Nowadays, many of us spend at least a few hours every day sitting at our desk jobs. This can take a toll on our health, contributing to the declining fitness levels and health issues we’re seeing in so many communities throughout the US. Here are some tips for fitting in more physical activity each day.
How many steps per day do you need?
The answer depends on your age, sex, and the intensity of your workouts. For adults, at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week is recommended. For children and youth ages 6 to 17 years, vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity should be performed for at least an hour and up to several hours (depending on the frequency, duration, and intensity of the activity) each day.
For adults, 2,000 steps per day is considered a moderate step goal. For children ages, 6 to 17 years and adults older than 65 years, 1,500 steps per day is considered a moderate step goal.
For adults who are in good health and have no mobility limitations, 5,000 steps per day may be appropriate, but only if they are already doing some exercise each week.
How frequently do you need to be taking steps to keep fit?
The frequency of your steps is an important part of staying fit. If you have a sedentary job, it’s important to take frequent breaks and get up frequently to walk around and stretch. You don’t need to run a marathon or walk every day. You can take as many steps as your body is capable of. The key is to be consistent and make the most of every step you take.
If you’re just starting out with an exercise program and want to see how many steps you’re taking each day, try downloading a fitness app that counts steps.
Tips for getting more steps in your daily routine
If you’re trying to increase your daily step count, it can be hard to know where to start. Whether you’re just starting out with walking or have been walking every day for years, these tips can help you get more steps in your daily routine.
Set a goal
You can make getting more steps more fun by setting goals for yourself. Try to reach certain numbers of steps each day (such as 10,000) and then celebrate when you reach them. Or try adding an extra 500 steps each day until you hit 10,000 total steps per day. It’s all about making it fun and rewarding yourself every time you hit a goal.
Walk whenever you can
Get up from your desk at least once an hour and walk around for five minutes or more if possible. This is especially important if you work from home or spend most of your time sitting down at a desk all day long, even just standing up once an hour makes a difference.
Get a fitness tracker
Make sure your smartphone or fitness tracker has a pedometer sensor built-in. These devices track your movement throughout the day and can be helpful in measuring how many extra steps you take during different parts of your day (such as walking from one meeting room to another).
With a little planning, it should be easy to find time for exercise in your daily routine. It’s a vital part of staying healthy and fit, so don’t make excuses not to exercise. Because if you’re looking to pace the new year with a few extra steps every day, now you know how to do it.
