Somewhere between a leisurely stroll and an all-out sprint lies interval walking training. Beloved by many users on TikTok, this method turns the world’s simplest exercise—putting one foot in front of the other—into a surprisingly effective cardio workout that boosts endurance and strengthens the heart, all while being accessible and kind on your joints.

Keep reading to discover everything worth knowing about interval walking training—including its benefits, how to do it, and beyond—according to fitness pros.

What Is Interval Walking Training?

Interval walking training (IWT) involves alternating periods of high-intensity power walking with periods of recovery walking.

One popular version of IWT involves doing three minutes of moderate walking followed by three minutes of higher-intensity walking, repeated for five rounds and a total of 30 minutes. This method came from a 2007 study conducted in Japan and published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings that found that the practice offers impressive health benefits—and it’s why you may also see interval walking training referred to as the “Japanese walking method” or just “Japanese walking.” 

In the study, the researchers split participants into three groups: one with no walking training, one with continuous walking at moderate intensity, and the last with high-intensity IWT. Within five months, participants in the IWT group (who walked four days per week) saw significant increases in peak aerobic capacity (i.e., VO2 max) and greater reductions in resting systolic blood pressure compared to continuous walkers. The researchers also noted that IWT may help prevent age-related declines in thigh muscle strength.

Interval Walking Training vs. HIIT

IWT and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) are both forms of interval training. 

“HIIT comes with the belief that the intervals need to alternate between very high intensities and low-moderate recovery intensities,” says Alex Rothstein, a certified exercise physiologist and the program coordinator of exercise science at the New York Institute of Technology. HIIT can be done with a variety of exercise modalities, including resistance intervals, running, cycling, and calisthenics.

Interval walking training uses these same principles—boosting your heart rate and effort during the higher exertion intervals, followed by active recovery—but it simply uses walking as the modality. 

In fact, when done with enough intensity, IWT can be HIIT. The key for any interval training workout (including IWT) to qualify as HIIT is that you need to reach a true high intensity effort level during your work intervals. That equates to heart rate training zones 4 or 5 or at least a 7 out of 10 rate of perceived exertion (RPE). If you can do so, interval walking may be a safer and more accessible option for HIIT compared to high-impact, explosive, or heavy weighted exercises. 

The Benefits of Interval Walking Training

Interval walking training boasts a handful of benefits for short- and long-term gains. Here’s what you might score by trying the trending walking routine for yourself.

1. Improves Cardio Fitness

“The great thing about interval walking is that you can take your heart rate to different levels,” says Peloton instructor Kirsten Ferguson. During the high-intensity intervals specifically, you raise your heart rate, challenging your cardiovascular system and pushing it to become more efficient.

As the original Japanese IWT study found, this method of training improved VO2 max (a gold standard measure of aerobic fitness that’s associated with better cardiovascular health and increased longevity) and blood pressure (healthy levels of which can also help keep cardiovascular disease at bay).

Plus, IWT can count towards the minimum 150 minutes of moderate-intensity (or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity) aerobic physical activity a week that’s recommended for adults by health organizations like the Department of Health and Human Services and the World Health Organization (WHO).

2. Keeps It Low Impact

Walking workouts tend to be underrated, yet they’re finally getting their well-deserved spotlight. Among other benefits, interval walking training places low impact on your body and joints, Kirsten says. Low-impact exercise puts less stress on the joints by limiting movements that are jarring, like explosive exercises or plyometrics. 

Interval walking, specifically, is a valuable cardio alternative to the high-impact workout of running. The low-impact nature of interval walking makes it accessible for people of varying ages and fitness levels. It also makes IWT a great place to start when getting back into a fitness routine or for an active recovery day, Kirsten says.

3. Combats Boredom—and Is Easy to Get Done

The changing intensity of IWT keeps things interesting and breaks up the monotony of walking at the same pace for the same amount of time. Compared to strolling at a consistent speed, IWT can be more enjoyable to do and thus easier to stay consistent with, which is important for reaping the health benefits of exercise and ultimately seeing results. According to a 2024 review in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, adherence to IWT in short-term studies (of up to 6 months) is high, typically ranging from 80 to 100 percent.

Not to mention, interval walking training doesn’t require any fancy equipment. You can just as easily do it on the sidewalk, on a track, at the park, or on your Peloton Tread.

4. Offers an Accessible Challenge

Walking is arguably the simplest form of exercise out there. Interval walking training serves as an excellent way to increase the overall intensity of a walking session so it pushes your body to get fitter, Rothstein says. And there’s no real ceiling—you can always pick up the pace as your body adapts.

5. May Improve Body Composition and Metabolic Health

According to a 2013 study published in the journal Diabetes Care, longer interval walks of 60 minutes—which still alternated three minutes each of high-intensity and moderate-intensity walking, but bumped up the cadence to five times a week—were effective in improving body composition in older adults with type 2 diabetes compared to participants in a continuous walking group. The IWT group not only experienced decreases in body mass, fat mass, and visceral fat but also improved blood sugar control, which is vital for preventing long-term complications of the disease. 

How to Structure an Interval Walk

There are countless ways to do interval walking training. You can play with the length of your intervals, number of rounds, and the speed or intensity at which you’re walking. 

That said, the method used in the 2007 Japanese study is a great place to start. Here’s how to try it:

How to Get Started with Interval Walking

Make It Easier, If Needed

New to interval walking? Start smaller—for example, doing 2-minute intervals instead of 3 minutes, or three rounds instead of five—and build from there. Kirsten recommends the former route, suggesting to kick things off with shorter work intervals and increasing them over time. 

Walk Consistently

As for when and how often to include interval walking in your routine? While the original study calls for doing IWT four times a week, that’s not a rule. You can slot in IWT instead of your usual cardio workout, or make a goal to do it 2–4 times per week. Don’t forget to balance out your weekly routine with at least two days of strength training and some flexibility work too.

Dial Up the Intensity As You Adapt

As you begin to find your groove and complete the full IWT routine, Rothstein says it’s crucial to accurately monitor intensity and become comfortable with challenging yourself with higher intensities safely. 

“Being able to make the exercise intense enough to push yourself while still being able to maintain this intensity for three consecutive minutes is not always easy to do,” he says, “but with practice, you will improve your ability to self-monitor and will also increase your tolerance to higher-intensity bouts of exercise.”

To ensure you’re still pushing your limits, Rothstein suggests walking at a faster pace and/or adding inclines to the mix. Want even more spice? You could also choose to walk with a weighted vest, which can improve cardiovascular health while also increasing functional strength and core stability. (This option is less suited for those with joint instability, back issues, or balance concerns. It’s also ideal to go slow and steady, choosing a moderate weight and starting with 5- to 10-minute walks to start.)

How to Try Interval Walking with Peloton

Ready to add interval walking into your regimen? You can follow the simple interval walking protocol above, but it can be a lot more fun with an instructor coaching you through the intervals. Enter: the Peloton App. 

Kirsten suggests browsing the app for treadmill classes like power walks and hikes. If you want to head outside, there are also audio-only outdoor power walk classes available.

“On the Peloton Tread, we have a ton of fitness-first walking classes available that include incline that will help build strength and power while taking your heart rate to different zones,” Kirsten shares. While incline wasn’t included in the 2007 IWT study, it’s a solid way to boost your heart rate and build intensity while still keeping your workout low-impact. 

If you’re working out on a Peloton treadmill, also consider Peloton’s Walking Pace Target classes, which will give you personalized target speed ranges to match an instructor’s cues. They’ll help you lock in your speeds for those moderate and challenging efforts, so you’re always hitting the right intensity—and can watch as you get faster over time.

At its core, interval walking training proves that you don’t have to tackle complicated workouts to have a meaningful impact on your health. By alternating intensity and recovery, IWT teaches your body to adapt, your heart to work more efficiently, and your mind to stay engaged. Best of all, research to date backs the benefits of interval walking, making it a TikTok trend that’s actually worth breaking a sweat over.