On a treadmill you alternate 3 minutes fast and 3 minutes slow, five times, and the belt keeps your pace honest.
- Warm up for a few minutes at an easy speed.
- 3 minutes at your fast speed.
- 3 minutes at your slow speed.
- Repeat 5 times.
- Cool down for a minute or two.
What speeds should I use?
Fast should make you breathe harder: you can talk, but you would rather not sing. Slow is a relaxed stroll that lets you recover. A reasonable starting point:
| Slow | Fast | |
|---|---|---|
| km/h | 3–4 | 5.5–6.5 |
| mph | 2–2.5 | 3.5–4 |
Adjust after the first walk. If the fast part feels easy, add 0.3–0.5 km/h (0.2–0.3 mph) next time. Taller people with a longer stride usually need a higher speed for the same effort.
Use incline instead of running
If you reach a speed where walking turns into jogging, raise the incline by 2–4% for the fast phase instead. It raises the effort while you keep walking, which is the point of the method.
Walking pads
Most under-desk walking pads top out around 6 km/h (3.7 mph) and have no incline. That can still work for the fast phase if you are shorter or just starting; if it feels too easy, take longer, quicker steps.
Keep your eyes off the console
Counting three-minute blocks on a treadmill display gets old fast. Ayumi has an indoor mode: it shows the target belt speed for each phase, lets you nudge it up or down while you walk, and cues every switch with a vibration and a voice so you can watch something else.
General information, not medical advice. Hold the rails when changing speed, and talk to your doctor before starting if you have a heart condition or balance problems.
Japanese walking: the full guide