I tried this 20-minute Japanese walking workout and I felt less stressed afterwards

Woman performing step workout in living room, looking at tablet on floor.

I love a good walk, but time and childcare restraints mean that I don’t get out in the fresh air as often as I’d like. So when I came across a short walking workout from one of my favorite fitness trainers, April from Yes2next, I decided to give it a try.

April’s Japanese walking workout is a version of the 3x3 interval walking workout, a routine that’s at the heart of an exercise plan devised for middle-aged and older adults by scientists in Japan. The original routine consists of five intervals of three minutes of brisk walking with three minutes of slow walking, performed four times a week, and a number of studies have shown a raft of health benefits.