‘Japanese walking’ trend may be better than 10,000 steps a day — and you only need 30 minutes

Nypost ^ | 06/12/2025 | McKenzie Beard

[ChicagoConservative27]

Americans love to say they’re too busy to break a sweat — but a viral fitness trend is blowing that excuse out of the water.

Enter “Japanese walking,” a simple, science-backed exercise routine that promises serious gains in just 30 minutes.

“All movement is medicine, but if you’re short on time or want to get the most bang for your buck, this is for you,” strength training coach Eugene Teo said in a recent TikTok.

It’s long been said that taking 10,000 steps per day is the key to better health, with research linking regular walking to improved cardiovascular fitness, improved sleep quality and even a lower dementia risk.

But that magic number isn’t rooted in science. Instead, it originated from a marketing campaign to promote a Japanese pedometer in the 1960s

[ChicagoConservative27]

Can't I just walk like an Egyptian instead? (S)

[bunkerhill7]

But Japanese have shorter legs and smaller feet, so you only need 5000 steps.

[FlingWingFlyer]

An American Working trend can help too.

[Ancesthntr]

“ Can’t I just walk like an Egyptian instead? (S)”
——————
First, you have to get the permission of the cops in the donut shop. 😂

[Vigilanteman]

The word for the Japanese step counter is literally MANPOKEI which means 10,000 step calculator. Even if you live in urban areas and own a car, it may be used mostly for shopping trips and weekend excursions.

Normal commuting is mostly public transit, which really isn't so bad because their central cities are NOT $#*+holes like ours. In most cases, they are quite pleasant and even fun.

[Bigg Red]

Interval walking — 3 minutes fast and 3 minutes slow

Worth a shot.

[Mmogamer]

I do that everyday at work.

[Farmerbob]

Way-oh, way-oh, ooh-way-oh-way-oh

[Repeal The 17th]

Skip The 10,000 Steps? Japanese Walking Proven More Effective Than Continuous Stroll

06/12/2025 6:05:06 AM PDT · by Red Badger · 38 replies
Study Finds ^ | June 12, 2025 | Sean Pymer, University of Hull

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4323002/posts

[HonkyTonkMan]

Interval training. Been around or decades - it's not some ancient Japanese wisdom.

Many sports call them Indian Runs, Shuttle Runs, Suicide Runs, Ladder Runs, etc.

[JonPreston]

[9YearLurker]

That alternating pace was originally a Scandanavian thing: “fartlek”.

[T.B. Yoits]

With bound feet, 10,000 steps only gets you to the corner and back.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

But Japanese have shorter legs and smaller feet, so you only need 5000 steps.

Simple, tie your shoe laces together.

[BikerJoe]

Yeah, I did 13000 steps on Thursday, but that was getting in yardwork on the one or two dry days we’ve had between weeks of rain.

[mairdie]

Fascinating discussion. Learning something.

[ChicagoConservative27]

Ha

[Bon of Babble]

they’re too busy with work and other obligations to exercise at all.

They won't be busy with work or other obligations when their health starts failing b/c of a lack of exercise.

The Japanese "trend" seems to be interval walking for 30 minutes at least four days a week.

I get this every day when I walk first the small dog, then the big dog.

[jimtorr]

Many sports call them Indian Runs, Shuttle Runs, Suicide Runs, Ladder Runs, etc.

When I was running track and cross country in Oregon in the 1970's, we called it Fartlek. It's a training method in use in Europe since the 1930's.

[HartleyMBaldwin]

I prefer to walk like a camel, if I can get enough oatmeal pies.