Walk Your Way to 10,000 Steps

By now it’s common knowledge that the recommended step total per day is 10,000. The American Heart Association credits walking with  improving cholesterol levels, lowering blood pressure, increasing energy, improving bone strength, and preventing weight gain. These are tremendous health benefits for such a simple activity. While most people may start the day with every intention of reaching their step goals, often times the day gets away from them and the total isn’t achieved. When looking at the day’s activities, if there doesn’t seem to be time to add a walk anywhere, there are some easy ways to get the steps in without scheduling a workout.

First, download a step tracker such as Argus. What’s nice about Argus is that it can be downloaded to a phone. Most people have phones on them throughout the day so it’s an easy way to track steps without paying money for a device. Once a step tracker is added to a phone, the app will count steps. Believe it or not, they app is extremely accurate. Now it’s time to add some steps into the day without incorporating a workout.

Walk During Lunch

This may seem like scheduling an exercise, but it isn’t. If you’re going out for lunch, try walking to a place nearby instead of driving. The walk to and from the desired location is guaranteed to increase steps and will also help with the digestion of food. If bringing a lunch, try walking for a short time during lunch time or a break. Even 5 to 10 minutes will help accumulate quite a few steps.

Take The Long Way

At home or work, everyone develops certain walking patterns that become routine. Try changing it up a little. Look for the route that will take the most steps and go that way. The results may not be that many additional steps at first, but throughout the day the steps will add up with each instance. Even at home, it’s possible to add steps when going places. Take a look at the room and determine where additional steps can be added.

Park Further Away

Often times people circle the parking lot looking for the closest spot. Turn this around and park as far away as possible from your destination to add steps in during the day. This may not be ideal during winter months, but do it anyway. The cold weather may help with kicking up the pace for an even better walking workout. Eventually, it will become second habit to park far away.

Cook and Move

Cooking requires standing so why not stand and step in place? Keep those feet moving while stirring something on the stove. Don’t just stand in place when prepping something, accumulate those steps. The only time feet should be planted on the ground is when cutting something. Otherwise, feel should always be in motion. Play a little music to help keep motivation up. Most importantly, never sit.

Make Commercials Your Friends

At the end of a long day most people relax with little tv. Replacing tv time with exercise is ideal, but not everyone has the energy after a long day. Use television breaks to get in some steps.

Walk around the room, or step in place, when commercials air. A three minute commercial break can add quite a few extra steps. Keep this up during every commercial break to help reach the 10,000 goal. It’s a simple way to fit exercise in when the gym isn’t an option.

Christin currently teaches English in a Chicago suburb. Her time as a teacher helped her understand the importance of physical and mental health. Because of her interest in health, she went back to school and received a Masters of Arts in School and Community Counseling. With a desire to help others, Christin began blogging in the hopes of showing others how physical health can lead to a happier life.

Main Photo Credit: Thomas Zsebok/shutterstock.com; Second Photo Credit: photographee.eu/shutterstock.com; Third Photo Credit: Halfpoint/shutterstock.com; Fourth Photo Credit: Concept Photo/shutterstock.com