5 Easy Ways to Increase Your Daily Steps

Walking is one of the easiest ways to incorporate more activity into your daily routine. Many fitness experts recommend aiming for about 10,000 steps a day, but with many of us spending our days sitting at a desk for eight hours, that goal can be difficult to achieve. However, with just a few simple changes to your daily habits, you can effectively increase your step count and walk your way to a healthier lifestyle!

Join a walking club

Finding a walking club in your area is a great way to get exercise and socialize at the same time. Use resources such as Meetup.com to find an existing walking club in your area or consider starting your own! Rally up a few friends to walk around a nearby park or neighborhood a few times a week (or inside a mall in the colder months) so you can keep one another accountable and motivated.

Get a fitness tracker

Fitness tracking apps are a great way to monitor your activity and help you increase your progress by setting goals. A study by the American Journal of Health Behavior showed that people who use fitness trackers get in as many as 400 more steps daily than those who don’t!

Walk in place at home

It’s easy to fall into a mostly sedentary lifestyle, especially in the winter months. Many of us are overworked, tired, and would rather do almost anything than exercise after a long day at work. However, making an effort to simply get up every so often while watching television, reading, or even working at your desk and walking in place for several minutes at a time is beneficial (and will increase your energy levels, too!).

Try a lunch break walk

If you’re lucky enough to get at least a 30-minute lunch break at work, getting in some extra steps is a great way to use it. Try taking your lunch and walking to a scenic spot to eat or go for a stroll around the building or a nearby park after you finish eating. Even just 20 minutes of walking can add up to a fifth of your daily recommended steps!

Take the long way

Rather than parking as close to the building as possible when going to work, shopping, or out to eat, opt for a spot further away to easily increase your daily steps. Take the stairs rather than the elevator, use the longest route when getting coffee or using the restroom at work, and make an effort to go up and down your stairs at home more frequently. Even the smallest modifications to your routine can have a vast impact on your activity level.

Need some help getting back to an active lifestyle?

For some people, getting in extra steps isn’t easy. If you have recently gone through surgery, are recovering from an injury, or are coping with chronic pain or another condition that is affecting your mobility, physical therapy can help get you moving back to wellness! At Bolger Short-Term Rehab, our skilled physical therapists provide exceptional services in our state-of-the-art rehab center so that you can return to the vibrant lifestyle you enjoy. For more about our outpatient physical therapy, please call (201) 848-5518 or email us at OutpatientRehab@ChristianHealthNJ.org.