Exceeding 10,000 steps a day is a walk in the park for these wearable enthusiasts.
Midnight was approaching, and Cheryl Thompson realized she hadn’t reached her 10,000 steps for the day yet. So the 44-year-old accountant did what any fitness tracker user would do: She started looping around her kitchen and living room. “I hit 10,000 at 11:59,” she recalls. “I was so obsessed with making sure I got it.”
Thompson, 44, won Life Time Fitness’s 30-day Fitbit challenge in Tempe, Arizona, this fall when she averaged about 25,000 steps, or 12.5 miles, every day. Her secret strategy? Run on the elliptical while catching up on Netflix shows.
But surpassing 10,000 daily steps – the recommended number for the average person that equals about 5 miles – isn’t easy.
“Most people sit all day long, and often one workout one hour out of 24 hours isn’t enough to meet those minimum health recommendations,” says Nicole Nichols, a certified personal trainer and editor-in-chief of SparkPeople.com. Running 3 miles still won’t cut it, she points out. “If I would run in the morning or teach a spinning class, I would not even get the recommended 10,000 steps in a day – even with the workout,” she says.
So how are you supposed to reach that 10,000 magic number, especially if you have a desk job or drive most places because walking isn’t an option? We asked fitness tracker users who exceed 10,000 steps every day for their tips and tricks. If you want to achieve the gold standard of steps, strap on your tracker, and give these a try.
Make a standing desk. If your employer won’t supply one, follow Nichols’ lead and buy a $4 side table from Ikea. Put it on your desk, and place your computer on top. “Simply standing, you’re more likely to walk over to your co-worker’s desk or fidget a little more in the day and shift your weight side to side,” she says. To net even more steps without pausing work, you could build or buy a treadmill desk.
Compete with co-workers. Many fitness tracker apps will sync your steps with other users with the same tracker so you can see how they rank. Laura Scalley, a business development manager in San Francisco, uses the feature to compete with her boss. Scalley, 27, averages 12,000 to 18,000 steps on weekdays and nearly 35,000 on weekends, but that doesn’t come close to her boss, who consistently ranks No. 1 on her list with about 150,000 steps a week. “If I have an off-week, and I finally do a good a job getting my steps, he’s like, 'Finally you got your steps in!’ It’s just a fun way to tease each other,” Scalley says, “but I’m also serious about beating him one of these days.” Have co-workers with different trackers? Try the Matchup app, which will sync everyone’s data.
Choose the long route. Megan Jacobs could head down New Hampshire Avenue when walking to work in the District of Columbia, but the 29-year-old opts for a roundabout path with more turns. “Taking the inefficient route doesn’t actually add that much time, but I’ve just added 500 steps by doing that,” says Jacobs, a project manager at the American Legacy Foundation, who walked about 15,500 steps a day during a recent eight-week Fitbit challenge among her co-workers.
Park far, far away. You may have to drive to work or the grocery store, but that doesn’t mean you have to fight other cars for the best parking space. “The Midwest is very drive-oriented,” says Josh Berman, 39, of Columbus, Ohio. “I kind of laugh because you go in a parking lot, and you see people working very hard to find the closest parking spot.” Instead, park in the rear of the lot to earn more steps (and avoid cutthroat drivers).
Take advantage of Google. Berman, a director of business analytics at pharmaceutical company McKesson, travels often for work. Yet the plane rides and meetings don't stop him from averaging 12,000 steps a day. “I Google the heck out of [my phone] to find a CrossFit gym or a local gym where I can walk in,” he says. “I truly believe that if I’m going to spend $10 on a hamburger, I shouldn’t even question myself to spend $10 on exercising if I have to do so.”
Thompson, 44, won Life Time Fitness’s 30-day Fitbit challenge in Tempe, Arizona, this fall when she averaged about 25,000 steps, or 12.5 miles, every day. Her secret strategy? Run on the elliptical while catching up on Netflix shows.
But surpassing 10,000 daily steps – the recommended number for the average person that equals about 5 miles – isn’t easy.
“Most people sit all day long, and often one workout one hour out of 24 hours isn’t enough to meet those minimum health recommendations,” says Nicole Nichols, a certified personal trainer and editor-in-chief of SparkPeople.com. Running 3 miles still won’t cut it, she points out. “If I would run in the morning or teach a spinning class, I would not even get the recommended 10,000 steps in a day – even with the workout,” she says.
So how are you supposed to reach that 10,000 magic number, especially if you have a desk job or drive most places because walking isn’t an option? We asked fitness tracker users who exceed 10,000 steps every day for their tips and tricks. If you want to achieve the gold standard of steps, strap on your tracker, and give these a try.
Nicole Nichols shows off her fitness tracker at work.
At Work
Schedule walking breaks. Research shows sitting eight hours a day increases your risk of heart attacks, cardiovascular disease and depression. Getting up every two hours for a 5- to 10-minute walk around the office or outside can help lower those risks, while racking up steps. “Set an alarm on your computer, tablet or phone,” Nichols advises, “and as long as you don’t just turn it off, it will keep reminding you until you get up.”Make a standing desk. If your employer won’t supply one, follow Nichols’ lead and buy a $4 side table from Ikea. Put it on your desk, and place your computer on top. “Simply standing, you’re more likely to walk over to your co-worker’s desk or fidget a little more in the day and shift your weight side to side,” she says. To net even more steps without pausing work, you could build or buy a treadmill desk.
Compete with co-workers. Many fitness tracker apps will sync your steps with other users with the same tracker so you can see how they rank. Laura Scalley, a business development manager in San Francisco, uses the feature to compete with her boss. Scalley, 27, averages 12,000 to 18,000 steps on weekdays and nearly 35,000 on weekends, but that doesn’t come close to her boss, who consistently ranks No. 1 on her list with about 150,000 steps a week. “If I have an off-week, and I finally do a good a job getting my steps, he’s like, 'Finally you got your steps in!’ It’s just a fun way to tease each other,” Scalley says, “but I’m also serious about beating him one of these days.” Have co-workers with different trackers? Try the Matchup app, which will sync everyone’s data.
In Transit
If you take public transportation, get off a few stops earlier than your final destination and walk the rest of the way. Scalley, for example, hops off the train 1.5 miles from her workplace each morning, which nets her roughly 3,500 steps and an energy boost. “It helps me wake up in the morning while listening to my music,” she says, “and I’d rather be walking downtown than on a crowded bus where everyone is in a bad mood.”Choose the long route. Megan Jacobs could head down New Hampshire Avenue when walking to work in the District of Columbia, but the 29-year-old opts for a roundabout path with more turns. “Taking the inefficient route doesn’t actually add that much time, but I’ve just added 500 steps by doing that,” says Jacobs, a project manager at the American Legacy Foundation, who walked about 15,500 steps a day during a recent eight-week Fitbit challenge among her co-workers.
Park far, far away. You may have to drive to work or the grocery store, but that doesn’t mean you have to fight other cars for the best parking space. “The Midwest is very drive-oriented,” says Josh Berman, 39, of Columbus, Ohio. “I kind of laugh because you go in a parking lot, and you see people working very hard to find the closest parking spot.” Instead, park in the rear of the lot to earn more steps (and avoid cutthroat drivers).
Take advantage of Google. Berman, a director of business analytics at pharmaceutical company McKesson, travels often for work. Yet the plane rides and meetings don't stop him from averaging 12,000 steps a day. “I Google the heck out of [my phone] to find a CrossFit gym or a local gym where I can walk in,” he says. “I truly believe that if I’m going to spend $10 on a hamburger, I shouldn’t even question myself to spend $10 on exercising if I have to do so.”
