How To Reach Your Daily Step Goal - 10 Tips to Get 10000 Steps!

Are you looking for more ways to get active? If you have found that “pandemic life” has meant spending more time sitting - often in front of a screen - you’re not alone! The last two years have changed daily life for everyone in one way or another, and most of us have found that moving less has been one of those changes. The long awaited “return to normality” is now well and truly underway. But for many, making physical activity a priority each day is still proving to be a struggle - sometimes due to work, lack of motivation, the cost of a gym membership or an already jam-packed schedule! So, is there an easy way to stay active without the struggle of time, money and desire to want to?

Is Walking Good Exercise? What Are The Benefits of Walking?

These days it's easy for us to overcomplicate what exercise must involve. However, health experts say that good old fashioned walking is a great and simple way to improve your overall health! That’s right - walking. And the good news with that is - you don’t need any fancy equipment or gym membership to do it! Although it's true that testing your limits with a full body workout has a long list of benefits, walking is not to be underrated for its own health perks. For starters, walking is considered to be a “weight bearing exercise,” as you have to carry your entire body’s weight to do it. In addition, Australia’s Heart Foundation has proven that walking for an average of just 30 minutes per day can lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes by 30 to 40%! Some other serious benefits of walking include:

• Improves bone health
• Improves coordination
• Assists with weight loss and management
• Increases muscle strength
• Improves heart and lung health
• Reduces the risk of cancer
• Improves posture
• Aids mental wellbeing
• Delays the onset of dementia

As you can see, staying active by walking is not to be underestimated! But, how much should you walk each day?

Do You Need to Walk 10000 Steps a Day?

You may have heard the age old rule that 10000 steps is the ideal benchmark when it comes to daily movement. Surprisingly, this idea didn’t originate from scientific research, but rather, a 1965 pedometer designed by Japanese company "Yamasa Clock." The pedometer was named the “10000 steps meter,” and with that it set a precedent that guided the minds of future fitness enthusiasts.

Modern science suggests that, while there can be benefits of walking 10000 steps a day, there is no hard and fast rule as to the number of steps that are best. After all, every person’s age and circumstances play a great deal in what’s physically possible for them to accomplish. It is proven, however, that the more steps you can strive to achieve, the better your health will be - both now and in the long run.

The current Australian guidelines recommend a minimum of 2.5 hours (150 minutes) of moderate intensity physical activity a week, equating to around 30 minutes per day. Half an hour of activity corresponds to about 3,000 to 4,000 steps at a moderate pace.

Setting goals is the key! This plain fact has also contributed to the mainstream daily step goal being ten thousand, and for many it has been the motivating target they need to set to be more active.

So, How Far is 10000 Steps in km?

Ten thousand steps works out to be around 8km. How long would it take to walk that far? About one hour and 40 minutes, depending on your stride length and walking speed. Those numbers can seem majorly time consuming and exhausting just to think about… But you don’t have to do it all at once! Why not try setting a personal daily step goal and increase your current average steps incrementally. Before long, you might be surprised to find yourself hundreds and even thousands of steps ahead of where you started! Many people have found success by increasing their steps by 1000 per day for one week, then raising that by another 1000 the following week, and so on.

But before working on raising your step count, you need to find out where you’re starting from. You may wonder; How many steps do I do in a day? Should I buy a step tracker? What is a good fitness tracker? Keep reading to see where to get started!

Get Started By Counting Your Steps - How To Track Your Steps

Before setting a daily step goal you need to find your personal benchmark. The best way to track your current daily step rate is by using a pedometer, step counter or fitness tracker. Although gadgets that count your steps have been around for a long time (the first one was created in the 15th century by none other than Leonardo DaVinci!), they have come a long way in design, usability and features. Nowadays, most fitness trackers and smart watches have an inbuilt pedometer as standard. These are usually designed to be used with one of countless apps that not only display the numbers in real time, but have personalised statistics and motivational tools to keep you going! Checking your progress throughout the day can be an excellent way to boost your confidence and drive you to chase the next milestone. Sometimes all we need is a little ‘healthy competition’ with ourselves, right?

One step tracking smartwatch - popular for both its chic design and performance - is the Withings Steel HR Hybrid Smartwatch. That’s right - pedometers are now incorporated into all kinds of wearables, including sophisticated looking, semi analogue/digital watches! Claiming to be the number 1 hybrid smartwatch worldwide, the Withings Steel HR tracks steps, calories burned and distance walked easily. When used in conjunction with the Health Mate app, it assists the wearer to set and reach their personal goal. FitTrack Australia stocks a range of step counting fitness trackers for every budget. Check them out here!

Once you’ve found the best way to track your steps and establish your baseline, what’s next? How can you increase your daily step count?

10 Ways to Reach 10000 Steps

Check out these simple ways to walk more throughout your day!

1. Find a walking buddy

Walking with friends is good for us both physically and mentally. Plus, having a regular time and place to meet provides structure to your schedule and helps hold you both accountable to getting active.

2. Park a distance away

It may seem monotonous, but when time allows to take a far away parking spot, each step you make to get to the store or an appointment add up! Just think - 100m = approximately 130 steps!

3. Move on your break

If you get breaks during your work, why not use 15 minutes to do a quick lap of the building or the block? This is especially good if you are bound to a desk all day. You might find that a little ‘moving break’ will also help your focus.

4. Set reminders

We set reminders on our phone for all the important things, but don’t forget - walking is one of them! Why not set a series of “Get Walking” reminders to give you an unsubtle nudge throughout the day.

5. Take the long way around

When you’re at home or work, take the long way to the restroom or the kitchen. If you’re running an errand or on a walk to a mate’s place, try avoiding the most direct route for some additional steps.

6. Arrived early? Step it, don’t sit it

If you are early to an appointment, why not make the most of it and squeeze in a quick walk. It doesn’t have to be far away, even just a loop of the immediate area is better than phone scrolling!

7. Take the stairs

It’s cliche, but hey - it works! Not only does taking the stairs at your work, home or shopping centre add steps to your count, it might raise your heartrate a little more!

8. Have a takeaway date

Instead of meeting your friends for a sit down coffee, grab takeaways and go for a scenic walk and sip instead. Fresh air, friends and fine coffee - what’s better?

9. Pace it

You know all those small sets of minutes we spend waiting throughout the day? For the kettle, the ads, or the floors to dry? Instead of standing or sitting it out, get up and pace while you wait. Pacing is also a great way to rack up steps during phone calls - you could try hands free and take the call outside.

10. Be inefficient

It sounds silly, but instead of carrying all the shopping bags in like a boss, or getting the clothes hung out in 1 minute flat, draw out these simple activities by doing things one at a time. Carry in the shopping bags one by one, or hang out the clothes with the basket a few metres away. Before long you will have done an extra hundred steps!

Alright, you’re all set to get stepping! The question now is, when will you start?

References:

• Openfit - Unique ways to get 10000 steps
• RACV - Tips for walking 10000 steps
• NIB - Reaching your step goal
• MBG - Up your step count
• Organising Moms
• Health.Gov.Au
• Heart Foundation - Walking
• Withings HR Steel
• 10000Steps.Org.Au