The magic number is 10,000 at least when we’re talking about steps. Everyone (assuming you have no prior health conditions) should try to reach this goal daily. How? Well with a few simple tips and tricks I am going to teach you how I reach my daily goal of 10,000 steps each day.
Now don’t get me wrong. This is not easy. It takes real grit and determination to do this daily. Rain, sleet, snow, or sunshine. You got to get up and keep it moving for this to happen. It’s easier said then done. That’s for sure. But once you start doing this daily. Reaching your 10,000 step goal is simple.
Practice makes perfect!
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10 Tips To Getting 10,000 Steps Each Day
#1 – Get a pair of shoes you love. Get them bright and colorful or plain, however you like. If you like it I like it.
Having a good pair of shoes that are comfy and cozy will ensure that your feet aren’t hurting all day. One thing I hate is a fancy nice pair of tennis shoes that hurt my feet. I love walking around the house in my crocs and when I go out for my walks I wear my adidas. I love my adidas cause they are light and I can walk around all day in them with no pain. When it comes to fitness goals, the saying, “no pain, no gain.” Was not talking about the shoes you wear, that’s for sure.
If you have smelly sweaty feet make sure you get you a smell good powder spray to put in them. Your going to be wearing these puppies down. So you don’t want them to smell bad. Gold bond makes a type of smell good stuff. I spray it in my shoes and have no odor issues. Check that out at your local Walmart when you get a chance.
#2 Make A Plan
The biggest trick to getting in your steps. Is creating a daily plan. Do you walk at night after dinner? How bout around your building at work after lunch? Are mornings better for you? Maybe an hour on the treadmill first thing in the morning is what works best.
Whatever works for you create a plan. And stick to it. Everyday I wake up and I walk on the treadmill for about 20 minutes. It doesn’t give me many steps but it helps get me in a moving motion. Once I’ve finished that, I’m pretty active throughout the rest of the day.
I walk around my apartments for about 20-25 minutes after each meal I eat. And then I walk to go do simple stuff. Like if I need a few things from Walmart and I know I can carry it than I’ll walk to go get it. Or if it’s my week with my son then I’ll walk to take him to school and pick him up after school. It’s a good way for me to get my steps in and then also my Vitamin D.
#3 Walk Everywhere You Possibly Can
This might be common sense and you might be like well duh, but walk everywhere you can. Walk to Walmart, walk to the gas station, to the park. Wherever you got to go for the day if you can walk there then walk.
Last night for example, the baby was bored and being fussy. I hadn’t got in all my steps for the day yet so I needed to do something. We needed to get some hair ties and a new hair parting comb from the dollar store and that was a little over a mile away. I knew if we walked there I’d get in my steps and then some but it was far.
I looked it up it was 1.5 miles there and 1.3 miles back if I went a different way, that would put me way over my steps. So I went for it, put the baby in her carrier, put that around my body. Put on my shoes and left.
The baby enjoyed getting out the house and walking around the town. She stopped being fussy immediately. When we got home I checked, I walked for about an hour and got over 3500 steps which put me above my 10,000 step goal for the day.
It’s little adventures like that, that help you reach your goals. And it gets the kids happy and excited.
#4 Hydrate with a cute bottle
Tricking your mind can be an easy thing. Sometimes getting in your water intake is hard. But did you know you’re more likely to walk and be more energized if you drink water? Check out my post here about drinking more water. But moral to the story is you can get in more steps each day if you’re motivated to drink water. How do these even connect?
Well when I drink more water I get more energized. When I’m more energized I am more active. Thus drinking more water means I’ll more then likely reach my steps goal, cause I’ll have the energy to do it.
Buy a cute drinking cup. My best friend never used to drink water. Until she bought her Stanley dupe from Amazon. I kind of forced her, but that’s a different story. Now that she’s drinking more water she has energy to clean her house and take care of all 3 of her kids daily. And that’s the only change she made.
What if you started drinking more water? Could you get more energy? Enough to clean the house all day? Run after your kids? How bout take a walk around your neighborhood and get those steps in? Oh the things you can do if you just drink water.
#5 Walk With A Friend
People are more likely to do something if they have a partner to do it with. Having a partner to workout with holds you accountable to keep going. Same thing with walking. But how can you do this if you’re in a long distance friendship? Easy. Facetime.
Everyday as I do my walking I am usually on the phone with somebody. Whether it be my best friend or my daughters dad. I talk to someone since I live near no one I know. This helps me get it done. You don’t realize how much time passes when you’re talking on the phone.
Before you know it 20 minutes passed and you’re not even ready to stop yet.
Talking on the phone or walking with someone is always a good way to walk further for longer.
Don’t believe me? Give it a try you’ll be surprised.
#6 Clean or Pick Up Your House or Office Space Throughout The Day
Another great way I like to get in steps throughout the day is by cleaning my house. With an 8 year old and a newborn it’s easy to get dirty. Not to mention the dogs. And there’s always something to organize if it’s already cleaned.
You won’t get a ton of steps doing this but you’d be surprised at how many steps you can actually get when you walk around the house cleaning.
Especially, mopping or vacuuming. These are some of the easiest ways to get those extra steps, and everything little adds up big.
If you’re at work, especially if you have an office, but lets say you just have a cubicle. Filling up your water cup and reorganizing your space throughout the day can definitely keep you moving. Get your own stuff from the printer stop asking your neighbor to do it. And take “frequent” (as many as you can) bathroom or lunch room breaks and walk around the office.
Maybe this gives you an excuse to help rearrange your office space or your home but its a good excuse.
#7 Walk your dog.
Most people just let their dogs go to the back yard play and blow off steam. But how about you put a leash on that dog (or not) and take it for a walk. The dog needs the exercise just as much as you do. Instead of making your husband or wife take out the dog. How about you start taking over that chore. And get the kids to do it with you. Make it a family affair, to watch the dog poop. Just kidding. But seriously though take out the dog.
Sometimes we get lazy and we forget about the simple stuff we can do to get out and get our bodies moving. Walking the dog or cat is a super simple way for your animal to get it’s proper exercise and for you to get in some movement and steps as well.
If you don’t have a dog but want to get one consider rescuing an animal from a shelter. It needs you just as much as you need it. Having a pet gives you responsibility and also something to look forward to when you come home.
Instead of a friend to walk with you can walk and talk with your animal. This is a great bonding exercise and its a great way to get in your steps.
#8 Map out a place to walk.
There’s an app you can download that will help you map out your walk. Its walkfit, it tells you how many steps you’ve taken, how far you’ve walked, and it gives you a whole plan on how much time and effort you need to put it. I would definitely check out that app it you’re interested. But if you plan your walk ahead of time and you know how many miles you need to go it makes this whole thing much more easier.
I like to look at my apple maps on my cell phone and map out how far of a distance something is to walk to. I’ll put in walking so that it tells me how long it’ll take and how far I am going. I’ll then even customize it and make me walk different ways so I can make the most bang for my buck.
Mapping out where your walking will also help you prepare yourself for what you need to bring. Maybe you should bring your water bottle if it’s going to be more than 20 minutes. Or maybe you need to bring your baby bag and stroller. Whatever it is mapping out your walk helps you figure it out.
It also motivates you to actually map it out because you took the time to do it. I don’t know about you but if I’ve gone as far as planning it out I’m going to see it through.
#9 Go get the mail.
Instead of sending your teenager out to do that why don’t you go and do it. Whether it’s in another building at your apartments or right outside your front door. Go get that mail.
I can’t say it enough but the more we get our bodies moving even if it’s just a few minutes the more we are likely to get our steps in for the day.
You need to check the mail anyways just incase your husband doesn’t know about the 20 packages you have coming in this week from amazon. Lol just kidding.
But seriously though it’s all about getting up and just moving your butt. Go get the mail, go get the food, go get whatever you need yourself. Plus the kids would probably like not doing it. I know my son hates when I interrupt game time.
#10 Just Get Up & Move. #JUSTDOIT
If you learned anything from this article I hope it’s just go get up and move. Whatever you need to do to get your body moving and to help you get those steps you. You need to do it. Stop making excuses.
You’re probably looking at the computer like this girl needs to get slapped. But I am so serious when I tell you that by just forcing yourself to do something a couple of times will form a habit. And if you can go 21 days hitting your step goals everyday then you’ll start doing it for forever.
Now of course you got things going on sometimes and you wont hit that goal. But if you keep it in the back of your mind all the time you’ll hit it as much as you can. And it’ll be second nature.
I hope you learned something from this writing. And as always I’ll see you next time 🙂
