How to fit more walking into your everyday life
Walking is one of the most underrated forms of exercise and most of us don’t do enough of it. Did you know that the average adult should be walking around 10,000 steps a day? For the average adult that’s less than two hours of walking a day! If you’re sitting at a desk all day, it can be hard to get that level of exercise around work and your busy life. So, here are some walking tips to help you achieve your daily step goal!
Walk your commute
Whether it’s to school or work, walking your commute will definitely add extra steps to your daily routine. If it’s a little too far, could you walk part of the way? It all adds up.
Wearables
Activity monitors or wearables are fantastic if you need that extra bit of motivation. They’ll ping you notifications to encourage you to get up and move around, and you can even set daily movement goals which are tailored to you.
Wearables can allow you to track your walks via GPS, measure your heart rate and energy levels. Your activity monitor need not be an expensive one either: you can find plenty of low-cost pedometers and most smartphones have the ability to track your steps too!
Don’t do it alone
Going for a family stroll or walk with friends is a great way to make some memories. Heading out on foot can help you to unearth some hidden gems across the region that you just can’t access by car. Take your dog out on longer walks, they’ll love it and so will you! If you don’t have your own dog, there are apps for borrowing dogs or you can go out with friends and family and their dog.
Download an interactive app
Make use of technology to help you get your steps in. Why not try a fitness app to track your journeys? You can even download games that involve walking to locations in the real world, which can make walking far more fun!
Get away from your desk every hour on the hour
Taking short breaks from work is important for your mental and physical health. Walking can help boost your creativity by up to 60%, so take a quick walk around the office or fit in a couple of stair climbs if you’re working from home- you’ll soon reap the benefits. Walking can be particularly helpful for clearing your mind when dealing with a difficult task. It’s sometimes best to take a breather, enjoy a quick walk and come back to the task refreshed.
Walking lunch
Make the most of your lunchbreaks and get some much-needed fresh air, Vitamin D and endorphins! On average, people can walk about 1,000 steps in just over 10 minutes, so a quick walk during the day can help you reach your daily step goal.
Always take the stairs
Walking the stairs can be a serious calorie burner and add plenty of steps into your day. On your way in and out of work, take the stairs instead of the lift.
Take up a challenge!
If walking for yourself doesn’t motivate you, do it for a good cause! Many charities have walking challenges that you can undertake throughout the year so go and search one out and put those steps to good use for others!