Ten thousand is the magic number when it comes to how many steps we should be racking up per day. But when you realise that it roughly equals around five miles, it suddenly becomes much more of a challenge. In fact, the recommendation to walk 10k daily doesn’t come from government guidelines but instead from a 1960s Japanese marketing poster!
“You may then ask if 10,000 steps really is the correct figure to be aiming for,” says personal trainer Andy Vincent. “I think it’s more important to know that it’s a guideline goal. It’s always good to have a target to aim for. If the number is too high for you to achieve, then adjust it to something more realistic. Just don’t feel defeated before even attempting it”. Here are some easy ways to sneakily squeeze up to 10,950 steps a day and burn up to 3,500 calories a week!
Dance like nobody’s watching!
“Dance around the living room or kitchen,” recommends Andy. “If you’re anything like me, this one’s easy, as I can’t cook a meal or clean the house without having a little boogie. It’s a simple and fun way to increase your steps while doing daily tasks. A four minute track can add 400 steps to your overall daily total.”
Get green-fingered and mow the lawn. “It’s estimated that you take 100 steps per minute when mowing the lawn so 15 minutes of outdoor chores can get you up to 1,500 additional steps, burning 136 calories,” says Andy.
Ditch the car
“I’m not trying to make anyone late for work but try getting off the bus or train at the wrong stop,” suggests Andy. “A brisk 15 minute walk can get you 1,800 steps, burning 73 calories.”
“If you have planned a journey and need to drive to the destination, it’s a good idea to park further away,” says Valentin Raigué, in-house personal trainer at FizzUp. “Leaving your car about half a mile away from where you are going is a great way to add up to 2,000 steps.”
Get moving at work
Don’t get tied to your desk – take a walk at lunchtime. “Sitting for long periods has been proven to be bad for your health, and can affect your posture,” says Valentin. “Walking for about for about 30 minutes will help with this and will add around 1,700 steps.”
Walk down each aisle in your supermarket. “Although it has become increasingly popular to do your food shopping online, heading out to shop is an easy way to pack in 2,800 steps,” says Valentin. “Plus, you’ll discover and pick up new ingredients to add to healthy recipe ideas.”
Pull yourself away from the lift
This is an obvious but easy one – take the stairs. “This gives the added benefits of working your thighs and glutes. It also really gets your heart pumping, adding up to 500 steps,” says Valentin.
“Drinking water throughout the day not only has obvious health benefits but it also means you’ll need to refill your bottle and take toilet breaks more often. Therefore increasing your step count to 250 each time,” Valentin tells us.
