The Next Evolution: What is the Japanese Jogging Technique and How to Practice It

The Japanese Walking Technique, known as Interval Walking Training (IWT)—a low-intensity interval regimen developed at Shinshu University, Japan—is currently in the spotlight for being significantly better than simple 10,000-step walking.

IWT’s Core Protocol:

It involves alternating between three minutes of slow walking (Zone 1) and three minutes of fast walking (Zone 2).
Repeat the cycle five times for a total of 30 minutes, performed four times a week.

While IWT is an excellent, accessible exercise—particularly for those over 60 or those who find pure jogging difficult—if you are already fit and aiming for greater progress, I recommend the next level: The Japanese Jogging Technique.

Why Upgrade to the Japanese Jogging Technique?

This technique, which I developed based on the principles of IWT, is designed to be the ultimate sweet spot between fitness, longevity, and joint safety.

Benefit	Description
Superior Longevity	It reliably increases butyrate-producing bacteria (known as longevity bacteria) and activates autophagy (cellular recycling).
Cardiovascular Health	Provides enhanced cardiovascular benefits over walking alone.
Musculoskeletal	Works as a more effective leg strengthening exercise and a vital weight-bearing exercise to improve your bone health.
Safety	Despite its higher benefits, it maintains lower injury risks than continuous, high-impact jogging.

How to Practice the Japanese Jogging Technique

This is a hybrid routine that balances the endurance of steady-state exercise with the powerful stimulus of intervals.

Warm-up: Start with 5-10 minutes of dynamic stretching.
Phase 1: Steady Jogging (2.5 km): Perform a steady jog at Zone 2 intensity (60% to 70% of heart rate max). Adjust the distance based on your current fitness level.
Phase 2: Walk-Jog Interval (2.5 km): Alternate between a walk at Zone 1 intensity (50% to 60% of heart rate max) for about 3 minutes and a jog at Zone 2 intensity for about 3 minutes. Repeat until you complete the set distance.
Special Technique: Include backward jogging and walking for 100 to 200 meters in a safe location. This helps to mitigate joint damage and serves as excellent balance training.
Cool-down: Finish with stretching.

A standard session takes about 45 minutes (55 minutes including warm-up/cool-down). You can do this 3 times a week with rest days in between.

Maximize Autophagy for Anti-Aging

If possible, increase one of your weekly sessions to 60 minutes (roughly 7 km total). This prolonged duration is said to upregulate autophagy to a level comparable to a 72-hour fast, according to Dr. Tommy Wood, an associate professor of pediatrics and neuroscience at the University of Washington.

The Hybrid Advantage for Joint Health

By making half of your session an interval, you lower the overall impact strain on your joints. Furthermore, the walking segment provides a valuable opportunity to meditate and makes the entire exercise easier to complete and sustain. This exercise is the sweet spot I finally landed upon for holistic longevity.

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