The Reading / Listening - Japanese Walking - Level 2

Japan is often said to have the longest life expectancy. People live to be an average of 84 years old. Many people say this is because of a healthy diet. Another reason could be that Japanese people walk a lot. This has started a new fitness trend on TikTok, called "Japanese Walking". This is walking quickly for three minutes and then slowly for three minutes. Walkers repeat this pattern five times. Experts say Japanese walking is good for posture, lowering blood pressure, and reducing stress. It has also been linked to a lower risk of dementia. Doctors also say it can help people live longer.

Japanese people might not know about the term "Japanese Walking". Researchers at Shinshu University came up with the name in 2007. They conducted a study on fast and slow walking. The method is now popular worldwide. This is due to videos made by an Australian fitness coach and social media content creator. He wanted people to follow a simple exercise routine that had an easy-to-remember name. His videos have had 10 million views on TikTok. He said he wanted "to make fitness advice and scientific jargon a lot more accessible".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Japanese Walking - Level 0 Japanese Walking - Level 1   or  Japanese Walking - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.msn.com/en-in/health/other/japanese-walking-experts-say-wellness-trend-can-boost-strength-fitness-and-heart-health/ar-AA1Jyeuh
  • https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/japanese-walking-method-benefits_uk_68873afbe4b0b306e5bb55da
  • https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2025-07-31/japanese-walking-wellness-trend


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. have the longest life
  2. this is because of a healthy
  3. This has started a new fitness
  4. Walkers repeat this pattern five
  5. Japanese walking is good
  6. lowering blood
  7. linked to a lower risk
  8. it can help people live
  1. diet
  2. of dementia
  3. for posture
  4. trend on TikTok
  5. longer
  6. times
  7. pressure
  8. expectancy

Paragraph 2

  1. Japanese people might not know
  2. came
  3. a study on
  4. The method is now popular
  5. social media content
  6. follow a simple exercise
  7. an easy-to-
  8. scientific
  1. fast and slow walking
  2. remember name
  3. routine
  4. up with the name
  5. jargon
  6. about the term
  7. creator
  8. worldwide

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Japan is often said to have (1) _________________________________________________ expectancy. People live to be (2) _________________________________________________ 84 years old. Many people say this is because of a healthy diet. Another reason could be that Japanese people walk a lot. This has started a new (3) _________________________________________________ TikTok, called "Japanese Walking". This is (4) _________________________________________________ three minutes and then slowly for three minutes. Walkers repeat this pattern five times. Experts say Japanese walking is good for posture, (5) _________________________________________________, and reducing stress. It has also been linked to a (6) _________________________________________________ dementia. Doctors also say it can help people live longer.

Japanese people might not know (7) _________________________________________________ "Japanese Walking". Researchers at Shinshu University came up with the name in 2007. They (8) _________________________________________________ on fast and slow walking. The (9) _________________________________________________ popular worldwide. This is due to videos made by an Australian fitness coach and social (10) _________________________________________________. He wanted people to follow a simple exercise routine that had an (11) _________________________________________________ name. His videos have had 10 million views on TikTok. He said he wanted "to make fitness advice and (12) _________________________________________________ lot more accessible".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Japanisoftensaidtohavethelongestlifeexpectancy.Peoplelivetobean
averageof84yearsold.Manypeoplesaythisisbecauseofahealthydiet.
AnotherreasoncouldbethatJapanesepeoplewalkalot.Thishasstarted
anewfitnesstrendonTikTok,called"JapaneseWalking".Thisiswalking
quicklyforthreeminutesandthenslowlyforthreeminutes.Walkersrepe
atthispatternfivetimes.ExpertssayJapanesewalkingisgoodforpostur
e,loweringbloodpressure,andreducingstress.Ithasalsobeenlinkedto
alowerriskofdementia.Doctorsalsosayitcanhelppeoplelivelonger.Ja
panesepeoplemightnotknowabouttheterm"JapaneseWalking".Rese
archersatShinshuUniversitycameupwiththenamein2007.Theycond
uctedastudyonfastandslowwalking.Themethodisnowpopularworldw
ide.ThisisduetovideosmadebyanAustralianfitnesscoachandsocialm
ediacontentcreator.Hewantedpeopletofollowasimpleexerciseroutin
ethathadaneasytoremembername.Hisvideoshavehad10millionview
sonTikTok.Hesaidhewanted"tomakefitnessadviceandscientificjargo
nalotmoreaccessible".

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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