Ideal Step Count for Menopause Weight Loss

Blossoming flowers and trees, fresh air, and a return to parks, hiking trails, and sidewalks are good for the body and soul. As the weather warms up (or cools down) you may feel more motivated to get in your daily steps.

Exercise is a foundational part of weight loss and weight management. Fortunately, walking is free, accessible for many, and can be an effective way to offset menopause-related weight gain.

Even better, a study associated walking with reduced menopause symptoms and depression, as well as increased physical self-esteem and satisfaction with life.

While walking may seem simple enough, understanding how to utilize it as a weight-loss method through perimenopause and postmenopause isn’t always straightforward. As a personal trainer, I’ve studied this topic at length, and I’m here to answer all of your questions and get you walking towards your goals today!

The History of 10,000 Steps per Day

Interestingly, the idea of 10,000 steps per day as an ideal target was a marketing tactic employed by a Japanese step counter manufactured in 1965. Ten thousand steps are equal to approximately 5 miles for the average walker.

While it is a relatively arbitrary goal, anything that motivates you to walk more every day is useful!

How Many Daily Steps Do I Need to Lose Weight?

One study found that in healthy postmenopausal women, more physical activity was associated with lower rates of obesity.

Based on the results, researchers recommended 12,500 steps a day for postmenopausal women to improve their health. While that’s an ambitious goal, it’s worth working towards if walking is your main form of exercise.

Steps, Intensity, or Both?

“Walking” can mean very different things to different people. While moving your body is always good, research indicates that doing any kind of exercise at higher intensities offers more benefits for your health.

So, while a slow and contemplative walk can feel good, walking gives you the most benefit when you do it faster. A broad study of people age 15 to 90 found that those who walked briskly had better markers of cardiometabolic health (cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar) than those who walked more slowly.

Another study following postmenopausal women with obesity found that those who interspersed jogging with their walking to reach high intensity had reduced abdominal fat compared to those who did only low-intensity walking.

So, while being active and moving during the day is important, getting periods of higher-intensity exertion could be potentially more valuable than those last few thousand steps per day.

How Can I Get My Daily Steps In?

Consistently hitting 12,500 steps daily is challenging unless you have a very active job. It may require some significant habit changes and effort on your part to make it a routine. Try these strategies to make hitting your step goal fun and attainable:

Utilize a wearable step tracker

If you don’t already have a wearable step tracker, consider purchasing one. Seeing your daily step count will help you stay accountable to your goal.

Take two daily walks of varying intensities

For many people, going for a higher-intensity walk in the morning and a leisurely walk in the evening is a great way to bookend the day and transition in and out of work mode.

The talk test is an easy way to gauge the intensity of your walks. Aim for a speed during your morning walk that makes continuous talking difficult (you may need to utilize some jogging intervals).

Pair other tasks with walking

Can you walk while taking a phone call? To grab a coffee nearby? To drop something off at a neighbor’s house? To pick up groceries at a farmer’s market?

Explore ways to “stack” walking with other daily habits and tasks so you can knock out two tasks simultaneously.

Schedule walking dates

Walking is a great way to bond with people and enjoy a natural flow of conversation while improving your mood and fitness. Instead of sitting at a coffee shop with a friend, grab your lattes to go and walk the surrounding neighborhood. Try setting up a weekly walking routine with a friend or partner to motivate each other.

Get into audiobooks and podcasts

Many people enjoy using a walk as their opportunity to enjoy an audiobook or podcast. You can find audiobooks at your local library, and podcasts for almost any topic that interests you. You may walk even further if you’re engrossed in a good story!