How to Increase Your Step Count to 10,000 Steps per Day

More and more doctors and fitness experts recommend walking 10,000 steps every day as a way to maintain a healthy weight and to exercise your heart. Most Americans average only about 3.000 to 4.000 steps per day.In order to increase that number to about 10,000 you will probably want to combine intentional walks with increasing the activity in your normal routine. In order to get 10,000 steps in a single walk, it would have to be a long one! 10,000 steps is about 5 miles for most people. Chances are that you do not have time to fit such a walk into your life. That is OK. The important thing is that you take more steps throughout your day.

Try to get up and get a half-hour walk around your neighborhood into your morning. Walking at a 20 minute per mile pace (steady, but not too fast) will earn you about 3,000 steps in a half hour walk.

When you get to work, take a quick walk around the parking lot and watch another 500 steps add up. You will also be more refreshed for your day at work.

Here are some other ideas to sneak steps into your daily routine:

• Take the stairs whenever possible – this could be 500 steps per day
• Make multiple trips when doing laundry or clearing the dishes – up to 250 steps
• Walk to your co-workers office instead of using email – up to 500 steps/day
• While waiting for your flight, walk up and down the corridors of the airport – this could add up to several thousand steps
• Always park at the far end of the parking lot – could be 500 steps each time
• Walk to do your errands, or walk between them
• Make a walking date with a friend or significant other
• Walk slowly through your house while taking a phone call
• Treat the dogs to a long walk through the neighborhood

The important thing is to start with what you can and build up slowly. Soon enough, you’ll be racking up those steps without even realizing it.

Children and Pedometers

You will probably find that children cannot wear their pedometers all day long. They get lost or end up in the laundry. But, that does not mean that children do not benefit from using the pedometers.Use the pedometers on your neighborhood or schoolyard walks. Have contests to get the most steps in a period of time.

Fun Ideas for Teachers and Families

Walking with your family or students exposes the kids to healthy habits that can lead to a lifetime of better health and fitness. It can also be a lot of fun. Everyone wins when families walk together.

Try some of these ideas. At Up and Moving Pasadena we would love to hear your success stories of getting kids and families moving. Email us and maybe you will see your ideas on this page!

1. The easiest idea is to simple get out there and walk together. Your entire family will all be practicing good fitness habits together. If you walk around your neighborhood, you will be pleasantly surprised by how you get to know your neighbors, their houses, and their gardens. You will enjoy spending the time together. If your children walk too slowly, they can bike or skate or scooter alongside you.
2. Any game that works on a long car trip can usually be adapted to keep children entertained on a family walk. Try a scavenger walk. Start out with a list of items to find during your walk and check off the list as you spot them.
3. If you have a large group of kids, try a game of follow the leader. Kids enjoy it and they love getting to be the leader of their classmates.
4. Children enjoy playing games using their pedometers. Have a contest. Do calisthenics. Compare jumping jacks to running around the playground. Compare running to walking.