Should I Really be Getting 10,000 Steps a Day?

Ten thousand steps sounds like a lot of walking. The average person’s 10,000 steps equate to almost five miles, which may sound like a challenge depending on your current daily activity levels. The good news is, you don’t have to get them all in at once. Aiming to hit 10,000 steps a day is linked to numerous health and fitness benefits and is a great low-impact way to get and stay in shape.

Getting 10,000 steps a day will help you see and feel the many benefits of walking. Walking helps with improving blood pressure, stabilizing blood glucose, reducing the risk of heart attacks, and even helps to clear your mind. Doing at least 3,000 of those steps at a brisk pace can also help burn more calories and promote weight loss. If you’d like to learn more about all the benefits of walking, check out our last blog post.

Some tips for increasing your daily steps if you aren’t hitting 10,000 per day:

1. Park at the back of the parking lot instead of finding the closest spot. Depending on how big the parking lot is, this may add 50-100 steps each way!
2. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, if available. Taking the stairs increases steps and gets your heart rate up which improves your cardiovascular fitness.
3. Go for a 10-15 min walk during your lunch at work if applicable, this can add almost 2,000 steps depending on your walking speed.
4. Take a lap around the office when you have a minute or two. Not only does this increase your step count, but also can help you refocus on the task at hand once you get back to your desk.
5. Set realistic goals: if you’re walking less than 5,000 steps a day right now, aim for 7,000 steps per day this week, then 10,000 daily steps the following week. Slow and steady wins the race. Increase your goal slowly so you don’t overdo it and get discouraged.
6. If you have any questions or concerns about trying to increase your daily step count, feel free to reach out to our Sworkit trainers in the app for individualized plans for you and your goals!

The key to reaching your daily step goal is to have a step counter to keep a record of your progress. Sworkit now has the ability to count your steps by syncing with Apple Health, Google Fit, and Fitbit. Click here to learn more about how you can enable step counting with Sworkit!