{"id":457019,"date":"2026-02-04T03:33:19","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T03:33:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/457019\/"},"modified":"2026-02-04T03:33:19","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T03:33:19","slug":"i-committed-to-walking-12000-steps-every-day-in-midlife-heres-what-actually-changed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/457019\/","title":{"rendered":"I committed to walking 12,000 steps every day in midlife \u2013 here\u2019s what actually changed"},"content":{"rendered":"

Walking<\/a>, it\u2019s safe to say, has exploded in popularity over the past few years. Thanks in part to a brief worldwide hiatus (we\u2019ll say no more), the humble act of putting one foot in front of the other has proven to be a lasting stalwart when it comes to boosting both physical health and mental wellbeing, too. <\/p>\n

It helps that low-impact<\/a> forms of exercise have never been more popular. Gone are the days of go-hard-or-go-home workouts; we know that, while HIIT<\/a> has its benefits, more sustainable sweat sessions can also pay dividends. <\/p>\n

But I\u2019ll admit: I was once in the \u2018walking isn\u2019t a proper workout\u2019 camp. Addicted to pushing my body as hard (and as often) as I could, simply strolling just didn\u2019t seem to cut it. All that changed, however, once I hit 40. Slowly, I wasn\u2019t seeing \u2013 or feeling \u2013 the same results from those high-intensity, high-impact workouts. I felt stressed out, achy and prone to injury: it was clear that something had to change. <\/p>\n

And I\u2019m not alone; there\u2019s myriad reasons why our exercise needs and preferences evolve as we age. Studies<\/a> show that high-intensity workouts cause levels of our stress hormone, cortisol<\/a>, to spike \u2013 a side effect that\u2019s even more noticeable in midlife, as fluctuating hormone levels leave us more susceptible to the effects of stress, which might be part of the reason my HIIT just wasn\u2019t hitting like it used to. <\/p>\n

So, when I was asked to try walking 12,000 steps a day, I was all in. Could a low-impact, mood-boosting daily stroll be the answer to my exercise conundrum, and would upping my ambles be the panacea for midlife that it’s claimed to be? <\/p>\n

\"person<\/p>\n

Anna Bartter<\/p>\n

My honest thoughts after walking 12k steps a day<\/p>\n

Full of enthusiasm for the challenge, I couldn\u2019t wait to get started. I was brought back down to earth with a bump, however, when the reality of what I\u2019d been asked to do became clear. Achieving my daily step count wasn\u2019t going to be as simple as I\u2019d hoped, and I\u2019ll be honest: my first week was fairly unsuccessful. A combination of everyone being home for the Christmas holidays and coming down with the festive lurgy curtailed my attempts and I languished around the 8,000 to 9,000 steps mark, give or take a few steps. <\/p>\n

After this less than auspicious start, it became clear I was going to have to actually think about how to get my steps in, rather than simply leaving it to chance. For me, this looked like walking to the supermarket rather than taking the car (bonus points for the strength session walking the heavy bags uphill home), walking to and from gym classes, and using my under-desk walking pad<\/a> more than ever before. <\/p>\n

Related Story<\/p>\n

But as the days went by, I started to notice more than just how long it was all taking. On the days I made a concerted effort to go out for a long walk, I really started to feel the benefits. My mood lifted, my mind cleared and I, without doubt, returned home happier for having lugged on my wellies and got outside. And the science agrees: studies<\/a> show that, in fact, so-called \u2018green exercise\u2019 boosts both mental and physical gains. <\/p>\n

\u2018Walking is an incredibly powerful tool for your mood and can shift you out of a highly stressed state in just a few minutes,\u2019 agrees personal trainer Edwina Jenner<\/a>. \u2018Even just a 10 to 20-minute walk can help \u2013 the fresh air and daylight can elevate you from feeling low to genuinely feeling far more positive about your day.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"person<\/p>\n

Anna Bartter<\/p>\n

And the benefits didn\u2019t end there: as well as feeling calmer and more balanced, I definitely felt a sense of accomplishment when I\u2019d ticked my steps off, further boosting my mental wellbeing. <\/p>\n

All this said, walking isn\u2019t a magic bullet, and (unless you\u2019re a total beginner), the experts advise mixing your workouts up, and incorporating strength training a minimum of twice a week.<\/p>\n

\u2018Walking is excellent for our heart health and is a great way to manage our stress, but our overall health will be in a much better place if strength training is also part of our weekly routine in midlife,\u2019 advises Jenner. \u2018From our mid-30s, we start to lose muscle mass and bone density \u2013 both of which accelerate with the hormonal shifts of perimenopause. It\u2019s vital to incorporate strength work to protect our joint health and bones, as well as support our metabolic health, thereby improving our long-term health outcomes.\u2019<\/p>\n

While I was swiftly sold on the brain-boosting benefits of 12,000k steps a day, when it came to the physical benefits my progress stalled. Full disclosure: I didn\u2019t notice any discernable difference in strength, fitness or endurance, even though I tried to incorporate hill walking and (on the advice of the experts) made sure I upped the intensity by speeding up my flatter walks, too. <\/p>\n

As for my body composition<\/a>, we know that walking can be a great starting point if you\u2019re wanting to get more movement into your life for weight loss. However, I\u2019m not one for weighing myself, preferring instead to assess how my body feels both in my clothes and in terms of my general wellbeing, and I felt, on the whole, pretty much the same as I always have. <\/p>\n

I\u2019m not a total novice, though. As a health and fitness writer, I\u2019m pretty active on the daily, so if you were to up your daily steps to 12,000 from a standing start, you\u2019d likely notice more results, if this is your aim. <\/p>\n

In terms of how well the walking fitted into my usual daily routine, I\u2019d be lying if I said it wasn\u2019t a struggle some days \u2013 and getting from 10,000 to 12,000 proved a real sticking point. Where usually, I\u2019d bash out around 10,000 per day without so much as a second thought, I found I got a bit unstuck around the 10,500 mark; achieving a daily total of upwards of 12,000 took a little effort. Not to mention, this month\u2019s weather has really not been kind!<\/p>\n

\"hiker<\/p>\n

Anna Bartter<\/p>\n

The expert view<\/p>\n

So, I asked the experts whether there is an ideal number of steps we should all be aiming for, and they all agreed that, in midlife when life is hectic as it is, consistency really does trump perfection – and intensity matters. <\/p>\n

\u2018In reality, there is no \u201cmagic number\u201d when it comes to steps, the most important things are intensity and consistency,\u2019 advises Eryn Barber, personal trainer at The Fitness Group<\/a>. \u2018When it comes to intensity, walking at a pace that elevates your heart rate is the aim. You should still be able to talk but feel slightly breathless. For consistency, make sure you\u2019re moving every day and try to increase the amount of walking you do incrementally each week.\u2019<\/p>\n

Importantly, though, don\u2019t allow your step count to become (yet another) stick to beat yourself with, Jenner cautions. \u2018I\u2019m not a fan of rigid targets, because they often create pressure and a stop-start pattern,\u2019 she says. \u2018The best plan is the one you can actually repeat. Consistency beats perfection every time, and walking shouldn\u2019t feel like another task you\u2019re failing at.\u2019<\/p>\n

The bottom line<\/p>\n

My biggest takeaway? Walk as much as you enjoy, but chasing steps might not be a goal worth your time. <\/p>\n

5 simple ways to up your daily step count1\/ Habit stack<\/p>\n

As a busy mum of three, I can\u2019t always spend an hour (or more) of my day walking, so I tried adding some steps into my usual routine. This meant I walked rather than drove to the supermarket, to the gym and to my weekly Pilates class. Yes, it took a little longer, but the payoff was worth it. <\/p>\n

2\/ Start small<\/p>\n

Like any big task, it can feel overwhelming to begin with. I coped by breaking the walking down into smaller, more achievable goals throughout the day rather than attempting to walk all 12,000 steps in one go. You\u2019ll be surprised how many steps you rack up simply going about your day. <\/p>\n

3\/ Make it fun<\/p>\n

Rather than meeting a friend for coffee, I suggested a walk (grabbing coffee en route, naturally!) This upped the fun factor and proved a winner both for my step count and my mental health. <\/p>\n

4\/ Rely on routine<\/p>\n

We know that there are lots of metabolic benefits to be gained from walking after meals, so I tried to use this to my advantage and walk for 10 minutes after breakfast, lunch and dinner for the duration of the challenge. It might not seem like much, but I found this was enough to tick off those extra 2,000 steps much of the time. <\/p>\n

5\/ Just do 5 minutes<\/p>\n

Think you don\u2019t have any time in your day to walk? Try just doing five minutes \u2013 it\u2019s a trick that\u2019s always worked for me. The chances are, once your time is up, you\u2019ll want to continue. <\/p>\n

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