I went for a walk every day after 6pm for a month—here’s what happened

A woman in leggings, sneakers, t-shirt and a light jacket walks on a paved path. Brown leaves cover the grass either side of the path and we can see trees in the background.

I love walking, especially in nature, and I'm fortunate to have the opportunity to do that where I live. Before becoming a parent, I cherished evening walks to create some headspace before bed. However, with a little one, that’s not always possible, especially when the bedtime routine stretches past 8:30 pm. So lunchtimes are usually when I clock up some steps during my day to break from my desk job.

However, when a recent study from the University of Sydney revealed that exercising between 6pm and midnight is linked to the greatest health benefits for longevity, I saw an opportunity to rediscover my sunset strolls. I anticipated that early summer evenings would provide an extra mental health boost, so I tried it for a month. Here’s everything that happened.