I tried this 6,000-step workout and it’s a great way to build bone strength and reduce the risk of osteoporosis

Get fitter from home with this step-count workout

Woman exercising in front of a laptop at home
(Image credit: Getty Images / JasonDoiy)

I’m pretty time-poor, so home workouts suit me perfectly and mean I can squeeze in exercise during the day before I collect my kids from school. One thing I am trying to prioritize is walking and while I’d prefer to be outdoors, an indoor walking workout is the next best thing when I’m super busy.

This 6,000-step workout by fitness influencer YanaFit (who’s behind one of the most popular 10,000-step workouts on YouTube) is really fun and energizing. In just over 40 minutes I was more than halfway to reaching 10,000 steps.

Walking may be low-impact, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t work up a sweat or burn plenty of calories doing this home workout. Here’s what I discovered.

How to do YanaFit’s workout 6,000-step workout

Fast 6000 Step Challenge in 40 Min / Walking Workout For Weight Loss / Knee Friendly Workout - YouTube Fast 6000 Step Challenge in 40 Min / Walking Workout For Weight Loss / Knee Friendly Workout - YouTube
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Although you can choose a shorter 10-minute walking workout, you are too busy moving around with this workout to get bored and the time passes quickly. The countdown timer for each move helped to keep me focused, too.

My experience

Step workouts are great for menopausal women

When we walk, the bones in our lower body have to bear our weight and it’s this stress that helps to make them stronger and thicker.

So a walking workout is particularly helpful to women like me who are in the perimenopause transition, because we are more prone to developing osteoporosis (weak and brittle bones).

Another of my perimenopausal symptoms is waking up with joint pain and I noticed that after doing this workout a few times my joint pain had significantly reduced.

Low impact doesn’t mean easy

The older I get the more I realise that low-impact workouts suit my body better—I stopped running because it resulted in niggles in my hips and knees, and YanaFit’s no-jumping step-count workout is much kinder on my joints.

But don’t be fooled, it doesn’t mean that it’s easy. After 40 minutes I was in need of a shower and felt like I had a really good workout. Plus, when I checked my Apple Watch I’d burned over 250 calories!

It works your upper body, too

YanaFit incorporates arm moves, including punching (my favorite), so you’re not just working your leg muscles. While you’re unlikely to see any strength gains (you’ll need weights for that), it can help develop your muscular endurance.

When you put in maximum effort, it boosts your calorie burn too!

Shop walking shoes

If you're in need of a new pair of walking shoes, our guide to the best walking shoes can help. Are are the top three picks in brief.

Maddy Biddulph

Maddy Biddulph is a freelance journalist specializing in fitness, health and wellbeing content. With 26 years in consumer media, she has worked as a writer and editor for some of the bestselling newspapers, magazines and websites in the US and UK. 

She is also a qualified L3 personal trainer and weight loss advisor, and helps women over 40 navigate menopause by improving their physical and mental strength. At Maddy Biddulph Personal Training, she runs one-to-one and small group training for menopausal women who want to get fit to ease symptoms and feel like themselves again.

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