How do you get those extra steps in?

[zapleahy]

I live about four miles from my workplace and although I haven't yet walked all four miles to or from work, there are a few games I play during the week to increase my stepcount.

Some days I'll take the hillier, windier, unnecessarily long route to BART (San Francisco's heavy-rail rapid transit system). Almost always, I forgo the escalator for the stairs. Today, that act alone added 5 flights of stairs and over 250 steps to my morning journey.

My other favorite "cheat" is high stepping in place. Sure, I may look a little odd bouncing up and down while typing at my makeshift standing desk, but it feels good to keep the blood flowing and the legs moving! 

What do you do to get your extra steps in?

[OmegaRa]

I like to go for a walk during work. The parking lot of the development my office is in is large enough that if I walk around the entire perifery then it is equal to 1 mile. So I try to do that everyday. I have been slacking a bit recently. But I am trying to get myself into the habit again, though it will be a little tougher now that the weather here in NJ is getting colder.

[zapleahy]

Not enough can be said for taking a brisk walk in the middle of the day. Inviting a colleague out for a walking meeting is a great way to get your excercise in and boost productivity. I don't blame you for slacking a bit recently though @OmegaRa -- I was in New Jersey just last week and my was it chilly. A good pair of gloves, hat, heavy winter coat, and long johns required!

[OmegaRa]

Yeah, chilly is the word. Though oddly for the past several days it has been in the upper 50's and low 60's, but today that temp took a turn for the worse and we are expecting a wintery mix the next day or so...ugh.

[wtksk8r]

Several ways at work.  Stopping and walking around the building every 2-3 hours, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, going to the furthest restroom.

[CMeyer2001]

I also try to take the stairs as much as possible at work.  If I have to go to the cafeteria for lunch, I often will go to one in a neighboring building rather than the one in my building.

[SunsetRunner]

More tips ...
- Shopping? Park at least half way to the back of the lot, then walk once or twice around the mall before you start to shop. Same with grocery shopping. Walk the periphery of the store before starting to fill your cart.
- Need to run to the basement for something? Go down/up a couple extra times.
- Pace. I used to be very good at quietly sitting to think. Now, I do my best thinking while pacing.

Another shopping tip. (I got this one from my Fitbit friend Nancy.) Walk up and down every single aisle, even if you don't need anything there. It's extra steps.

[SunsetRunner]

Great idea, wtksk8r! I used to do the same thing before I retired. At first, I felt guilty, taking walking breaks. But then I figured, if the smokers can take breaks, so can the walkers!

[Colinm39]

After 2 years I have found I have a consistent pace at about 120 steps/minute for my planned brisk walks so the simple equation is 5 minutes out and 5 minutes back gives me 1,200 steps. The body is an amazing mechanically accurate device BUT, I MUST do my mornings walk of 45-60 minutes before other issues later in the day get in the way. This will give me 5,400-7,200 steps and if I up the pace to 4+ mph I can add another 10% steps, about 133 steps/minute.

I agree with the shopping one, these huge supermarkets are built and I have a Woolworths and a Masters side by side and can easliy get in 3,000 steps walking the perimiter and all of the aisles, safer than night walking and only 700 yards from my frontb door. Also I have two of the largest Malls in the Southern Hemisphere, north and south where I live, 10 minutes drive, massive undercover carpark, travelators and many floors. Again in 30 minutes it earns close to 4,000 steps. An excellent way at about 45 minutes before closing, if you walk briskly, people think you are trying to catch a shop before closing (:-)), and I'm 74 and into this caper.

[Jim_M]

One thing I do, is when I go to the store, I no longer look for the closest parking spot.  Park at a resonable spot, and then walk.  And if I'm going to two stores in the same shopping center, I'll walk between them, and not drive the car to a spot closer to store #2.

Also, been doing 5k's (3.1 miles) about once a month.  (my profile pic is from a 4.2 mile event last April).  Running is not really an option for me as I broke my ankle a few years back and can only jog a bit now.

They are often worthwhile events (the last two I did raised money for Diabetes research), and there are often many "walkers" at the events.  And these events are often "timed" so you can see your presonal stats afterwards. (I've cut about 10 minutes off my time for walking a 5k in the last year!).  Where I live, there is a 5k of some sort almost every weekend, and might cost $20-$25 but include a t-shirt, timing, donation,etc.  well, except July/Aug, when the day time temps are 100+ (F) 

[Craig]

I always park as far away from the stores as I can and if I have friends with me they get really ticked off. Also you talk about getting funny looks I do. I have a handicap permit on my mirror because I carry my mother back and forth for all of her doctor appointments and other stuff. I am also a career firefighter fortunatly we are not and area that is constantly runing calls. So once stations duties are complete and my partner and I have completed and hour or so of training I go outside and walk around the yard under the trees and aggravate the squirrils.

[TandemWalker]

This is an interesting thread, so I thought I would stir it a little.  My wife and I watch TV after dinner, for two or three hours.  I keep the remote in the next room; so every time I need to raise the volume or change channel, I have to get off my butt to get the remote, adjust, bring it back to where it was, and get back to my favorite chair.  It's amazing how little things like this can add up before bed time!

I also used to keep a cordless phone handset on the coffee table next to me.  Not any more!

Another one of my favorite, which I think Allison touched on, is to step/jog in place.  I usually go for a slow walk with my wife in the morning. But because I am a faster walker than her, I always end up a few yards ahead, despite my best effort to walk in tandem with her.  So instead of just waiting for her to catch up with me, I jog in place, thus increasing my step count and caloric burn.

When we go to the mall, we never use the escalators or elevators any more - we always take the stairs.  As for parking, we not only take a spot that's the furthest away from the entrance, but we also pick the parking area that is the furthest away from the store we're aiming for.

[kflannery]

I do much the same things, parking far from the door and taking my lunch time to take a walk...so far I am up to 2.5 miles at lunch...I always take the stairs at work and even find excuses to make a couple of extra trips.....

[Colinm39]

I find the simplest is opportunity.... If you know how many steps/minute (spm) you walk, in my case 120 spm for a moderate pace, you just sneak 5 minutes out then 5 minutes back and you have another 1,200 steps. I was about to go for my morning walk and had to cut it to 30 minutes and the amazing accuracy of our bodies I clocked up 3,700 steps. Again the same principle 15 min out and 15 min back.

[disneybruin]

I'm not sure if this counts, but I jog in place while I dry my hair in the morning, brush my teeth and get dressed --- it gets me to about 2500 steps before I get to work. I do the same thing at night while I'm cooking dinner or getting ready for bed.

[TandemWalker]

@disneybruin- Of course it counts.  I jog in place every day when I go for a walk with my wife, while she catches up to me.  I tried jogging in place while getting dressed, but I fell flat on my face when I came to the shoes!

[Colinm39]

If you jog fast enough you will find you have gone 1.2 miles miles without moving

:smileyhappy :

[disneybruin]

All good points --- it's working for me and that's what matters. 🙂

[WendyB]

Park far away where ever you go

Work in an office:

Go talk to worker instead of email

Walk to another floor or out of your way to go to Bathroom , get water etc.

Get up every hour and move for 5 Minutes

My store offers taking grocery's out for you. I do it myself and park far away. I make sure to take basket back to the front of the store. Not the stalls along the way

[CarlaJ]

Nothing new to add except I take advantage of commercial breaks when I'm watching TV.  They last for about 3 1/2 minutes now and I walk in place or back and forth in a hall.  Also, now that it's cold here, I walk in the parking garage at lunch.  It all adds up.