It’s not always easy to fit in 10,000 steps a day, but there are a few hacks that can help you boost the activity each day. It’s not about the actual number of steps, but a way to track your progress and a goal for you to achieve. Having a goal can be a real motivator. When you first start working toward 10,000 steps, you’ll probably find it’s not as easy as you thought, particularly if you live a sedentary life or have a job that keeps you almost chained to a desk. Here are a few ways to boost your steps every day.
You don’t have to do all the walking at one time.
At one time, only a full hour of working out counted as exercise. Then science stepped in and found that intensity and time both mattered and a half hour of intense exercise was just as good as an hour of moderate exercise. Then studies showed that you could break your exercise time into ten minute increments and still get the same benefits. A recent study at the University of Utah showed that every little bit of exercise you get will improve your overall health, even if it’s just moving briskly for a minute. Break down your walking into increments but do that exercise with more intensity.
Every time you go shopping or to work, you can get in extra steps.
It’s simple and saves money and sometimes time, just park further from the door. Some people spend five to ten minutes circling the lot to find the perfect spot near the door. Instead, park in the first spot you see when you enter the lot and add a few extra steps. If you have a choice when you get into the building between taking the stairs or elevator, always choose the stairs for more steps.
Make TV time walking time.
That doesn’t mean you can’t watch television. It simply means that at every commercial you get up and walk in place. A popular show will have tons of commercial time to get in a few hundred steps without interrupting your program. You can even use that time to get more done and throw in a load of wash or do some prep when your meal planning. Are you binge watching Netflix or other apps? Set an alarm clock and get up every 55 minutes and walk for five. It’s also a natural bathroom break.
- Take a walk during your lunch hour. That doesn’t mean you skip lunch, but either take your lunch or walk to the restaurant. If you take your lunch walk to a park to eat or anywhere you can sit and enjoy the scenery. If you have an hour lunch break, walk 15 minutes, eat and walk back.
- Bathroom breaks can add to your walking time, just use the bathroom on a different floor or one that’s furthest from your office. If you’re using the bathroom on a different floor, take the stairs.
- You can turn simple walking into a HIIT workout by varying the intensity of the walk. Just do one or two minutes of intense walking followed by the same amount of time or longer at a moderate recovery rate.
- Walking won’t replace a full program of exercise, since it has no flexibility or strength training aspects, however, it’s a good place to start and a great supplement for a full program on alternate days.
For more information, contact us today at LIV Fitness 247