If you’re in your 40s and you’re struggling with weight gain more than you used to, you’re certainly not alone. According to a study conducted by Brigham Young University published in the Journal of Obesity, the peak age when people gain weight is between 36 and 39, particularly for women. That means if you’re in your 40s, you likely want to shed at least a few pounds.
But losing weight in your 40s has its own unique challenges. According to the aforementioned study, the years between 40 and 49 are the second-highest timeframe for weight gain. “In your 40s, your body experiences hormonal shifts, metabolic slowdown and, sadly, muscle loss. This heavily contributes to the difficulty of losing fat,” says certified personal trainer Allison Goldsmith, NASM.
Related: We Asked 4 Doctors if Drinking Hot Water Helps You Lose Weight, and They All Said the Same Thing
Certified personal trainer and C.G.M. Fitness owner Cara D’Orazio, CPT, says that hormonal changes during the 40s make losing weight harder. “Hormones start shifting, especially during perimenopause, which can change where your body stores fat and how easily it comes off,” she says. Factor that on top of the stressors of work and family life, which D’Orazio says can make maintaining a healthy diet and exercise routine challenging.
Something that can help: walking. It may sound simple, but walking your way to weight loss is definitely possible. Here’s what personal trainers want you to keep in mind, including how many minutes a day you should walk.
🩺SIGN UP for tips to stay healthy & fit with the top moves, clean eats, health trends & more delivered right to your inbox twice a week💊
Peter Cade/Getty Images
General Tips for Losing Weight in Your 40s
When it comes to a game plan for losing weight in your 40s, certified personal trainer Renee Moton, CPT, says that a great place to start is managing stress levels. “So many women enter perimenopause or menopause stressed,” she says. Moton explains that when levels of the stress hormone cortisol are high, it can make it harder to lose weight.
Some proven ways to lower cortisol include regular meditation or breathwork, getting enough sleep, exercising regularly and maintaining a balanced diet. Moton says that high-intensity exercises can put added stress on the body, which is what makes walking so beneficial for weight loss in your 40s; it’s a way to exercise without overly stressing your body.
Related: Here’s What Your Cortisol Levels Can Actually Tell You About Your Health (and What They Can’t)
In addition to managing your stress levels, Goldsmith says that it’s important to set realistic goals that are attainable and manageable. Some examples of this that she says can support weight loss include committing to drinking a glass of water every morning after waking up, taking three full, deep breaths before eating each meal to support good digestion and doing 10 squats after eating to manage blood sugar.
“Another big game-changer is getting on a consistent sleep schedule. A good night’s sleep washes away metabolic waste in the brain, increases the hormone leptin, which helps you feel full, and decreases the hormone ghrelin, which signals hunger. Better sleep increases your metabolism,” Goldsmith adds.
When it comes to structuring your diet to support weight loss, D’Orazio says that it’s important to focus on getting enough protein. Scientific research shows that a high-protein diet supports weight loss by helping maintain lean muscle while losing fat, when combined with regular strength training. Protein also helps keep you full longer, which makes it easier to avoid unhealthy snacking between meals.
Related: Doing This One Thing Every Morning Could Help You Lose Weight Faster, According to Weight Loss Experts
How Many Minutes To Walk Each Day To Lose Weight in Your 40s
All three personal trainers say that walking can absolutely lead to weight loss in your 40s. “Walking helps more than people think. It’s low-impact, easy to recover from and you can do it consistently without burning yourself out. It adds to your daily calorie burn, helps with blood sugar regulation and, honestly, just gets you moving more without overcomplicating things. For a lot of people, it’s the piece that keeps everything else on track because it’s doable,” D’Orazio says.
According to a 2022 scientific article published in Nutrients, increasing daily step count by 1,800 steps through walking can reduce body fat by 20%. Remember how Moton said how important it was to manage cortisol levels? Goldsmith says that walking helps do exactly that. “You also improve insulin sensitivity so the body can utilize fat more efficiently. Walking leads to hormone regulation and metabolic boosts,” she says. This makes all the other changes you may be making to lose weight work even better.
In terms of how many minutes you need to walk a day to lose weight, all of the trainers say that this varies widely, depending on one’s starting weight, how active they are, diet and any underlying health conditions. But in general, Goldsmith recommends walking at a brisk pace for between 30 and 60 minutes, six days a week.
D’Orazio says this too. “You don’t need a perfect number, but aiming for about 30 to 60 minutes a day is a solid place to start. That could be one walk or broken up throughout the day. Even just focusing on getting more steps in can make a difference. What’s most important is doing it regularly, not perfectly,” she says.
When you’re walking, Moton says it’s important to pay attention to your pace, aiming for one that’s 70% effort. She says you shouldn’t be so out of breath that you can’t talk. Walking faster than this, Moton says, can put added stress on the body and raise cortisol levels, which is what you want to avoid.
While walking can help with weight loss, D’Orazio says that it’s most effective when paired with regular strength training and maintaining a balanced, nutrient-rich diet. “In your 40s, it’s less about going all-in for a few weeks and more about finding something you can actually stick with. The goal isn’t just losing weight—it’s feeling good, staying strong, and keeping it off long-term,” she says.
Losing weight in your 40s doesn’t mean suffering through excruciating workouts. It’s about finding gentle ways to move your body, eating healthy and managing stress. When followed consistently, you’ll find yourself not only losing weight, but also feeling energized and balanced.
Up Next:
Related: This Is the Best Cheese for Weight Loss, According To Registered Dietitians
Sources
- Tucker, L. A. and Parker, K. (2022). 10-Year Weight Gain in 13,802 US Adults: The Role of Age, Sex, and Race.Journal of Obesity. 2022:7652408. doi: 10.1155/2022/7652408
- Allison Goldsmith, NASM, certified personal trainer
- Cara D’Orazio, CPT, certified personal trainer and owner of C.G.M. Fitness
- Renee Moton, CPT, certified personal trainer
- Abraham, S. B., Rubino, D., Sinaii, N., et al. (2013). Cortisol, obesity and the metabolic syndrome: A cross-sectional study of obese subjects and review of the literature. Obesity. 21(1):E105-E117
- La New, J. M. and Borer, J. T. (2022). Effects of Walking Speed on Total and Regional Body Fat in Healthy Postmenopausal Women.Nutrients. 14(3):627
