5 Tricks to increase your daily steps (10K per day)

**I originally wrote this post to go live at the start of February. And then I just…forgot to post it. But considering how life has gone completely sideways since then and many of us are stuck indoors all day, I figured I might as well post it now.**

Raise your hand if you spend the majority of your day behind a desk? 🙋🏻‍♀️ I swear, back in the day (you know, when I was a young, sprightly girl), and I had the kind of jobs that would keep me on my feet all day, I longed to sit behind a desk for 8+ hours a day. Ah, naive little Joey. If only you really knew.

I’ve worn an activity tracker (why does that sound so creepy written out?) since 2014. I remember how excited I was the first day I wore a Fitbit. I’m always down for a bit of a challenge. And I really, really hate losing (or letting myself down), so you’d often find me moving and shaking, determined to unlock the vibrating wrist party that was the 10K celebration.

Over the years, I’ve transitioned from a standing up job to a sitting down job. And I’ve graduated from a Fitbit to an Apple Watch. I’ve also finally stepped out of my box and broadened my workouts horizons. (Think: more Yoga, HIIT & cycling, less straight up running.) And in the last year, my life took a pretty hard left turn which I apparently coped with by abandoning any and all of my standard healthy habits. Like, you know, getting out of bed for more than a couple of hours a day.

Needless to say, I was kind of shocked when I discovered just how very little I was moving on a daily basis. What made me look at the stats, you wonder? Well, your girl gained 17 lbs in an astonishingly short period of time. It’s not a big deal, no. But for someone who has always been fairly petite and active, I would be lying if I didn’t say I was totally surprised. That data inspired me to do a bit of an audit, figure out where things went awry.

It was when I scrolled back through my activity history on the watch that I found the culprit. I was barely moving beyond my workouts. It probably didn’t help much that I spent most of 2019 eating my feelings. But that’s besides the point. (It’s not, actually. And I have reeled things back in, in case you’re wondering.)

Anyway, upon this realization, I decided I wanted to challenge myself and reestablish one pretty significant healthy habit back into my life: I’d get back on the 10k steps a day train.

Uhm. When one isn’t running much (my knees hurt and the neighborhood we’re currently living in is riddled with massive hills #nothankyou #yesIknowtheseareexcuses), getting 10k steps, especially on an Apple Watch (which doesn’t count you waving your arms around as steps–#sideeyefitbit), is not such an easy task.

I set the goal for myself and then watched as I failed, day after day, confused how I could be falling short when I was making an effort. It was then that I did some digging on the differences between a Fitbit and an Apple Watch. I wore a Fitbit for a couple of years, hitting 10K daily, easily. I’ve worn an Apple Watch for 4 years and still find it hard on most days to hit that goal. The Apple Watch, guys, tracks stride where the Fitbit counts a multitude of movements as steps. There you have it.

So how can you increase your daily steps to 10K a day?

 

Move while brushing your teeth.

Dentists recommend that you brush your teeth for 2 minutes. I have an electric tooth brush that runs for exactly 2 minutes, buzzing every 30 seconds indicating that it’s time to move to another quadrant of my mouth. Most of us simply stand over the sink while we’re brushing. Maybe we stare into the mirror and question what we’re doing with our lives. (Just me? Okay. Moving on.) An easy way to sneak in some extra steps is to walk around your house while you’re brushing your teeth. I know, rocket science, right? But hey, it works.

Park farther away.

Another million dollar idea, right? But seriously, we all covet those front parking spots. I consider it my lucky day when that first, closest spot is wide open, calling out to me. But when this goal is front and center, it’s easier to cruise right on by and park further away. In fact, these days I look for the spot that’s the furthest away. (I mean, let’s be real, if it’s raining, your girl is still taking that first open spot. But if the skies are clear, you bet your bottom dollar I’m walking my happy ass from across the parking lot.)

Make things a little inconvenient.

If you’re anything like me, you’re one to narrow in on the easiest, most convenient and efficient way to do something. I mean, who wants to waste time or energy? When we lived in a 3rd story apartment, I would load up two weeks worth of grocery bags on my arm and make the trek up to the apartment once. I considered it a massive fail if I had to make the trip up and down the stairs more than once. But when you’re trying to hit that 10k a day goal, think of the different ways you could make things less convenient. Setting the table for dinner? Don’t grab all of the condiments out of the fridge at once; make individual trips. Bringing the laundry downstairs? Split the load in half and make the trip twice. You get the idea.

Drink more water.

This one might be a bit of a head scratcher. I know drinking more water is pretty much the answer and cure all for everything–but how can staying hydrated help you get more steps? Well, the act of drinking water alone won’t help you there. But one fancy smancy side effect of drinking all the agua is…well, you pee. A lot. A lot a lot. Sitting at a desk all day, getting sucked into your work, it’s easy to accidentally sit for hours on end without ever moving. But if you’re knocking back that good old H20, your bladder won’t let you be lazy. Nature will call, and it’s one pesky little biatch. Hopefully, if you’re lucky, the restroom isn’t uber conveniently located either. But we can only hope.

Start & end the day with a quick walk.

I love a good walk. In fact, taking a walk is one of my favorite things to do–especially if it’s partnered with catching up with a friend. I work from home. You might, too, or you might not. It doesn’t really matter. Try starting and ending your day with a quick walk. I have a dog so that’s not terribly hard to do. We rigged up a dog run in the backyard when we moved and gave up our fenced in yard life, but I try to skip using that at least twice a day and instead opt for taking the dog for a walk around th block. 20 minutes at the start and end of your day can really make a big difference. It also does wonders for your mental health. Moving your body, getting fresh air and soaking in some vitamin D is a sacred cocktail, I tell ya.

 

While none of these tricks will have you hitting your 10K goal on their own, they do definitely add up, making it easier for you to succeed each day!

Up for the challenge? Let me know below in the comments or connect via Instagram! Let’s root each other on! I was originally going to try and do this for one month–but honestly, it’s just an overall lifestyle change I’d like to make in general. I worried if I set the goal for just a month, the next I’d go back to my lazy ways feeling successful and satisfied; and honestly, that doesn’t do any real good. So, let’s do this, shall we?