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?

[edkiwi]

I get off the bus from a work a few stops earlier which always racks up a few more thousand!

[Happybunny]

I am nowhere near the 10.000 steps, but to get some extra in I: 
-  Throw out some trash (or papers, glass, plastic) each night...gives me 3 extra floors and about 200 - 500 steps. 
- Don't call but try to find my colleagues when at work.
- when putting away the laundry/groceries I don't try to hold as much as I can but rather do everything one item at a time. Not too many extra steps...but every bit counts. 

Love all your tips! I will try some of your tips to make more steps! 

[Maltie]

Since the weather changed and its gotten a bit too cold to do long walks with the dog outside, I have been walking around the house doing fast walking. I also run up and down the staircases a few times during the walks. I have gotten to the point where I can do approx 8-9 miles in the evening around the house in addition to normal walking throughout the day.

I am feeling very guilty this week, however, because I had a dental surgery and was told to not exercise for 4 days to insure healing and avoid bleeding.  So instead of walking 10-13 or 14 miles a day today I am only getting in about 5 miles a day while healing

[USAF-Larry]

It was bitterlly cold outside today, -9°F windchill, so it was off to the treadmil & elliptical for exercise. I had planned to do 3 miles on the treadmill, and them move to the elliptical.  I looked for movies I could stream to the tablet while working out, and found an old Jame Cagney WW I movie that I put on and took off walking. Next thing I knew, I had gone over 6 miles on the treadmill, and the movie was coming to the end....

[MCarr]

Five miles is a lot after what you went through.  Take it easy.

[Maltie]

Im swollen but healing. Doing fine. thanks a lot

[mindyc]

At the end of the day if I still don't have y steps I run around my house until I do.

Mindy C

[mindyc]

Great job, keep on trucking!

[MCarr]

Any way we can.  It's amazing how many steps we can do during commercials, etc.

[MsAutumnWind]

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@Happybunny wrote:

I am nowhere near the 10.000 steps, but to get some extra in I: 
-  Throw out some trash (or papers, glass, plastic) each night...gives me 3 extra floors and about 200 - 500 steps. 
- Don't call but try to find my colleagues when at work.
- when putting away the laundry/groceries I don't try to hold as much as I can but rather do everything one item at a time. Not too many extra steps...but every bit counts. 

Love all your tips! I will try some of your tips to make more steps! 

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Love the idea of making more trips from the laundry room or from the car with groceries. Will have to make this a conscious effort - great tip! 

[poebee]

I totally quit escalators and elevators. whenever I miss my subway, streetcar, whatever, I walk down the aisle use all floors and come back just before the next train arrives. also if  I am too early I run up and down the stairs until it's time to go the track. I never, really never wait there  anymore 🙂

during the day: 3 times I do this: I walk down to basement (-3) and up to the 6th floor, 3 times. i never end a day without reaching 100 floors and this really gives me a better workout than just steps.

apart from all that: I live in a big European city and only have to use my car if I have to go to a distant place so in general I always have to walk to the next subway, tram, bus station and really like walking outside a lot.

before going to bed my husband and I go out for a short walk... always the same distance, always 11 minutes, no matter if hot or cold, snow or rain... this has become a nice ritual 🙂

[Gtkozik]

Sometimes I pace and jog back and forth in my living room. Now I know that may sound silly but it beats watching tv all day now that I'm not working and the weather wasn't that great. Besides I got my 65k badge few days ago and it feels so good. Anything to get my steps in except cheating which I noticed can happen when I moved my arm back and forth without actually stepping.They need to fix that by the way. Sometimes I jog in place too.

[MCarr]

Good for you.  We don't need to watch TV that much anyway.

[Gtkozik]

I agree. There is life to live. Places to walk to. Why live someone's else life. I'm in the park now doing some walking. Well. Now on a park bench but in a few....

[chrissy34]

I try to park as far away from the door as I can when I am at work.  I am an iternerant teacher so I walk in and out of many schools each day.  Right now it is -15 degrees here in Minnesota though so I am parking as close as possible.  I can't wait for it to get nice outside again.  When it is nice out I like to go to the local state park and walk during my lunch hour.  When it isn't freezing I take my dogs on walks for more steps also.

[Gtkozik]

In the morning at 530 am at the gym I would do my cardio on the treadmill and afterwards when I would do weights I'd go on a treadmill between exercises and walk again then pause the machine:do my weights and go on treadmill again. Lol

[Gtkozik]

That's a nice habit to develop. I used to live in Europe. I miss it sometimes big time. A lot more space where I lived.

[Sunnylane]

I also spend  a lot of time on the tredmill, usually because it is too hot here to walk comfortably. If I watch a show on tv the time goes by fast and the miles rack up.

[MCarr]

I also walk on the treadmill and watch TV when the weather is hot.  It does put on the miles.

[shirley123]

Does watching a show have a negative affect on the workout productivity by decreasing the intensity momentum?