Are you ready to feel better than ever: fitter, trimmer, healthier, stronger, more productive and happier? Those are not just the big promises of Walk1200km, they are the proven benefits of regular walking: it’s a brain booster and it’s also good for your physical and mental health. (Don’t just take our word for it; read the endorsements offered by those who have previously done the challenge.)

Anyone who can walk can complete the challenge, and it never needs to feel like a hardcore endeavour. It’s literally as simple as walking out your door and going for a stroll.

And that’s the beauty of the challenge – you can do it in your own time and at your own pace. Squeeze in walks at lunchtime, before or after work or on the way there, dropping the kids off to school, on big weekend adventures, on holiday (what better way to explore a new place than by walking?), on Te Araroa Trail or just around your own neighbourhood. 

Unlike an expensive gym membership or club activity, there’s almost nowhere you can’t do this challenge. 

And while it’s something you can do on your own, you’ll never be truly alone because thousands of Wilderness readers, and perhaps even your own family members, will be doing it too. 

Wilderness will support your effort to meet weekly and monthly targets. Each month we’ll be publishing your stories, sharing your photos and offering the chance to win prizes from our partners to help you stay on track.

Use the Progress Tracker to keep a record of your daily distances. Register and join the Walk1200km Facebook group so we can all support and inspire each other through the challenge. 

8 things to remember 

1. You can start Walk1200km whenever you like.
2. You need to walk an average of 3.3km a day over 52 weeks to reach the 1200km target – that’s just 35–45 minutes of exercise a day.
3. You don’t have to go bush – start by walking out your front door.
4. It’s not a competition: it’s your challenge.
5. Walk the greatest cumulative distance you can – 1200km is the goal, but any decent effort is worth celebrating.
6. If you can help motivate others, do it: share the challenge with friends and family.
7. Walk every day, even if it’s just a few hundred metres. This means you won’t have any motivation-sapping gaps in your Progress Tracker, and you can make up the distance later.
8. Share your success – if people see you doing it, they will be more motivated to do it themselves. Send us your photos, tell us your stories, join the Facebook group.

Next steps

• Stick your Progress Tracker somewhere you won’t forget it.
• Register for Walk1200km to receive regular motivation and prize opportunities.
• Join the Walk1200km Facebook group.
• Start walking!