Walking 10,000 steps per day seems like a tall dream if you have a desk job. But with the right strategy, you can gradually increase your steps and reach that goal in no time.
The worldwide average is 4,961 steps per day. Therefore, you only need to walk an extra 5k steps to reach the 10k goal.
Walking 10,000 steps a day will not only help you burn up to 500 calories, but it will also improve your cardiovascular health and offer many other health benefits.
So how do you walk for 10,000 steps a day while stuck in the office for long hours? Here are 12 simple ways to increase your steps every day.
How to Walk 10,000 Steps A Day with A Desk Job
1. Walk to the Office
Start walking as early as possible. Walk part of the distance to and from your office.
But how do you achieve this if your office is far away from your home?
It’s simple. Get off the bus a bus stop before your office and then complete the journey on foot.
Do the same when driving or taking a cab. Instead of parking your car in the office building, park about 500 meters away and then walking the remaining distance. That way, you can put in a few thousand steps on your way to the office and the bus stop.
2. Ditch the Elevator
Now, you finally arrived at the office. Should you take the elevator or brave the stairs? Well, if you intend to reach 10,000 steps a day, you’d better run for the stairs. This does not mean you should climb the stairs if your office is on the 35th floor.
All you have to do is to make a part of the journey on foot. It may be as little as one or two floors. Whether up or down, taking the stairs is a sure way to blast off excess calories.
If your office has a large car park, park your vehicle as far away from the entrance as possible. You might only walk 50 to 70 steps, but it counts.
You will be surprised by how quickly the steps add up by the end of the day.
3. Take a Quick Walk
A good way to increase your steps at the office is to take frequent short walks. It might be completing one lap around the office block, or stepping into the lobby and back to your desk, and more.
You may want to keep walking shoes in the office if your official shoes are not comfortable for walking.
4. Use a Pedometer
A pedometer counts the number of steps you walk. Many devices now carry pedometers and you can use the feature to track how far you are close to your goal.
Smartphones and fitness trackers such as Fitbit, Samsung Gear and Apple Watch all have features for measuring your steps, calorie expenditure, and more.
We recommend this pedometer.
5. Set Activity Reminders
You can set activity reminders that will notify you to move after a specific period of inactivity.
Most fitness and activity trackers come with this feature. But you can use the alarm feature on your phone to remind yourself to take several steps at specific times while at the office.
6. Take a Walk at Lunchtime
Most offices have kitchens where you can enjoy your lunch while chatting with colleagues. But this is a low-calorie activity that encourages bad eating habits. Instead of sharing office gossip with coworkers why not step out of the office at lunchtime?
You can have a hearty meal at the nearby cafeteria or pack your lunch from home. Use the time to soak in the mid-day sunshine, stretch your muscles, and get your metabolism working again.
Another way to increase your steps at the office is to take coffee breaks. Instead of taking coffee from the kitchen, head to the nearest Starbucks at the street corner, so you expend calories. You’ll also enjoy fresh air and a burst of creativity along the way.
7. Encourage Colleagues
Just as working out alone is not fun, you can achieve your goals faster if you tell your colleagues at the office about it.
Rather than take the stairs alone why not do it with a friend? It will be more fun and you will cover more ground faster.
8. Have Outdoor Meetings
This might not be possible every time, but occasionally, you can go out and have your meetings in the open air on foot.
If you are meeting a client for the first time, or need to update your supervisor on the progress of an annual report, ask them if they would like you to chat about the subject while exploring the nearby park? It will be fun for everybody and healthy too.
9. Have a Face-to-Face Chat
The convenience of technology is one reason we don’t move more. But you can increase your steps by having a real life chat with your coworkers.
Ditch your phone for a few minutes and head over to the finance section to catch up on your friend Paul. Instead of emailing a memo, you can hand over the document in person. These little chats and movement around the office all build up to 10,000 steps. What are you waiting for? Move.
10. Add Obstacles to Your Routine
Architects design offices to optimize human and workflow, but you can use this to your advantage when your goal is to reach 10,000 steps per day.
Instead of walking a straight line whenever you are moving around the office, take a detour.
When you have the option to take a short or long route, take the long one and burn more calories as you go.
Look for ways to increase your activity in the office. There are many, you only need to find them.
11. Add a Desk Treadmill
Do you work at home? If yes, you could add a desk treadmill to your workstation. Some offices may even allow you to use the equipment while at work. So you work and get a workout simultaneously. How fun is that?
12. Be Consistent
Walking 10,000 steps a day with a desk job is achievable, but you need to stay focused on the goal. Learn to stay consistent with your daily activity goals and you will be burning the calories without even thinking about it.
Walking is one of the best exercises for losing weight and improving your health. That’s why I encourage you to take the walking challenge in the fat blaster sequence.
This challenge is designed to help you increase your steps effortlessly. And when you combine it with the sequences in the program, fat will literally fly out of your body in just a few weeks. Take a keen look at this sequence.
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