How do I walk more?

[TwylaHearArt]

I'm new to fitbit and an art student in college and in a new city. With all of my homework and projects, I find it difficult to get in 10,000 steps a day, Especially since the days are now shorter and being outside when it's dark outside where I live is not safe. On average, I take about 5,000 steps every day. I already walk to school and back, I walk to the stores for whatever errand I need to run, I don't even own a car or take city transit. Any tips on taking more steps every day?

[WendyB]

Get up and move every hour for 5 minutes. Realy adds up.

But not eveyone can get to 10K a day depending on thier schedule. If you cant with your schedule just do what you can.

Welcome to the forums!

[SebringDon]

@TwylaHearArt

Others will give you lots of ways to get a few more steps in here and there. I think that's important advice, but I think proper goal-setting is important too.

I'm a huge fan of setting goals you can hit, then hitting them every single day. I started out at 6k, upped it to 7k when I lost 10 lbs, and will up it to 8k when I get to 20 lbs lost. (Four pounds from now.) I think if I set my goal too high, it's easy to slack off. If I'm not gonna hit 10k anyway, why not settle for 4k today? OTOH, I haven't missed my goal in over two months, and you can bet nothing short of incapacitation will keep me from hitting my 7k tomorrow. I crave continuing that string of wins, and it motivates me every day.

Try setting your goal a little higher than what you've been averaging and devising a plan to up it every so often, either based on the calendar or on weight loss. Then as you find more opportunities to get a few more steps in, take them.  

[Gandhi]

TwylaHearArt

First Steps

Take part in challenges 

They will motivate you and you would be indirectly be increasing your daily step count .

[awood08]

I work behind a desk 8 hours a day so I find it difficult to get in my goal of steps each day unless I hit the gym. If I have some time I stand up and walk in place or pace my office while on a conference or phone call. That definitely helps me! Good luck 🙂

[SunsetRunner]

This may not be an option for you, but just incase it helps: what really adds up for me is running. The day before yesterday I hit 10,000 by 7am because I ran over 6 miles, I ended the day at 23k.

On days I run 3 miles I still log a good 5k steps from those 3 miles alone. Completing 10,000 is trivial after that.

[ErickFitbit]

@TwylaHearArtHere is a list of 25 ways to get more steps into your daily activity. Add a couple of these together and you will be on your way to 10,000 steps :

1. Pace the room while waiting at the doctor’s office.
2. Grocery shopping? Make an extra tour around the perimeter aisles before checking out.
3. Use the restroom one floor down (or up) at work instead of heading for the one just down the hall.
4. Ditto with your coffee.
5. Hide the remote so you have to actually get up to change the channel. Better yet, turn off the TV.
6. Instead of fighting other drivers for that single open spot near the door, do your blood pressure a favor and park several rows away.
7. Walk around the block while your kid is taking dance class/playing soccer/whatever.
8. Get off the bus or subway one stop early.
9. March in place while brushing your teeth (go ahead and shut the door first if you’d like).
10. Going to the mailbox? Take a tour around the house first—then take the time to say hello to that chatty neighbor who flags you down.
11. Hoof it to the store when you’re only buying a few easy-to-carry items.
12. Walk over to your coworker’s desk instead of e-mailing her.
13. Make it a nightly habit to go for an after-dinner stroll with the family.
14. Early for an appointment? Walk around the block instead of adding to your interminable time in the waiting room.
15. Take a daily afternoon “brainstorming” walk.
16. Wander the room while chatting on the phone.
17. Walk your child to school instead of waiting in the endless carpool line.
18. Instead of cooping yourself and your coworkers up in a stuffy conference room, make your next meeting a walking one.
19. Headed to the mall? Stroll the length of it once before you start buying—and scout the sales while you’re at it.
20. Set the alarm on your computer to go off every hour or two, then take a quick tour around the floor (or even just a trip up and down the hall) when it does.
21. Next time you have to run a couple of errands, park midway between your destinations and walk to them both. In between, pause to leave the dry cleaning in the car before strolling over to pick up your best friend’s birthday gift.
22. Leave the stilettos in the closet and charm your hubby (or boyfriend) into taking a moonlit walk after dinner at your favorite restaurant.
23. Tell yourself that you’re allergic to escalators and act accordingly.
24. Instead of getting together with the girls for a stay-put meal, plan an evening of window-shopping or an afternoon of new-neighborhood scouting.
25. Whenever possible (and safe), take the scenic route!

Taken from here.

[Oh_Pamela]

Been there. You'd be amazed at how many steps you can get in:

• Randomizing your favorite songs and dancing in the living room for an hour
• Doing laps during commerical breaks
• Doing laps around campus between classes
• As someone as mentioned, take breaks. I set the alarm on my phone to go off every 45 minutes as a reminder to get up (even just to walk to the window).

But, yeah Queen and Taylor Swift have logged me thousands of steps.

[ErickFitbit]

@Oh_PamelaMusic is always a call to more steps! Can't go wrong with Queen! 

[RexFeral]

I purposely park my car as far away from the store as possible. If I am going to shop at multiple places, I park in a central location and walk to every store. If I go to the mall, I go to walk. I also pace around parking lots during appointments.

You would be surprised how many steps you can get in doing this. Also carrying grocery bags further, helps build muscle.

When I recently injured my foot, someone on this forum recommended Leslie Sansone - Indoor Walking. You can find her on Youtube and it actually worked very well.

[ErickFitbit]

To add to @RexFeral's suggestion...drum roll...Leslie Sansone - Indoor Walking!

[emili]

if you have stairwells that are safe and lit, take a buddy and climb for ten minutes or so every two hours. it will give you a mental break- you'll be pissed at the steps or at me for suggesting it - get your cardio in and get steps in. every climb try to beat your previous time. Have fun!!

[SebringDon]

@ErickFitbit

Wow, that Leslie Sansone workout is great. Just what I needed for hot and/or rainy days here in south-central Florida... and it's raining today, of course. I tried it the night you posted it, and it was at a good level for this semi-beginner. I didn't get a full mile of steps, but that's probably because I'm not coordinated enough to keep my arms moving yet. 

[ErickFitbit]

@emiliStairs are definitely a great way to get some steps and floors in! 

@SebringDonSo happy that someone here found it useful! Warms my heart! 

[Paradise555]

Walk to a further toilet, take the long way around the store, walk for 5 to 10 minutes every hour when the time permits.

[rosieposie618]

are you able to change your goal to a lower amount of steps per day?

[rosieposie618]

I think I'm going to try this later on if i havent done 10,000 steps:)

[SebringDon]

---

@rosieposie618 wrote:

are you able to change your goal to a lower amount of steps per day?

---

Yes. Click the gear that appears at the bottom of the "Today" tile (the one with 5 circles) when you hover over the tile. You can change your daily and weekly goals there by selecting the appropriate tab.

I like to suggest that people walk what they can for a few days, then set an attainable goal, and make sure you hit it every day. If your goal is unreachable, it's very easy to get discouraged, and your FitBit ends up in a drawer somewhere. If you do that, set some weight or date goals for increasing your goals on a regular basis so that you'll still end up at that 10,000 figure some day.

I started at 6,000 steps, and I decided to increase my steps by 1,000 each time I lost ten pounds. I'm currently at 7,000 steps, 3.5 miles and 35 active minutes, and I'll be making another increase in two more pounds.