Hit those steps: 5 easy ways to move more during the day
We all know movement is good for us, in fact, increasing our activity has great benefits, both physical and mental, like lowering our blood pressure, controlling our weight, boosting our energy, improving our mood and helping us sleep better. However, as we head into autumn and the children go back to school many of us are also going back into the office, meaning there are less opportunities to work on your fitness during the day.
A simple (and recently very popular) way to boost your activity levels is setting a daily step goal. This is really helpful as it means you don't have to think about scheduling a gym session or class and can fit it around the day. To help you get started, most smartphones nowadays have a built in pedometer or step counter, so you can set your goals by looking at how much you move generally and upping the number from there.
Need some motivation or new ideas to hit your steps goals? Here are 5 ways to squeeze in some steps and move more!
1. Leave the car at home or park further away
If you live locally to some shops, try leaving the car at home and instead, walk to your errands. Walking to get the groceries or heading to the post office is an easy way to increase your steps and of course, if walking back with a biggish shop then you get a bit of a weighted workout! Not only will you also get a workout but help the environment by using your car less.
Another option if you live further afield, is driving but parking further away, or if you are hitting different spots only drive to one and do the rest by foot. Try doing a round of the car park before you head back, you will be surprised as to how quickly you start adding steps to your day, plus you will use less petrol!
2. Take the stairs or the long way around
If you live or work in a tall building, and would usually use the lift, try taking the stairs instead! This is a really easy way to add steps and work your lower body.
Alternatively, why not take the long way, be it walking outside or even at home. For example, instead of trying to get all the groceries in the house in one trip, try doing it in two or three, the same goes when doing laundry. Why not do a few laps of the house or stairs while brushing your teeth? If you are out and about, choose to walk instead of taking the bus or taxi, or take the bus part of the way and then walk the next bit.
3. Take a walking break
Use your lunch break or other breaks during the day to go get some fresh air, pick up some food or coffee or simply walk around the block a couple of times. If you work in an office where you are sitting down all day, this can do wonders for both your physical and mental health!
4. Drink more water
Not only is drinking water really good for you as staying hydrated is key, But also, the more water you drink, the more water you need, which means standing up and going to refill your glass or bottle. You know what it also means? More trips to the toilet, which translates in more steps! Make it more challenging by going to a loo or water fountain on a different floor if you are able to.
5. Aim for one long walk a day or several shorter ones
There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to fitness, but trying to schedule a nice long walk before the day starts or at the end of it, can have great benefits. If you don’t have the time though, you can break it up into shorter, more frequent walks. So whether you do an hour’s walk to the park or three shorter walks of 20mins, you can keep on top of your step count no matter what your day throws at you!
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