The art of Japanese walking with its alternating faster and slower walking is a great method for improving your speed and fitness. I have been doing it for years. But 3 minutes is quite a long time if you are not used to speeding up or have lost your fitness. I developed a method I call one lamp post two posts (although it actually involves 3 of them - I describe it in my book Go Walking). It was very helpful in getting me going after a long bout of Epstein Barr/glandular fever. As I was recovering, I started walking regularly and walked a bit faster between two of lamp posts, then dropping back to my original rather slow pace between the next two. Just that one faster section was how I started off. As I improved I started alternating fast and slow between successive lamp posts. It took me quite a while to build up to a adding more and more of the alternating fast and slows. But over a year, I managed to get back to a consistent faster pace as well as increasing the distances that I could walk. So if you are just starting out on improving your fitness, or if you are older, have been illl as I have been or are older and not quite so athletic as you were, you might find this a gentler and more encouraging version than the Japanese version.
Thank you, Rosemary, for sharing that advice. Your lamp post to lamp post way of measuring the alternating walking speed was a success for you and could be for others, too. Your book sounds an interesting read. I must check it out.
The art of Japanese walking with its alternating faster and slower walking is a great method for improving your speed and fitness. I have been doing it for years. But 3 minutes is quite a long time if you are not used to speeding up or have lost your fitness. I developed a method I call one lamp post two posts (although it actually involves 3 of them - I describe it in my book Go Walking). It was very helpful in getting me going after a long bout of Epstein Barr/glandular fever. As I was recovering, I started walking regularly and walked a bit faster between two of lamp posts, then dropping back to my original rather slow pace between the next two. Just that one faster section was how I started off. As I improved I started alternating fast and slow between successive lamp posts. It took me quite a while to build up to a adding more and more of the alternating fast and slows. But over a year, I managed to get back to a consistent faster pace as well as increasing the distances that I could walk. So if you are just starting out on improving your fitness, or if you are older, have been illl as I have been or are older and not quite so athletic as you were, you might find this a gentler and more encouraging version than the Japanese version.
Thank you, Rosemary, for sharing that advice. Your lamp post to lamp post way of measuring the alternating walking speed was a success for you and could be for others, too. Your book sounds an interesting read. I must check it out.
living in a walkable city has made the world of difference for my mental and physical wellbeing
Walking is good for us in so many ways. Thank you, Harrison, for your input.