How can you get more steps into your daily routine?

National Walking month – 2

So you’ve committed to walking this month but how can you get up to the 10,000 step mark. Samantha Hadadi shares her tips on how to get more daily steps to help you stride your way to being a Pro-walker.

For many of us, though, 10,000 steps can seem Mission: Impossible – most of us only manage to squeeze in 3,000 to 4,000. If you’re often tied to your office chair, are inactive or don’t leave your home so much, it’s difficult.

Yet, don’t fret – there are plenty of ways you can hit that target, and you’ll get fit in no time at all! Here are our favourite, simple ways to pound those streets more – and you won’t even notice.

How can I increase my daily steps?

Use a Pedometer, your phone or watch

Most of us can calculate our steps easily using our phones or smart watches but if not, the easiest way to ensure you’re walking enough is to slip on a pedometer, which records the number of steps you take. Keep an eye on your progress throughout the day, and you’re more likely to hit that target! If you do struggle, then simply aim to add 100 steps every day.

Ditch the Car

Not only will leaving the car at home encourage you to walk and explore new places, but it’ll also help the environment, too. We love walking from work to help us wind down from a long day.

Up the Intensity

For a super-powered workout, walk at a faster, speedier pace (power walking) to burn more calories, or stomp up hills or rockier, uneven terrain. This will help to give you more of a workout and keep that heart rate pumping. If you’re going to the gym or for a lengthier cardio session, check out these pre-workout boosting foods that will drive up your energy.

Enjoy a Walking Date

Instead of meeting a friend for a natter over a cup of coffee, why not grab coffee to go and catch up as you walk instead? You can set the world to rights, and get in your 10,000 steps!

Park Up

Instead of battling other drivers and motorists for that spot right by the school gates or the office, why not stress less and park further away? You’ll be feeling much calmer, and you’ll get some walking in, too!

Set Reminders

If you’re struggling to remember to walk more, why not hit an alarm, or leave Post-It notes around your house to remind you? You could go for a quick walk after dinner, or take a stroll around the block with your friend during your lunch hour.

March!

March (or even jump, if you want to really go for it!) or stomp in place while you boil the kettle, brush your teeth or chat on the phone. We promise we won’t tell…

The Little Things Count

If you want to squeeze more steps in every day, then remember that these all help: always take the stairs instead of the lift, walk over to chat to your co-worker rather than firing off an email, walk your dog twice a day, hop off the bus or the underground one stop early, go window shopping instead of online browsing, enjoy a walking meeting, and pace around the doctor’s surgery while you wait for that (delayed) appointment.

Good luck! Let us know how you get on with walking by tweeting us @RejuvenatedUK