Flourish Health & Wellbeing eMag - Latest Edition - Flipbook - Page 18
What does the science say?
• Cardio 昀椀tness & strength jump
In a landmark trial of middle-aged
and older adults, high-intensity
interval walking boosted VO₂max (a
key marker of aerobic 昀椀tness) and
thigh strength more than con琀椀nuous,
moderate-pace walking. It also
reduced systolic blood pressure more
than steady walking.
• Intensity ma琀琀ers
Follow-up work shows the 琀椀me
spent at higher intensi琀椀es during
walking is a key driver of 昀椀tness
improvements in mid-to-older age. In
other words, those brisk bouts pack
the punch.
• Helpful for type 2 diabetes
In people with type 2 diabetes,
free-living interval walking improved
aerobic 昀椀tness and glycaemic control
more than con琀椀nuous walking,
without demanding gym equipment or
long sessions.
• Brain and artery bene昀椀ts
A randomised trial in older
adults found interval walking
improved cogni琀椀ve func琀椀on and
arterial func琀椀on compared with
normal walking.
• It 昀椀ts the bigger High Intensity
Interval Training (HIIT) picture
Broader reviews in older adults show
HIIT-style approaches (including
walking intervals) can be safe and
e昀昀ec琀椀ve for cardiorespiratory 昀椀tness,
body composi琀椀on and metabolic
health when appropriately prescribed.
Why it works
Short, repeated bursts of e昀昀ort push
your heart, lungs and leg muscles
to adapt — but the built-in recovery
makes the session doable. You get the
e昀케ciency of HIIT without needing to
run. For many Australians juggling 琀椀me,
heat and hills, that’s a win.
HOW TO DO IT
1. Warm up: 5 minutes of easy
walking.
2. Intervals: 3 minutes brisk + 3
minutes easy, x5 rounds (30 minutes
total).
3. Pace cues: On the brisk segments,
you should 昀椀nd talking in full
sentences hard; on the easy parts,
you’ll recover. If you use steps per
minute as a guide, brisk is o昀琀en
~100+ steps/min for many adults
(adjust to 昀椀tness level).
4. Frequency: Aim for 4+ days/week.
5. Where: Mix it up — local trails,
the esplanade, a shady oval, or a
treadmill on a warm day.
