Top 10 Tips to Walk 10,000 Steps Per Day

Tonight I noticed I had logged over 21,000 steps. No wonder I was feeling so tired! Days when I have well over 10,000 steps are the days that I sleep the best. I'm talking around 15,000 steps or so. Those days don't happen that often, but when they do, they really tire me out in a good way. I'll have to trade the 11pm news for the 8am news. How did I get so many steps today?

Interestingly, I wasn't counting steps today or trying to set a step goal today. I did go out for a 3 mile run today, but that would only account for about 6,000 steps. Looking back, what else did I do to boost my step count? A few things apparently: walking the dog; playing tennis; and going to the grocery store. This made me think. What are the best ways to walk 10,000 steps, or 5 miles, per day? (Disclaimer: Consult your doctor before beginning an exercise plan. This article is not medical advice.)

1. Break up your walking goal throughout the day. 10,000 steps per day, or 5 miles, can be daunting to tackle all at once. If you told someone who strictly walks as their method of exercising (an excellent method, no doubt!) to go out and walk 5 miles right now, there might be some pushback. "After lunch." "It's too cold out." "That's too far!" "I can't walk that far!" "I don't have the time!" "That will take too long!" Even for someone like myself who exercises almost every day, the task to go out and walk 5 miles at once is not something I ever do. A moderate but still robust walking pace at 3 miles per hour will mean that once you hit the 60 minute mark of your workout, you still have 2 more miles, or, another 40 minutes, to reach 5 miles. In total, at a 3.0 mile per hour pace, it would take you about 1 hour and 40 minutes to reach 10,000 steps. The solution? Break up your walking throughout the day. It's psychologically much easier to conquer the 10,000 step goal if you spread it out over the day instead of trying to eek out 100 minutes of straight walking in one fell swoop.

2. Listen to your favorite podcast, news program, or sports game. The best part about technology today is that you can never be bored on a walk as long as you have a smartphone and a pair of headphones. And who doesn't nowadays? I'll bet your phone is within 6 inches of your body now... mine is! There are endless options to keep your mind preoccupied if you find walking like a cheese-less cheeseburger: boring. Spotify. Apple Music. Pandora. TuneIn. Podcasts. Youtube. TikTok. Facebook. Cell phone data plans are almost all unlimited data. There are no excuses not to catch up on old re-runs of Family Matters, listen to the local news in London, or fixate on the latest TikTok craze. One of my favorite subscriptions is YouTube Premium where you can listen to YouTube videos without ads and also listen to the videos in the background while you want to text or use your phone otherwise. Relive the OJ verdict while Googling a lasagna recipe. Multi-tasking!

3. Talk on the Phone. What better way to catch up with friends and family while also getting in some exercise than to have a phone call with your best friend or family? The time will fly and the steps will add up as you catch up on how your nephew's soccer team did, where your sister plans to vacation, or why Uncle Bob is on Tinder.

4. Walk at the Grocery Store. The grocery store is one of the best places to get some steps in without even knowing you are doing it. Everyone needs milk, but you forgot the tomatoes - time to backtrack the whole store! More steps at least!

5. Walk at the Mall. Remember what a mall is? Before Amazon? Before the days when anything and everything could be bought online? For the younger generation who may not know, a mall is the home of overpriced shoe stores, glitzy cruise-wear, and disgruntled Santa-wannabees all under one big happy roof. Malls are excellent places to get your steps in on a raindy day. If you don't like the standard elevator music they pipe in, be sure to wear a pair of noise-canceling headphones as you avoid the free samples pushed into your face at the food court. My favorite: Bose's QuietComfort over the ear noise canceling headphones.

6. Walk at a Local High School Track: Tons of adults walk on tracks every day in America. As long as they are not being used by the school sports teams, tracks are simple, flat, and provide easily measurable goals along the way (1 lap in the inside lane equals a quarter mile). If the track is in use, walk around the perimeter of the school parking lot several times. These lots are usually quite substantial in size as they often house school buses overnight, connect sports fields, and link multiple schools together. If you are a night walker and the track lights suddenly go out when you are on lap 4 of 8, the schools usually keep the parking lots lit up all night where you can finish your walk. The tracks are not just for the students. Feel free to use them. You pay taxes!

7. Walk in an industrial or business park. At the height of Covid when 6 feet of social distancing was recommended but the desire to be outside and active was an itch that needed scratching, I stumbled upon a gem of a location that I had driven past for years. Like your high school semi-crush that blossomed into America's Top Model at the reunion, the industrial park deserves a robust swipe right. Concrete as far as the eye can see! You can try all sorts of different routes in these behemoth parking lots which are usually complemented with well-maintained, smooth, and crack-less sidewalks (towns, are you taking notes?). Don't feel bad when your "Get out of here!" instinct crops up when you spot a stranger 200 yards away who is combing through your territory. Trust me, you will feel that, and that's okay. You've scoped out a hidden gem for your peace and tranquility and this is party of one. No trespassing!

8. Pace inside your house or apartment. There is a story about a man who ran a marathon inside a hotel. He would run every floor, every hallway, every nook and cranny of the hotel. There is also a man who ran a marathon on his 23 foot balcony. A few steps inside your house back and forth then or in your apartment's common hallways isn't looking so daunting now, is it?

9. Go for a walk during lunch at work. Lunch time is a good time of the day to get a walk in. The sun is shining, the city is bustling. It's a great time to stretch your legs. Save your lobby's Chinese take-out for Friday; today, go explore that new Greek place three blocks up. If you work from home (don't we all it seems?), take a stroll at noon after the final showcase wraps on The Price is Right. "One dollar, Bob!"

10. Find other people or dogs to walk with. Look out your window. If you stare long enough ("Hey, I was just birdwatching!) you will see other people walking, and often with others. People like to walk and talk together. Friends, family, neighbors. Most people would enjoy the company of others and be happy to let you walk with them. You can look for walking meet up groups. If you have a dog, your dog will never say no to more walks. If you don't have a dog, you can sign up online to be a dog walker and make some extra money while you walk your neighbor's dog. He owes you for cutting your side of the lawn!

Walking is an excellent activity that promotes a healthy lifestyle. If you aren't convinced, try to walk a little bit more each day or for those who can, a lot in one day and let me know how you feel afterward. You'd be hard-pressed to bump into someone who says, "I just went on a horrible walk!"