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The ‘Japanese Walking’ Trend Uses Science to Maximize the Benefits of Your Daily Walk
TikTok is generally a terrible place to find advice of any kind, including health advice. Which is why when I saw headlines announcing that something called “Japanese walking” was trending on TikTok, I pretty much ignored them.
But even TikTok influencers’ dubious hacks and sometimes outright dangerous suggestions can be right once in a while.
As I have come to learn, exercise scientists actually confirm the viral trend of Japanese walking combines two science-backed hacks you can use to squeeze more health benefits out of your daily walks.
The healthiest way to walk, according to science
These days we’re all super busy. Which means I am always on the lookout for research-backed advice on how to exercise and generally stay healthy more effectively and efficiently. Over the course of the last year, I stumbled across two studies that both suggested small tweaks to your daily walk can significantly boost its health benefits.
First, a study published in the reputable journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B showed that simply varying the speed at which you walk nudges your heart to work a little harder as you accelerate. Stopping and starting as you stroll leads to…
