You have probably heard that you should aim to get your 10,000 steps a day to help towards your health and fat loss.
Many people can get hung up on that number (I am potentially one of them!). So I wanted to explore with you the research into this number, how it is useful and how you can increase your daily steps.
Research has shown that consistently achieving 10,000 steps a day can help to reduce your body fat, weight and BMI and also improve your mood!
Our lives have become more sedentary. We drive more, make sue of online shopping and food delivery services, and we have more desk jobs. Since the pandemic, many of us work at home more than we did. We don’t even need to go to the cinema because we can get our films downloaded directly to the TV.
We just don’t move like we used to. Outside of formal exercise, we just move less than ever before and so this is where the 10k steps come in: to increase our general movement and, therefore, our NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis); or, in other words, how much energy/many calories we burn.
NEAT contributes to a higher energy expenditure than a gym workout does (despite what your smartwatch says). Our smartwatches and devices can be out by about 20% – and can grossly overestimate the number of calories we are ‘burning’.
As we have gotten more sedentary, we have lowered our energy expenditure and, as we live in an increasingly obesogenic environment, we are eating more and moving less.
To put this simply: the 10k steps a day is here to encourage us to move more and be more generally active and this is something I am fully on board with. It is a crude measurement of your activity level that is easily measured by steps (if you wear a smartwatch or use a pedometer).
The problem with the 10,000 steps is that, for some, getting in 1,000 steps a day might be a challenge. In this instance, immediately that 10k seems unachievable. So here I want to reassure you that any increase in your general movement is better than no increase. If you are starting on 1,000 and you increase to 2,000, let’s not forget that is an increase of 100%!
As I said, the point is to get more general movement – so I don’t want you to think that because you can’t immediately achieve 10k that isn’t a reason to try for more and give up before you have even started.
Now, whilst I also advocate that you get outside for a daily walk (because it is great for your mental health and not just your physical health), I know that isn’t possible for everyone. I work with busy professional Mums and, sometimes, getting out for a walk once the kids are in bed and everything is done is impossible. So I wanted to share some ways of getting more steps and general movement in.
I have made an Instagram Reel about this with a banger of a tune on it, so go check that out and give it some love!
Here are the 20 ways you can get more steps into your day:
1. Take the stairs instead of the lift or escalator
2. Have a kitchen dance party with the kids
3. Park further away from your destination (eg. around the corner rather than in the supermarket car park)
4. Get off a stop or two earlier when using public transport
5. Instead of meeting a friend for coffee, get the coffee to go and walk and talk
6. Buy weather-appropriate clothing and walk in all weathers
7. Find a YouTube steps workout to do at home
8. Use the treadmill as your warm-up or cool down in the gym
9. Arrange walking meetings (these can even be done on Zoom or Teams)
10. Schedule a 15-minute walk after lunch
11. Working from home? Add in a fake commute and walk around the block before you start
12. Get up a little earlier and go for a walk before your day starts – fresh air is a game changer
13. Take the kids to the park and join in the games instead of watching from the side
14. If you have toilets on more than one floor in the house or office – use a toilet on a different floor
15. Use a smaller water bottle or glass during the day so you have to get up to fill it more regularly
16. Instead of letting the 3pm chocolate craving hit, go for a brisk walk instead
17. Take the longer walking route when you can
18. Arrange dog walks with friends – even if you don’t have a dog!
19. Walk around the house when you are waiting for the kettle to boil
20. Put your favourite music on when you clean and dance it out
Some of my clients get amazing results just from walking daily. But your 10k steps do not have to be from formally getting out of the house and walking. They can be from general movements, such as cleaning, hanging the washing out, or pottering around the garden.
The point is to just increase your movement.