The easy way to boost your steps

Here's a few ideas of things you can experiment with to get you started:

• 1.

  Brushing your teeth: My personal favourite, simply pace around the bathroom, or up and down the hallway while your brush your teeth every day!

  Bonus steps: Brush 2x a day, for 2 minutes = 2 x 2 x 100 = 400 steps / day

  Time commitment: 0 minutes, you're already brushing your teeth... hopefully

  Similar alternatives: Laps of the kitchen while waiting for food to cook / the kettle to boil, walking around the house during TV adverts, really any simple task that doesn't require a fixed location.

• 2.

  Switch up your facilities: If you're working from an office, you'll likely have multiple kitchens and bathrooms available. Next time you need the loo, or a cup of coffee, consider walking to the 2nd closest option to your desk.

  Bonus steps: Toilet / kitchen trips 4x a day, an extra ~100 away = 4 x 2 x 100 = 800 steps / day

  Time commitment: 0 minutes, well ~8 minutes, but, it's the company's time so 🤷

• 3.

  Walk and talk: Weather you work from home or the office, most of us have plenty of calls or meetings to get through throughout the day. Pacing around with a headset on while on a call can be a really big boost to your steps, and a great way to make sure you're not sitting down for too long.

  Bonus steps: 30mins of calls a day (perhaps a conservative estimate for some) = 30 x 100 = 3,000 steps!!

  Time commitment: 0 minutes

• 4.

  Take the stairs: It's a classic, but it works... Anytime you'd take a lift or escalator, choose to take the stairs instead, if it feels too hard, start by just taking the stairs on the way down, and slowly add 1 floor at a time on the way up until you feel comfortable.

  Bonus steps: 4 flights of stairs a day (each way) = 4 x 2 x 20 = 160 steps (but they're really good steps!)

  Time commitment: 2 minutes, or less if your elevators make you wait as long as mine do 🙄

• 5.

  Extra commute steps: Whatever trips you're making in the day, try to slightly increase the walking section of the trip. Park at the far end of the carpark, or a street futher away, walk to the other end of the tube/train platform, get off the tube/metro/bus 1 stop early, or get on one stop late, etc.

  Bonus steps: 1,000 - 2,000 steps

  Time commitment: 10 - 20 minutes

• 6.

  Post-meal stroll: After a meal, try and get outside (inside is fine too), and walk for just 5 minutes. This not only boosts your steps, but is great for digestion, and can make it easier to sleep after your evening meal too! For bonus points, try and get anyone you're eating with to do it too.

  Bonus steps: 3 meals x 5 minutes = 3 x 5 x 100 = 1,500 steps

  Time commitment: ~15 minutes

Bonus steps: 6,860 steps / day, 48,020 / week 🤯

Time commitment: Only ~27 minutes a day

Even if you just pick 1 or 2 of those options, or come up with your own, a few thousand extra steps a day is very achievable with little extra commitment!

Step tracking and motivation

Tracking your daily steps is an important part of your journey, and a great way to maintain motivation and see your progress.

Apps like Motion not only track your steps using just your smartphone (or smartwatch if you have one) but also provide fun rewards and prizes for meeting your daily goals. Our intelligent personalised goals help you to set achievable targets, and progress them at a safe and healthy pace!

Additionally, asking a friend to join in with you can make the process much more enjoyable and sustainable. The social aspect of sharing your progress and "being in it together", can really improve yuor chances of success and consistency.