How can I move more? How can I get more steps into my day?
These are questions often asked by people doing sedentary jobs and by those looking to improve their health as they get older.
Then, the next question is: how many steps should you do in a day to boost your health? Ten-thousand? That was seen as the gold standard but recent studies have shown that you actually need less.
According academics from the University of Sydney in Australia, the actual number to aim for is a more manageable 7,000 steps.
The researchers examined data from dozens of studies from around the world on tens of thousands of adults, and found that people who walked 7,000 steps each day appeared to have a protective effect against a number of diseases including: a 25 per cent lower risk of heart disease; a 14 per cent reduced risk of type 2 diabetes; a 38 per cent decrease in dementia and a 22 per cent reduction in depression.
Furthermore, when people walked 7,000 daily steps, compared to walking 2,000 steps, they were 47 per cent less likely to die during the follow-up periods of the studies analysed.
However, the experts noted that 10,000 steps per day will still be better than 7,000 steps – with the higher step count leading to more health benefits.
So, what are some easy ways to increase our average daily step count? We consulted a fitness expert to find out…
Park further away
“People tend to park in the nearest possible place to their office and spend a fortune on parking, but often the cheaper or free parking spots are further away,” says Andy Carr, master trainer and head of fitness for Snap Fitness UK.
“Choose a parking spot further from the entrance. It might only add a minute or two to your walk, but over the course of a week, it makes a difference.
“If you have a designated parking spot, I recommend getting to work 15 to 20 minutes early and going for a walk around the block.
“Give yourself that extra time to get your steps in rather than rushing into work.”
Take walking meetings
“We like to take our meetings out on the road when we’re in the office,” says Carr.
“Walking meetings are particularly good for in-person meetings.
“We have a couple of parks near our office, so we often go for walks around one of those during a meeting.
“It gets everyone moving, means we are getting some fresh air and gets everyone off to a good start of the week.
“If the meeting is online, just pop some headphones in and go for a stroll.”
Set a timer to move every hour
“A gentle reminder to stand up and take a short walk every 60 minutes can really boost your NEAT movement,” says Carr.
“NEAT movement stands for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, which basically means all the calories you burn through everyday activities that aren’t structured exercise all add up and play a huge role in overall health and weight management.
“If you’ve got a day stacked with calls, and you’ve got a five-minute break at the end of them, get up and have a stretch and go for a walk around the house or the office.”
Buy a walking pad
“Walking pads are booming in popularity,” says Carr.
“You can use them when you are having a meeting and don’t need your camera on, or when you are watching TV.
“They are a great way to get some movement and extra steps in during activities that you’d usually be sedentary for.”
Use the stairs
“It sounds simple but choosing stairs over lifts or escalators is a quick way to boost your step count and get your heart rate up at the same time,” says Carr.
Walk during TV time
“Try pacing during ad breaks or marching on the spot while watching your favourite show,” recommends Carr.
“It might feel a bit odd at first but it’s an easy way to move more without sacrificing your downtime.”
Make chores count
Housework and gardening are great opportunities for extra movement.
“A lot of people save all their housework and chores for the weekend, but I recommend spreading them out across the week so you get some movement at the end of your work day,” suggests Carr.
“There’s various different jobs around the house that can all add to your step count activity such as hoovering, cleaning and mowing the lawn.”
Get social with your steps
“Instead of meeting a friend for coffee or a meal, suggest a walk instead,” recommends Carr.
“It’s a great way to catch up, get some fresh air and move at the same time.
“You can also go to a pub, but adding in a walk beforehand helps you get some extra activity in.
“I’d also recommend going to a local parkrun as they are a great opportunity to socialise with new, like-minded people that are interested in being active.”
