Hitting the pavement for a good old-fashioned walk is a seamless way to weave more movement into each day. But what if we told you there’s a sneaky little walking trick that burns calories like running, without the joint pain? Enter interval power walking—alternating between periods of fast-paced and slower-paced walking. This low-impact, underrated form of exercise will take your brisk stroll to the next level, helping you rev up daily step counts while getting fit.
We spoke with experts to learn why power walking is an effective addition to your cardio routine, how it compares to running as you age, and the key points to acing your stride.
What Makes Interval Power Walking a Solid Calorie-Burning Alternative To Running
Power walking is a stellar choice of exercise because it helps preserve lean muscle.
“Running, on the other hand, can lead to muscle breakdown if you’re not eating enough to fuel it,” explains April Medrano, ACE, CPT, and master trainer and head coach at STRIDE Fitness. “And since more muscle means a higher metabolism, you’ll burn calories more effectively.”
According to Dr. Milica McDowell, a doctor of PT, exercise physiologist, and VP of operations at Gait Happens, interval walking can torch just as many calories as running, so long as you elevate your heart rate similarly to your running pace.
“Calorie burn is all about how hard you are working—and the type of exercise isn’t as important as your intensity,” McDowell explains. “If you are working in the same heart rate zone no matter what type of exercise you are enjoying, you’ll be burning the same amount of calories.”
Depending on your goals, aiming for a Zone 2 heart rate zone can help you burn more fat, while aiming for a Zone 3 heart rate zone torches more carbs.
Related: Should You Rotate Between Two Running Shoes? Here’s What Experts Say
Who Benefits From Swapping Running for Interval Walking?
Anyone who finds running challenging because of musculoskeletal, orthopedic, or cardiovascular fitness issues can benefit from interval power walking.
“Interval walking can burn the same calories [as] running (if you are at the correct heart rate zone), and can provide lower impact benefits that boost your overall health and longevity,” McDowell says.
Interval power walking is also more joint-friendly compared to running.
“With power walking, one foot always stays in contact with the ground, which means less weight and impact is distributed through the joints…walking is far gentler on the joints, making it a sustainable, lower-impact option while still delivering strong cardiovascular and calorie-burning benefits,” Medrano notes. “Running, on the other hand, involves periods where both feet leave the ground—so with each step, your full bodyweight lands on the joints, helping propel you forward but creating more impact.”
With age, maintaining and building muscle mass becomes more crucial than ever before. Interval walking supports that without risking muscle loss that’s often the result of “under-fueled” running, Medrano stresses.
How To Interval Power Walk Like a Pro
Perform a Proper Warm-Up
Even though power walking is lower-impact than running, it still calls for a solid warm-up. After all, warming up preps your cardiovascular system and connective tissues for what’s to come.
“Add at least a five-minute warm up to your session to ready your heart rate and slide, glide, and warm up your tissues to prepare them and avoid any overuse injury risks,” suggests McDowell.
Wear Walking Shoes
A pair of running shoes simply won’t cut it for interval power walking. Why, exactly?
“Walking and running shoes are engineered with different tasks in mind; so this is a time to wear a wide toe box shoe with a flexible sole, with less heel elevation,” McDowell explains. “These shoe features (boasted by brands like Altra Running, Topo Athletic, or Amazon favorite Whitin) allow your foot to function as naturally as possible, boosting foot and toe strength and mobility.”
Try the Three-On, Three-Off Pattern
Interval walking is an excellent way to level up a classic walk. It’s been around quite some time, and walkers love it for good reason.
“The resurgence of ‘Japanese walking’ [method] has brought it back to the limelight,” McDowell says. “This pattern is three minutes fast, three minutes slow for around 30 mins (plus five-minute warm-up and five-minute cool-down), and is a prescriptive way to try out interval walking to see how you feel.”
Add Weight
If you want to further boost the calorie burn and challenge your muscular system, McDowell recommends wearing a weighted vest or backpack. This will turn your interval walk into a rucking-style strength-training session.
“Typically, working with under 20 pounds, regardless of your body weight, can be appropriate. If you weigh less than 150 pounds, start with 10 to 15 pounds and see how you feel, then consider an upgrade to 20 pounds,” she notes.
Stick With a Flat Route
When you’re adjusting speed and intensity, McDowell cautions against adding inclines and declines.
“This would be changing too many variables at once,” she stresses. “Best exercise physiology practices suggest [changing] one variable at a time, adapt[ing] to that change, then moving on to another adjustment. Leave the hill climbing for after you’ve gotten used to increased speeds.”
