Based on findings from a 2007 study in Mayo Clinic Proceedings [1]
Quick Summary: If you're middle-aged or older and want to improve your fitness and lower your blood pressure, high-intensity interval walking (HIWT) is more effective than regular moderate-paced walking. This 5-month study involving people around age 63 found that HIWT delivered bigger gains in heart health and aerobic fitness.
🏃♂️ What Is High-Intensity Interval Walking (HIWT)?
HIWT combines short bursts of fast walking with slower recovery periods. Here's the practical formula from the study:
* Walk fast (at 70%+ effort) for 3 minutes
* Then walk slow (at 40% effort) for 3 minutes
* Repeat this 5+ times a day
* Do this at least 4 days a week
Participants followed this plan for 5 months.
⚡ Why It’s Better Than Regular Walking
Compared to moderate continuous walking (MCWT), where participants simply walked 8,000+ steps per day at a steady pace (about 50% effort), the HIWT group saw:
* Lower resting systolic blood pressure:
* HIWT group had significantly better reductions (10 mmHg) than the MCWT group (3 mmHg)
* Greater aerobic fitness:
* Peak cycling capacity ↑ 8%
* Peak walking capacity ↑ 9%
Simply put: walking with effort intervals improves both heart function and cardiovascular health more than walking at a steady pace.
👥 Who Was in the Study?
* 246 participants (60 men, 186 women)
* Average age: 63
* Randomly assigned to one of three groups:
* No walking
* Moderate-intensity walking
* High-intensity interval walking
✅ Bottom Line
High-intensity interval walking is a simple, accessible, and time-efficient way to improve blood pressure and fitness—especially as you age. It delivers better results than just walking at a steady pace and may help protect against age-related health decline.
Check out our blood pressure app BreathNow which includes follow along guides with short exercises to lower blood pressure
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