How To Get 10,000 Steps Per Day At A Desk Job
How can you get your steps at a desk job? In this article, we have rounded up the top tips to help you get your steps at desk job daily.
It is possible to get 10,000 steps per day while working a desk job, Though it seems daunting, you can make movement a part of your everyday life. You will be surprised how quickly you can rack up more steps, just by making a conscious effort. Eventually, this will become a habit!
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Do you want an easy way to track your steps? Consider using an Apple Watch! Apple Watches track way more than just steps, but are a great tool if you are looking to be more active. The Apple Watch also tracks your activity via rings. The three rings are Move, Exercise, and Stand. It’s a great goal to try to close each ring per day! This is a simple and fun way to live a healthier lifestyle.
13 Tips For Getting More Steps At A Desk Job
Are you wondering how to get steps in at a desk job? Here are some tips for getting in more steps at a desk job.
1. Go For Short Walks Every Hour
Set alerts on your phone or computer calendar to remind you to move! Every hour get up and head for a short walk inside the building. 10 minutes of moderate intensity activity equals about 1,000 steps. If you are able to walk every hour for about 10 minutes, that will add up quickly during your work day!
If your job is busy or requires you to stay in one location, it may not be feasible to walk for 10 minutes every hour of the day. But, if you are consciously walking as often as you can – those steps will add up.
2. Walk During Your Lunch Break
Rather than sitting at your desk for your entire lunch, get up and move your body! Eat lunch and then spend the rest of your time on the go. You can listen to your favorite podcast or new music while you get a quick walk in!
If you feel like having company, you could encourage some of your coworkers to join you. This can help keep you accountable on days when you don’t feel like moving during lunch.
3. Walk/Move Every Hour
Getting in more movement requires a little planning! If you don’t set reminders, you will likely get caught up in tasks and forget. Set a reminder on your phone or via your fitness tracker. When your reminder goes off, take a quick lap to the water fountain or around the office.
4. Walk To The Furthest Bathroom, Printer, etc.
As long as your task isn’t time-sensitive, walk to the furthest bathroom, printer, etc. Those extra steps will add up!
If you drink a lot of water, you can spend a lot of time going from your desk to the bathroom. Each time, walk to the furthest possible bathroom to get as many steps as possible!
5. Go Up And Down The Stairs
Avoid the elevator and take the stairs! You can even run up and down a flight of stairs for some quick movement during a break.
6. Take A Lap Around Your Building
If the weather is nice or you need a change of scenery, take a quick lap around your building! This is a great tip for staying active at desk job.
7. Have Your Coworkers Join You For A Walk Or Host A FitBit Challenge With Them
Keep a pair of tennis shoes under your desk or in your car! Encourage your coworkers to join you on a walk or start a FitBit challenge and get your whole team involved!
8. Pace Back And Forth When On The Phone
If you are able to, move around while you talk on the phone! If you’re on your cell phone or a company cell phone, you could even take your call outside and walk while you talk.
9. Park As Far From Your Building As Possible
Those extra steps before work and after work make a difference!
Walking is free! You don’t have to have an Apple Watch or Fitbit to track your steps either. If you have an iPhone, it automatically tracks your daily steps.
“You burn more calories through non-exercise activity thermogenesis than you do through exercise, so creating an active lifestyle should not be underestimated. You can burn an additional couple hundred calories a day by stepping it up, and this adds up over time. Increased activity is a major factor in weight management and can work on dual fronts by also slightly decreasing appetite. Make walking a basic component of your life. It won’t interfere with your strength workouts and it’s good for the metabolism, heart, and mind.” – Bret “Glute Guy” Contreras
10. Get A Treadmill Desk
If you work from home or have the option to work remotely at times, you may consider investing in desk for your treadmill. This would allow you to walk at a slow pace while you work!
11. Walk In Place At Your Desk
If you work in a cubicle or have times when you are alone at your desk, walk or jog in place at your desk. You don’t have to walk in place all day, but walking or jogging in place can help you add to your overall step count.
12. Talk To Co-Workers In Person Instead Of Sending An Email
When possible, walk over to your coworkers and talk in person instead of sending an email. Obviously, this isn’t always possible. But if you can make an effort to do this even once a day, the steps will add up.
13. Get A Walking Pad
If you work from home or at the office, you can add a walking pad to easily get your steps in while you work!
Walking pads are convenient and easy to store under a bed, couch or out of the way. You can use a standing desk to easily transition from sitting to walking on a walking pad!
Even walking for a few hours every day while working will help you quickly rack up your steps!
How To Track Your Steps
If you want to get more steps at your desk job, the first step is finding a way to accurately track your steps. Here are a few ways to track your steps.
Fitbit
Fitbit makes a variety of fitness trackers. Some of the most popular are the Fitbit Luxe, the Fitbit Versa and the Fitbit Charge.
Fitbit trackers can track a variety of features. FitBit also offers challenges among members, so you can compete with friends and family to stay active!
Apple Watch
Another popular way to track your step is with an Apple Watch. Apple Watches have a wide variety of features and can do far more than tracking your steps.
The latest Apple Watches can track your temperature, monitor your blood oxygen, take an ECG anytime and see how much time you spent in REM, Core, or Deep sleep with Sleep Stages.
Oura Ring
Oura Rings are smart rings that track your steps, sleep, activity and recovery. Oura is personally my favorite way to track my steps and my overall health measures.
Oura can help you find your ideal balance between activity and recovery in order to reach your fitness and health goals.
Your Phone
If you don’t want to wear a device, you can also track your steps via your phone or an app on your phone. iPhones have a tracker already installed that you can find under the health app.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can increase your steps at a desk job by pacing while you’re on the phone, parking further away and taking breaks to get movement in.
If you sit at a desk, set alerts on your phone or calendar to remind you to get up and move every hour. It could even be as simple as taking the long way to the bathroom!
Bottom Line
In 10 minutes, you can walk about 1,000 steps! It doesn’t take long for that to add up quickly over the course of your day!
What are your favorite ways to sneak in more steps during your day or at your desk job?!
Related: Best Smart Treadmill