Aiming for 10,000 Steps? Be a Bit “Inefficient”
Walking at least 10,000 steps a day is a common recommendation for a healthy lifestyle. Doing so can help you reach the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommended 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise (which includes brisk walking).
If you’re not a runner and don’t walk a dog twice a day, getting to 10,000 steps can be a challenge. Most Americans walk about 3,000 to 4,000 steps a day, according to Mayo Clinic.
Even if 10,000 steps a day isn’t your goal right now and you just want to add more walking to your daily life, there are plenty of ways to get you moving.
At a time when many of us strive to get the most out of each moment, one way to reach your daily step goal may seem counterintuitive: inefficiency. Here are a few ways that being inefficient can actually help you reach your current step goal:
Make more trips — Do you usually carry as many bags of groceries from the car to your kitchen as you can to make as few trips as possible? Do you stack your laundry as high as you can to reduce trips to and from the laundry room? Well, it’s time to stop. Instead, lighten your load, make more trips, and double or even triple your step count. Instead of one trip carrying five bags of groceries, split them between two trips. Instead of piling up all the laundry, make each load one trip: just the towels, just the sheets, etc.
Switch floors — If you work in a multi-floor building that provides safe stairwell access to other floors or live in a house with bathrooms on more than one floor, take the stairs when you’re making a trip to the restroom. For example, if you work on the 11th floor, alternate between walking down to 10 or up to 12 every time you need to use the restroom. At home, skip the half-bath on the main floor and go upstairs or down to the basement when nature calls.
Be indirect — Instead of taking a short cut or direct path, add some zigs and zags to your walk, whether you’re going from the living room to the kitchen or from your workspace to the parking lot. This is especially effective in the supermarket and any big-box retail store: Instead of just walking directly to the aisles that have the items you’re shopping for, walk every aisle or go back and forth to get everything you need instead of going “in order” based on the store’s layout.
Hike it up — Speaking of parking, where it’s safe to do so, park further from your destination—in parking lots, in town, even when visiting friends. (And, if you happening to be at the supermarket or a big-box retailer, instead of using the cart-return stations, bring your cart back to the front of the store.) Similarly, if you take public transportation, whenever possible get off one stop before your actual destination. Doing this as part of your daily commute can rack up the steps.
Ditch the wheels — If you live somewhere where you can safely walk to the deli, drug store, post office, etc., do it! Leave your car at home and run some of your errands on foot. Bring a backpack in case you need to carry anything home that’s a bit heavy.
Walk it out — Many of us sit for too long each day. Shake up your schedule with mini walking breaks. You don’t have to go far; just a lap around your home or office will do it. When you can, walk during phone calls or while you’re waiting for, say, an appointment or a flight. You’ll get a break from sitting and add a handful of steps to your daily count.
Use the “sneaker network” — Instead of emailing or phoning a colleague who working in the same building or complex as you, walk over to their desk. Similarly, instead of shouting to family members that dinner’s ready, walk and get them.
But also, add some efficiency — When you take an escalator, unless it’s crowded or you’re concerned about maintaining your balance, walk instead of riding. And whenever possible, take the stairs or escalators (where, of course, you’ll walk) instead of the elevator.
