How to get 10,000 steps in a day
Growing up in the bustling city of Bombay, I always considered walking as more of a punishment than a choice. I thought it was the slowest and most cumbersome way to get anywhere.
Last year, I came across a study conducted on centenarians living in different parts of the world and how similar their lifestyles were. What fascinated me was that they didn’t go to a gym or run marathons to stay fit and be healthy.
They walked *gasp*
This got me thinking, can walking really be that powerful?
I decided to put it to the test. I got a fitness tracker to monitor my physical activity and set a goal to help me walk more daily.
Although I can’t attest to the effects of walking on longevity, I’ve definitely seen many other benefits.
For starters, I burn more calories on the days I walk 10,000 steps or more. It also helps me clear my head and refreshes my mind. After walking for as little as 15 minutes, I’ve seen a dramatic increase in my energy levels. My body feels good every time I move and work up some sweat.
My daily walking goal on my fitness tracker is 16,000 steps, and while I don’t meet this goal every single day, it still motivates me to walk more.
After doing this for a year, I’ve come up with an effective system to get at least 10,000 steps a day. It consists of some basic math and a robust ‘Movement System’.
First, let’s talk about the math involved.
The Division:
How much time do you need to invest in getting 10,000 steps a day?
I typically walk about 2000 steps in 18 minutes.
Not taking into account different stride lengths and walking speed, let’s say the average person takes 20 minutes to walk 2000 steps.
Breaking it down by walking time, here are the numbers:
20 minutes ~ 2,000 steps
To get 10,000 steps — you need to walk for about 5 times that.
So, 100 minutes or 1.8 hours ~ 10,000 steps
This means you can split it up however you want to get to your total and it will only take you less than 2 hours each day.
I know what you’re thinking, almost 2 hours a day just to walk? That’s a high time commitment to one physical activity. Especially if you also train at the gym, or do other fitness-related activities.
But that’s where ‘Movement Systems’ come in. More on that later, let’s jump into using averaging to get more steps in.
Law of Averages:
As a normal human being, I’m prone to procrastination or unpredictable changes to my schedule which impacts how much I walk on some days.
My solution to this is using the law of averages. instead of trying to be perfect about reaching my exact daily step goal, I try to get in as many steps I can and focus on averaging it out. So for example, if my aim is to get in 10,000 steps on average per day, I need to make sure I get 70,000 steps in a week, irrespective of how many I get in a single day.
Here is an example of how many steps I walked in a given week:
As you can see, I only met my daily step goal of 16,000 once in the last 7 days and twice in the past 4 weeks. But despite having some low activity days during this time, I managed to meet the daily goal on average.
All you need to do is set a weekly goal, and then use the law of averages to reach it.
It can be anything you want to start with, and over time keep adding to it. The goal is to get in as much natural movement in a day, as possible.
Over the past year, I’ve gotten pretty good at getting at least 10,000 steps a day on average, mainly because of the robust movement system I’ve created to do it. Here are the steps (pun intended) you can take to build one for yourself.
Start Early
The basic principle is seen in compound interest, starting early works for any goal you are working towards. Getting a jump start on the amount of work you need to do to meet a goal is the best way to shrink it down.
I start my day with a 15 or 20-minute walk before I start working. Usually, I walk to the office since I live close enough to do that, but even on days that I work from home, I get dressed and head out for a walk first thing in the morning.
This first walk of the day energizes my body, helps me mentally prepare for the day ahead, and is one of the favorite parts of my day.
If your morning routine is designed to do other things first, that’s fine. Just make sure you carve out 15 or 20 minutes before lunch to get a head start on your daily walking goal.
Not starting early can add to the pressure of meeting your daily goal and make it easier to slack off if you have a large chunk of steps left to walk towards the end of the day.
Steps walked: 1,800–2,000
Walk and talk
I get a majority of my daily steps while I’m on the phone. Calling a friend to catch up makes the time fly and before I know it, I’ve walked for 30–45 minutes. A couple of calls in a day and I’m well on my way to exceeding the 10K mark.
Whether you’re on the phone for work or to talk to friends and family, it is a great way to boost the steps you take as part of your day.
Steps walked: 5,000–6,000
Reach for it
Just like there are many ways to skin a cat, there are different routes to take to get to your destination. Be it to your parked car, your apartment, or any other place. Unless you are in a hurry, take the longer route. Pick the farthest spot you can to park your car and walk that much more to get to and from it.
I do this by always taking the farthest entrance to my apartment when returning home. Or take the longer route back to my desk from the restroom or water filling station.
Doing this consistently easily gives you some extra steps in your day without even thinking about it.
Steps walked: 500–1,000
Take the stairs
How many times have you heard this before? How many more times do you need to hear to actually start doing it?
Climbing a couple flights of stairs is already a mini workout, but guess what? It also adds to your steps taken, win-win!
Forget the elevator even exists and just start making your way up the stairs.
Do it every day until it becomes a habit. To learn how to turn any activity into a habit, use this guide.
I climb the stairs at least twice a day when I return from my walks. Since I live on the 3rd floor, that’s 200 steps right there.
Steps walked: 100–200
Walk while you wait
Since my daily goal of 16,000 steps is quite high, it requires me to get creative in the ways I get those steps in without spending all my spare time walking. Anytime I am waiting for something, I choose to move around instead of standing still.
One thing I do every day is walk when I’m warming my food in the micro-wave. Even if it’s only 2–3 minutes, moving constantly for that time will easily give me 200 steps.All while I’m waiting for my food to be ready. Doing this each time I use the microwave gives me so many extra steps without spending any extra time on it.
I also do this at the gym between sets or while I wait for a piece of equipment to be available. Instead of scrolling through social media between sets, use your gym time productively by walking. It will aid in active recovery of your muscles and give you some extra daily steps.
Turn waiting into walking and you can get a ton of steps in without any extra time spent on it.
Steps walked: 1,500–2,000
Walk after meals
Everyone knows afternoons are the least productive time of the day. Post-lunch, I feel my productivity drop at a rate directly proportional to that of my eyelids dropping.
But you know what can help clear that brain fog that you feel coming on after a big meal?
Walking.
Getting some steps in after meals can help boost digestion and keep you from falling asleep in front of my computer. Use walking to make afternoons productive again. It can also curb appetite and reduce binge-eating.
Steps walked: 4,000–4,500
Move every hour
Research indicates the most effective way to combat the effects of a sedentary lifestyle is to move every hour. Walking for a few minutes each hour really adds up and keeps the negative effects of prolonged sitting at bay.
Set a reminder on your phone to walk every hour and just get up and do it. Grab some water, use the restroom, stretch and take a break from sitting for long.
For every 5 minutes you walk, you can get in at least 200–300 steps in.
It will make your body feel good and also boost productivity, so you can get back to work with renewed focus.
If you walk for a few minutes every hour that you’re awake, you can get at least 2500 steps, without even stepping outside!
Steps walked: 2,500–3,200
The most ideal, least time-intensive split I’ve found is:
- 15–20 minute morning(pre-lunch) walk — 2000 steps
- 5 minutes of walking every hour — 2500–3000 steps
- Evening stroll for 30–45 minutes — 5000–6000 steps
Total steps: 10,000–14,000
And that’s basically my movement system of getting in 10K steps a day. You can do it too, if you commit to your goal and just get moving.
If you don’t have access to a treadmill and the weather doesn’t permit an outdoor walk, walk the hallways of your apartment building. Or go up and down the stairs. Find an empty, covered, or rooftop parking garage and walk-in circles inside it.
Get creative, get moving, and get those steps in!
