Getting Your Steps at Home
#1: Hide the Remote Controls – There, I said it. Put those remote controls away and get off your butt to channel surf! Although putting on some fast paced music might be a ton more effective for steps.
#2: Race the School Bus – When you know it’s time for your kid’s to come home from school, go to the turn before your child’s bus stop and wait for the bus. Once it turns the corner, race it to the bus stop because we all know how fun it is to embarrass your kids!
#3: Walk Around the Block – Don’t want to embarrass them? Okay fine, just take a walk around the block while you wait for them. That’s not embarrassing and it gives you more steps anyway.
#4: Forwaaard…March! – While brushing your teeth, cooking dinner, washing dishes, dusting the mantel, or doing any other boring house chore, march in place to grab a few extra steps and multi task. Keeping your balance will make boring chores a little more interesting, don’t you think?
#5: Snail Mail – Take the long way to the mailbox. If it’s on your property, take a stroll around the outside of the house to check for any upcoming maintenance that may be needed and collect a few more steps before getting to the mailbox. Don’t forget to retrace your steps and go back the way you came!
#6: Burn to Learn – After dinner, take a nice walk with your family to burn off those dinner calories and teach them how important it is to you that they begin healthy habits. You love them THAT much, right?
#7: Race Commercials – You can still watch TV without being a couch potato. Just get up with every commercial and see how many steps you can get it before they’re over. If you’re really feeling feisty, walk through your shows and rest on commercials.
#8: Walk the Dog – Don’t just let him out, take him for a walk! It’s great bonding time with your bestie anyway.
#9: Burn Those Calories – Develop a routine of taking a walk after each meal. You set the time limit, just make it a habit and burn off those calories you just consumed.
Getting Your Steps on the Run
#10: Pace Your Appointments – Okay so no matter how early you make it to your appointments, aren’t you always waiting until AFTER the appointment time to be seen? Ugh! How frustrating! Well…you’re there anyway with nothing better to do, use this idle time to pace and work toward your daily goal.
#11: Early Bird Gets the Worm – Make it a point to arrive to your appointments a little early so you have time to do a few laps around the building first. The worms are outside anyway, right? If it’s hot outside, take a healthier snack and walk around the inside of the building instead.
#12: Extra Laps Grocery Shopping – When you go grocery shopping, start by doing a lap around the outer perimeter of the grocery store so you can see what fresh fruits and vegetables are on sale or what meat cuts look good. Then do your shopping. When your cart is full, go ahead and do an extra lap around the perimeter again…you know, just to make sure you didn’t forget anything.
#13: Park Further Away – Are you one of those people that does a dozen laps in your car to find the closest possible parking spot to the door? Stop that! Park further away and hike it in, let everybody else fight for the close up. You prefer health over convenience, right?
#14: Get Off Early – Do you take a bus or subway around? Try getting off a stop early each time so you have to walk a little to get to where you’re going.
#15: Walk to the Store – If you’re just going to the nearest convenience store to pick up a loaf of bread, walk there instead of driving. Use it to get a little more exercise into your day.
#16: Stroll the Mall – Make it a point to walk the entire mall or store before picking anything up so you can see what’s on sale and where. This will help you save money AND get you more steps!
#17: Take the Scenic Route – When you’re out and about, stop at a park, lake, beach, etc. as you pass to get a few laps in before continuing on with your day. Make sure you stop and smell those roses! (Just watch the thorns)
#18: Practice During Practice – While your kids are at practice, walk laps around the field practicing your pace instead of warming the bench.
Getting Your Steps In at Work
#19: Bathroom Shopping – Okay so I love this one. When you’re trying to get your daily steps in at work, use a different bathroom each time so you have a little sightseeing in your day. The center I work at has 8 different buildings that cover about a mile when I actually go into work. Imagine the opportunities!
#20: Snack Shopping – Just like bathrooms, most buildings have multiple coffee pots and vending machines. Shop around! Use a different one each time to see which offers the best product. This will, of course, add a few more steps in.
#21: Park in the Furthest Spot – You might need to leave for work a few minutes earlier, but park way out there where nobody else parks! Not only will it reduce the risk of getting your car scratched by that one careless guy at work, but it’ll help you get a few more steps before and after work. It’s a nice day, why not?
#22: Face Your Peers – Instead of typing out that super long email explaining a real simple concept, walk over to your co-workers desk and explain it to them in person. You can clear up any misunderstandings quicker and gain a few steps in the process!
#23: Ban Conference Rooms – Have the meeting participants walk with you! You’ll be the coolest cat in the office for making the WHOLE team healthier!
#24: Lunch Run – You don’t eat at your desk, right? Don’t do that! Eat and walk instead of eat and work, it’s healthier. You could go for a run during your lunch break…but that’s a lot of work.
Getting More Steps in General
#25: Brainstomp – When you need to do a little brainstorming, ditch the computer and go for a walk. This will help clear your mind so you can brainstorm effectively. I even gave it a cool new name!
#26: Ban Lifts – I’m not talking leg lifts here, those are perfectly acceptable. I’m talking people lifts. Ban the use of elevators and escalators. Take the stairs instead, they’re less crowded.
#27: Ditch the Carpool – Walk instead. You didn’t want to sit next to that stinky guy anyway, right? He talks too much and dude…breath mints are your friends.
#28: Refill Advantage – User smaller cups. This will force you to get up and go get refills more often. Shot glasses anybody?
#29: Set an Alarm – Because life isn’t annoying enough, set an alarm to go off every hour reminding you to get off your butt and get to steppin’. Turn on some music and call it a dance break, that’ll be cool.
#30: Pace Your Phone Calls – I hate phone calls because they make me stop what I’m doing and pay attention. You can use this time on the phone to work toward your step goal for the day, then you’re still multi-tasking and working toward a healthy goal!
#31: Walk on Demand – Pick a word! Every time you hear that word, get up and take 250 steps. Sure, people will look at you weird, but make it a game and have them join you. That way they won’t keep repeating it just to make you walk more.
#32: Ban Drive Thru Windows – Either park and walk in or you get nothing!
#33: Power Hour – Decide on 1 hour per day and get in as many steps as you possibly can during that hour. Try to outdo yourself each day. Games are fun.
#34: Buddy Up – Find a friend to walk with you. Make it a competition, that’ll help with motivation.
#35: Running Man – Try the running man challenge. See if you can go viral.
What methods have you used to get your daily steps in?