Getting more steps does not have to take extra time. Find out how to get more steps in your day while being productive and doing other things.
According to the Mayo Clinic, the average American only walks 3,000 to 4,000 steps a day, or roughly 1.5 to 2 miles. This is a far cry from the 10,000 steps per day that many sources recommend.
Luckily, whether you have a set goal for the number of steps you want to reach each day, or you just want to get a little more exercise, getting more steps doesn’t have to take a ton of extra time. In fact, you can easily get more steps while doing other things.
Read on to find out how to get more steps in a day while being productive.
Productive Ideas to Get More Steps in a Day
1. Take Your Time While Grocery Shopping
We don’t always have the luxury of taking our time while grocery shopping, but if you can budget an extra half an hour, grocery shopping is a great way to get steps. Take your time, compare prices, and wind your way through all of the aisles. If you really want to get more steps, try going to a grocery store that you don’t go to often. You’d be surprised at how many steps you get when you have to search for something!
2. Grab a “Stuff” Box, and Start Putting Things Away
If you are at home, grab an empty box and go to the most cluttered room. Start putting things away and put items that belong in a different room into your “stuff” box. When the box is full (or the space is clean), go to the next room and put away any items in the box that belong in that room. Keep going until you run out of time or everything is put away. Not only will you get more steps, but it will do wonders for keeping your home clean.
3. Call Someone and Pace While You Talk
When you’re talking on the phone, it can be tempting to just cuddle up on the couch while you talk. However, making a conscious effort to stay moving while you are on the phone can be a great way to get more steps in your day. Call a friend or family member and get moving! (Hint…If you want to get a lot of steps, call someone you haven’t talked to in a long time.)
4. Set an Alarm to Pace and Think about Next Steps
If you spend a lot of time sitting at a desk, it can be hard to figure out how to get 10,000 steps a day. One idea for getting more steps is to set an alarm for yourself to get up regularly and walk around a little bit while you think about the next steps for whatever you are working on.
5. Mow Your Yard or Spread Weed and Feed
I once set my fitness tracker while spreading Weed and Feed on someone’s yard and clocked over 2 miles of walking. Mowing and yard work can be good ways to get steps while being productive. (As long as you don’t have a riding mower!) If you have to mow anyway, don’t dread it. Just think of it as yet another way to get more steps.
6. Go for a Walk and Pick up Litter
It can be difficult to get more steps without walking every now and again. Make your walks more productive by bringing along plastic gloves and a bag for trash. Not only will you help keep your neighborhood clean, but you might meet some nice people in your neighborhood.
7. Pace While You Check Your Phone
If you have a safe space to pace while not really paying attention, you can get some more steps in your day by walking while you check your social media, read through text messages, and read the headlines. I do laps around the living room, but walking up and down a hallway works as well.
8. Park Further Away
I’m sure you have heard this one before, but it really does work. Any time you are not in a rush, go ahead and park at the far side of the parking lot. The further away you park, the more steps you get…Both ways!
The Key to Getting More Steps in Your Day
As you can see, there are quite a few ways to stay productive while you get more steps in your day. The key is to just keep moving. Any time you are doing something that doesn’t require sitting, get up and move around while you do it.
