Description
Interval Walking Training is a smart and simple way to get fit. By alternating between brisk walking and slower paced steps, you give your heart and lungs a workout that’s both effective and gentle on the joints. It’s like getting the benefits of jogging without the wear and tear.
This style of walking burns more calories than a steady stroll, boosts endurance, and helps regulate blood pressure and blood sugar. It’s also easier to stick with because the pace changes keep things interesting. Just 30 minutes a day can improve energy, support weight management, and leave you feeling stronger and more refreshed.
Interval walking training (IWT) is also known as Intermittent Walking or Japanese 3X3 Interval Walking. The Interval Walking Training app is a simple way to keep track of when to change your walking pace.
How to Use the App
App usage is very easy and intuitive.
- When you’re ready to start, open the app, and tap the Start Interval Walking button.
- You’ll begin with a 3-minute long warm-up walk. Walk at a leisurely pace. At the end of 3-minutes you’ll hear a beep.
- After the warm up, the cycles of fast and normal paced walking begins. The background color changes to red, indicating you should begin a fast paced walk. You should walk fast enough that a conversation becomes difficult but not impossible. The app will count down 3-minutes and then beep.
- When you hear the beep, the background color will change to green, and it’s time to walk at a normal pace for 3 minutes.
- Interval Walking Training consists of 5-cycles of fast/normal paced walking. Every 3 minutes the app will beep letting you know when to change walking pace. If you lose track of which pace you should be walking a quick glance at the app will let you know – red background for fast, green background for normal.
- At the end of the 5 walking cycles, the app will beep 5 times to let you know the walk has been completed. Congratulations, you’ve completed your training and probably also completed about 5,000 steps. Tapping on the Done button will take you back to the home screen, ready for another walking workout tomorrow.
Tips:
- For best results, try to complete a workout daily. In general, walking is already one of the best exercises you can do and IWT increases those benefits.
- Be sure to keep the app open while you’re walking. I normally start the app, then put the phone in my pocket and listen for the beeps while walking. If you switch to another app temporarily, switch back to the IWT app. Your phone won’t ‘go to sleep’ while the IWT app is open. Another app may let your screen go dark and your phone will go into power saving mode. Power saving mode will pause the IWT timer until you unlock the phone. Not a disaster – it will just add more time to your current walking phase.
Settings:
- You can choose beeps, vocal prompts, or both for walking pace changes.
- For vocal prompts you can choose a male or female voice.
- You can switch to another app or lock the phone and the app will continue to run in the background.
- If you keep the app open while walking, the app will keep the screen active and prevent it from sleeping.
Screenshots
Where to Get App
Google Play Store
More info on IWT: