Today, we are talking about secret ways to add steps to your day. Why should we increase our steps?  

Benefits of walking

Walking has many benefits. According to the Mayo Clinic, not only does walking prevent or manage health conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, it improves balance, helps maintain healthy body weight and improves your mood. I can definitely use some mood-boosting these days.

Town-wide Step Challenge

The Town I work in has an annual step challenge that usually runs during the month of June. Unfortunately, with a state of emergency set in Niagara, many fun events such as the step challenge had to be been postponed for now.

The step challenge is an initiative to encourage its residents, students and those that work there to get out and be active. The community looks forward to this yearly event.

This year, since we missed this event so much, some of my coworkers and I have banded together to create our own challenge to keep us motivated to stay active during this tough socially isolating time.

We are using a free platform called Stridekick to keep track of our steps and keep connected.

10000 Steps a day

I’ve been tracking my steps for nearly 4 years now. My daily goal is always 10,000 steps a day. When I had a dog, 10,000 steps were easily achievable.

These days, with working from home and doing double duty caring for my children 24/7, the opportunity to get my steps in is more challenging.

So, how am I going to increase my step count? I’m going to be using any combination of the following:

16 Secret ways to add steps to my day

• Use the stairs instead of the elevator
• Park your car as far as you can from work
• Use your lunch break to take a 30-minute walk
• Get up at least once every hour for 5 minutes to walk around the office (even if it’s a home office)
• Take your dog for 2 walks a day, every day
• Take your dog for longer walks, he’ll appreciate it
• If you are buying lunch, try to go somewhere you can walk to
• Walk on your treadmill while watching your favourite episodes on Netflix
• Dance around the living room with your kids
• Volunteer to do the house chores that require lots of walking, like laundry, mowing the lawn
• Take your kids to the park and take part in their activities
• Play a game of tag with your kids
• Play backyard soccer
• Go shopping, I always get lots of steps when I’m shopping
• While your kids are having his hockey practice, walk or run up and down the stairs
• Drink lots of water, you’ll have to get up to use the washroom often

The best way to get more steps though is to take part in a challenge. Challenge your coworkers through a FitBit challenge or an app like Stridekick. Or better yet, sign up for a virtual 5 km race! You’ll find your own ways of getting more steps in your day.

I’d love to hear from you. If you have any tricks to add to steps to your day, please leave them in the comments below, I will make sure to add them to the list!

Interested in healthy living? I have more healthy lifestyle posts you might not want to miss.

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