Running has a certain image.
It looks like the epitome of peak fitness. The kind of exercise that proves something. When you run, you push through resistance. You push past self-doubt and override discomfort. You finish a session or a race and feel like you’ve achieved something.
For many women, running has been exactly that. A release. A challenge. A way to feel powerful in their bodies. Some ran through pregnancy. Some trained hard before children. Some loved the structure, the goals, the sweat, the sense of progress.
But then life changed.
You had your baby. Sleep became broken. Days felt longer. Your energy wasn’t what it used to be.
And suddenly, the thought of running didn’t excite you anymore. Your last run felt heavy and draining. Except this time, you didn’t have the energy for it.
You might have found yourself wondering, “Is it possible to do cardio without feeling like I’m pushing my body so hard?“
For years, I believed there was no substitute for running. Walking? It didn’t seem serious enough. There was no way it could give me that same feel-good effect.
But that belief is a myth.
Modern fitness culture glorifies intensity. The harder it feels and the more you sweat, the more it seems to “count”.
But your body doesn’t work like that.
From a scientific point of view, the body responds to consistent movement, not just intense effort. And walking is one of the most studied forms of movement there is.
Your body doesn’t reward intensity. It rewards consistent movement.
And walking is not a weak alternative. It’s one of the most reliable ways to improve the things many mothers actually care about: energy, mood, stress levels, sleep quality, and feeling like themselves again.
Regular walking has been shown to lower stress. This matters because for many mothers, life already comes with elevated stress. Broken sleep, overwhelming responsibility, mental load, and hormonal shifts all keep cortisol, the body’s main stress hormone, higher than normal.
In that state, intense exercise doesn’t help. For some women, especially when they’re already exhausted, hard workouts can push cortisol even higher. Instead of feeling energised, they feel more depleted, hungrier, and frustrated that the weight isn’t shifting.
Walking works differently.
Research shows that regular walking helps lower cortisol and regulate the nervous system. It sends a signal to the body that it is safe, not under threat. This helps reduce stress, stabilise mood, and improve energy over time.
Walking also plays a real role in weight management. Studies consistently show that people who walk regularly tend to maintain healthier body weight, have better insulin sensitivity and store less visceral fat. Reducing visceral fat is essential, as it’s linked to fatigue, energy crashes, and hormonal imbalances. Overall, walking makes it easier to maintain weight loss over the long term.
This taught me that sometimes, the most powerful exercise isn’t the one that pushes you to your limit. It’s the one that helps you become the healthiest, most alive version of yourself.
So the next time you want to exercise but feel too exhausted to face the treadmill or the pavement, still put on your shoes. Just choose a walk instead—one that feels good in your body.
Do it daily, with or without your baby beside you, and let the results speak for themselves. Over time, you’ll notice the difference in your energy, your mood, and how you move through the day.
