10K Steps A Day Seems Difficult? Do It Like A Pro With These 3 Easy Ways

It is advisable to walk 10,000 steps a day to say active and fit. This number can come as a surprise to you and may seem difficult, but nothing is impossible. Be it at home, while travelling, or at work, this article will highlight some smart ways of clocking these steps without you even realizing it.

What you need to know:

Ways to get 10,000 steps
Benefits of walking 10,000 steps
How to get 10,000 steps?

Ways to get 10,000 steps

With many individuals working from home, a sedentary lifestyle has replaced an active life. Even people who go to the office hardly take time to walk, putting their fitness on the back burner. Many of us wear smartwatches to keep track of our step count. But how many steps are we actually walking?

You can generally go out for a walk and add those steps to your count. The balance steps can be added in the following ways:

While you are at home –

Getting 10,000 steps at home is challenging but possible. There are several ways to increase your step count without leaving your home sweet home.

Walking a dog is the best way of getting your steps in.

Dance like no one’s looking. Play some foot-tapping numbers on your phone or television and dance around. You can listen to our curated Spotify Zumba playlist here.
Participate in more household chores. Activities like sweeping, vacuuming, mopping, dusting, and cleaning can help you get more steps in than you can imagine.
Tea-break harder. While you are waiting for the kettle to boil, the cooker whistle to blow, or the microwave to ping, make the most of those lost minutes and walk around.
Walk the talk, literally. Take your calls while walking to get closer to the goal of 10,000 steps.
While watching television, don’t wait for the advertisements to run out. Instead, get moving during the ad breaks.
If you are working from home, sit less and move around more. Don’t keep a water bottle nearby. Instead, make it a habit to get a glass of water every hour.
Play with your kids and dance with them so the whole family can stay fit and active. Try playing indoor sports, like badminton or table tennis, with your family to get those steps in.
Avoid ordering groceries or medicines online. Rather, walk to these stores, so those steps are counted.

While you are travelling to and from work –

Get more steps in while you commute to and from work.

If you live close to your workplace, walk to work instead of taking a car or public transport.
Get off at an early bus stop or subway station and walk the rest of the way to your office and back home.
Take the stairs instead of the elevator and see how much difference it makes to your step count.
Take the long way instead of the shortcut to walk more.
Park your car away from the office or the furthest in the parking lot of a mall.

While you are at the office –

It is easy to get occupied with work. Be conscious and make it a habit of moving around every hour or so. Make yourself a cup of coffee, refill your water bottle, or go to the washroom. All these little trips will contribute to your step count. You can even set a timer to remind yourself to take walking breaks every hour.
Walk around a meeting room while attending calls and meetings over the phone.
Take a post-meal walk with your colleague. You can take a walk around the block or nearby park to get some fresh air.
Instead of sitting and working all day, craft a standing desk. Just shifting from foot to foot as you stand is a proven way to burn calories and keep back pain at bay.

Benefits of walking 10,000 steps

Walking 10,000 steps is equivalent to covering about 8 kilometers which can take about an hour and 40 minutes, depending on your stride and walking speed. Here are some useful benefits of why one should walk 10,000 steps a day:

Walking 10,000 steps a day can promote fitness, boost your metabolism, and help you burn calories for weight management.
Walking is a low-impact exercise which strengthens your heart and lungs, improving your cardiovascular health. Regular walking can reduce blood pressure and the risk of heart disease and improve circulation.
Walking is a weight-bearing exercise that can help strengthen your muscles and bones and prevent osteoporosis. It can also improve your balance and coordination.
Regularly walking 10,000 steps can increase your energy levels and reduce fatigue. In addition, it can also improve your sleep quality, which can bolster your energy levels.
When you take a walk in nature, this exercise can release endorphins and act as a natural mood booster. The next time you feel stressed or anxious, try taking a walk outside to improve your overall mood.
Walking daily improves the blood flow to the brain, which improves cognitive function and reduces the risk of age-related cognitive decline.
Walking 10,000 steps a day can also lower the risk of lifestyle conditions that include diabetes, strokes, and certain types of cancer.
Walking can help stabilize blood sugar. When you are physically active, the muscles use more glucose from the bloodstream, lowering blood sugar. Any physical activity at regular intervals can help insulin to work more efficiently.

How to get 10,000 steps?

Purchase a pedometer or a fitness tracking device to track your step count.
Invest in a comfortable pair of walking shoes, which are also appropriate for completing daily tasks.
Increase your walking in small intervals every day. Rome was not built in a day. You won’t be able to complete 10K steps in a day. Try adding 300-500 steps every day to reach this mark.
Log your progress in a journal to keep track of incidental walking (walking you do to accomplish daily tasks) and active walking (walking you do when you take time out of your day to gain extra steps).

Set a particular time aside for walks. It can either be early in the morning when you can get in a chunk of steps, or 4 p.m. to sunset also makes for an ideal time to go out and walk. You can complete the pending steps with a short brisk walk in the evening. You can listen to music while walking. Take a look at our Spotify walking playlist, specially curated for you. You can find playlists for other physical activities as well.
You can take up a new outdoor sport, like tennis or hiking, which can significantly increase your step count.
If you feel lazy about going for a walk alone, tag along with a friend or family member to get more steps in.

Remember, small changes in your daily routine can add up to big improvements in your health and fitness. Follow these small ways to clock 10,000 steps and leave behind health worries.

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