You’ve likely heard it repeated in the media: getting more daily steps is one of the simplest things you can do to improve your overall health. A 2022 meta-analysis published in The Lancet Public Health found that taking anywhere from between 6,000-10,000 steps per day correlates with a lower mortality rate.
However, hitting that many steps can be challenging. Between desk jobs, commuting, and time spent pursuing sedentary hobbies, it’s easy to spend most of your day sitting.
The good news? You don’t need to buy a gym membership or develop a running habit to get more steps. Here are 11 small habits you can incorporate into your routine to help you achieve your daily step goal.
1. Start your day with a morning walk.
One of my favorite ways to increase my daily step count is to go on a morning walk.
Every day when the sun rises, I head out to take a walk around the neighborhood, bringing along my dog- and sometimes my husband! Getting morning sunlight has the added benefit of helping me feel more awake as the day progresses, improving both my productivity and my mood.
If morning walks don’t fit your schedule or energy levels, you can try taking a post-work or post-dinner walk instead.
2. Pace during phone calls.
If you tend to sit or stand while on the phone, try pacing instead.
Every time I call my long-distance friends or family members, I make it a point to walk back and forth across whatever room I’m in. During longer calls, I sometimes log over 2,000 steps, which goes a long way toward helping me achieve my step goal.
3. Use the farthest bathroom.
If you’re spending the day at home, don’t use the closest bathroom. Instead, walk across the house to a farther bathroom. It’s an easy way to sneak in more steps without any large changes to your daily routine.
4. Buy a walking pad.
If you struggle to get outdoors during the day due to weather or some other obstacle, a simple solution is to purchase a walking pad.
Walking pads let you rack up steps from the comfort of your own home. Many are compact and can be easily stored underneath a couch or inside a closet. Some are even foldable to make them easier to hide when not in use.
There are many fantastic walking pads available with a variety of features such as handlebars and the ability to go up to a 15% incline. Some even come in fun colors! I’ve linked some highly rated walking pads below:
5. Walk while your coffee brews or food heats up.
Let’s be honest: sometimes waiting for your Keurig to brew your morning coffee can be a bit frustrating. Why not use that time to walk a few laps around your kitchen and living room?
To take it a step further (see what I did there??), you can walk around your kitchen any time you wait for an appliance- e.g. the microwave, toaster, or even an electric teapot.
6. Park farther away.
Most people try to park as close to their destination as possible. Skip the cars circling the front of the parking lot and park a few rows farther from your destination. That way, you’ll get more steps when walking to and from the store. Even better, you’ll likely face less traffic when exiting the parking lot.
For bonus points, if you need to return your cart after a shopping trip, return your cart to the front of the store instead of the nearest parking lot cart corral.
7. Take walking meetings.
If you work in an office, you can always recruit your coworkers for a walking meeting. If your workplace is more formal or walking meetings aren’t your style, you could also suggest a walk break.
Back when I was at my first software development job, the entire dev team and I would take a walk around the building after lunch. It helped us stay active and improved team morale.
Another option is to walk to a local coffee shop or restaurant during your lunch break.
8. Make active social plans.
Plans with friends and family don’t have to be sedentary. Your loved ones might want to increase their step count, too!
There are many ways to have fun while also staying active. Instead of catching up with a friend by sitting at a cafe, make plans to order coffee and take a walk around downtown. You can also plan a hike or trip to an outdoor venue such as a zoo, botanical garden, or local park. Many cities and towns even have local walk and run clubs you can join if you want to meet new people.
After realizing we both were struggling to stay active during the week, my co-host Carissa and I decided to take a fifteen-minute walk before recording each episode of A Podcast of Plots and Pages. My husband Stephen also frequently accompanies me on my morning walk, where we sometimes chat or listen to an audiobook.
9. Join step challenges.
If you love competition, step challenges are a fun way to increase your motivation. Popular wearable brands like Garmin and Fitbit offer private step challenges that allow you to compete with your friends and family members to see who can get the most steps. If you’ve been falling short on steps, seeing that your friend walked 12,000 steps in a day may inspire you to go the distance (literally!).
10. Walk a dog.
Let’s face it: walks are always more fun with a four-legged friend alongside you. Is there anything better than watching an adorable dog enthusiastically explore the world around him? No, I don’t think so!
If you don’t own a dog, borrow a friend’s! Alternatively, you could make some money as a dog walker on Rover or volunteer to walk dogs at your local animal shelter.
11. Gradually increase your step goal.
As with any change to your fitness or nutrition, it’s best to start slowly and gradually increase your step count over time.
When it comes to your activity level, sudden, large changes are often unsustainable. However, if you boost your steps slowly- such as by 1,000 steps per day- you’re more likely to make consistent progress and achieve your goals.
