How to Get More Steps In Everyday

We’ve all heard that we should be hitting a minimum of 10 thousand steps each day. Most of us have Fitbits, smart watches, or other activity trackers that let us know how many steps we are walking, but what if you are falling short? Wondering how to get more steps in everyday?

Here are 10 Tips for Getting More Steps Each Day

We all know that parking further away or skipping the escalators can get us more steps each day, but how else can we boost our daily steps? If your pedometer isn’t giving you the numbers you want, it may be time to find new ways to get up and move.

1. Set a Daily Goal

If you’re just now starting a walking program, you need to have a goal that’s attainable. Setting a goal of 10,000 steps when you’re first starting out will more than likely set you up for failure. It is recommended to have a 2,000 step per day goal in the beginning and slowly work your way up. Wherever you’re at in your fitness level, it’s important to have a daily goal.

2. Break Your Goal Into More Manageable Goals

Once you have a goal in mind, you need to break that goal into manageable chunks. For example, you might shoot for 500 steps during each work break and then make it a goal to walk 2,000 steps during an evening walk. The key is to set smaller goals that you can meet that will motivate you to keep going.

3. Take Advantage of Commercial Breaks

If you enjoy watching TV, get up and walk during the breaks. If you don’t have a treadmill walk in place. If you do have a treadmill, get on there and walk as long as you can. You may soon find that you’re walking after the commercials end.

4. Take Breaks to Walk

During work hours, take a break every one to two hours to get up and walk. It might be to walk around the office to speak to coworkers rather than sending emails. You might also go and run an errand on foot, rather than taking your car. Either way, make it a point to schedule these walking breaks each day.

5. Go Shopping

If you hate walking, but love to shop, this is a great tip. When you get to the store, don’t just stop at parking as far away as you can. Once you get in the store, walk around the store a couple times before you start filling your cart. You’ll be amazed at how many steps this will get you. If you love shopping at the mall, a few power walks up and down the mall is going to do wonders. (Added bonus – it also gives you time to think about those purchases before handing over your credit card!)

6. Invest in a Desk for Your Treadmill

If you need something to keep you busy while walking on the treadmill, invest in a desk for your treadmill. This will allow you to use your laptop and chat on Facebook or play games – anything to keep your mind off the walk.

7. Walk While Talking on the Phone

Another way to get in more steps without really thinking about it is to walk while talking on the phone. You’ll be amazed at how many steps you can get in during a two-hour chat with a close girlfriend. This is one time when you don’t really think about walking. Make it a point to walk any time you’re on the phone.

8. Walk While the Kids Are at Practice

If your kids go to dance, soccer or some other type of practice, go for a walk while they’re in class. It’s a great chance to get in a 30 to 60 minute walk. If there are other mothers that you get along with, ask them to come along. Walking with friends makes the experience even better.

9. Get the Family to Go for an Evening Stroll

After dinner, get the family up from the couch and away from the TV for a good walk around the neighborhood. This gives you more time to talk about the day and to make plans for the next. You can choose to simply walk around the neighborhood or walk to a local park to play. Either way, get up and move.

10. Walk the Hallway to Get Those Final Steps

If you find that you still haven’t met your daily steps, walk up and down the hallway as many times as you need to meet that goal. It may sound silly, but it really does work. Best of all, you’ll feel great that you met that goal.

It’s not hard to get more steps in each day. You just have to have an attainable goal and look for ways to make it happen. Schedule walking breaks into your work day. Go for a stroll with the family each evening. Go shopping. Just make it happen!