While it’s great to work out 30-60 minutes per day, studies continue to show it’s really, REALLY important what you do the other 23 hours of your day, too.
And trust me, I feel you. The struggle can be SUPER real when it comes to getting enough steps each day, esp for those spending a lot of time at a desk/computer for work (like I do these days) 😵💫
A few biggies that help me get enough steps:
+ walking around the gym between lift sets (I usually average ~3k steps with ease per workout session)
+ tiny treadmill (I try to walk on it while doing computer work, scrolling social media, or even sometimes while watching movies or playing video games if still short for the day)
+ we check our mail daily (haha). Since we live higher up in our apartment building, it’s an 800-step adventure 🤩
+ when we moved to San Diego, it was REALLY important to me to find a place that was super mentally located and walkable. We’re walking distance to coffee, tons of grocery stores, etc and it’s wild how I easily hit my steps each day (vs when we were living in Newport)
2022 Study: Reducing Risk of Chronic Diseases Via Walking
- A super cool study was published in the fall of 2022 by the US National Institute of Health’s All of Us research program.
- The study took place over 4 years of time
- Participants were given Fitbit wristbands to track their step count and activity
- A super unique study, due to the use of electronic wearable devices (hooray for more reliable data collection + higher quality data to study!)
- Previous research has studied how higher step counts can greatly reduce the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity
- This 2022 study by NIH’s AoU ALSO found links that getting more steps may lower a person’s risk for acid reflux, depression, & sleep apnea!
8,200 Steps a Day May Keep The Doctors (& Weight) Away?
- For years, 10K-A-Day (10,000 steps/day) was touted as the ~mAgIcAL~ step goal… but it didn’t really have any scientific backing
- According to the CDC, most Americans get 3,000-4,000 steps; walking less than 5,000 steps daily is considered sedentary
- This means most Americans are falling short of getting enough steps to benefit their health
- Getting ~8,200 steps (8,000-9,000 daily) may be the sweet spot for majorly reducing the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, acid reflux (GERD), sleep apnea, depression, and obesity
- Bonus fact: according to experts at Harvard, walking at least 20-30 minutes a day can reduce your risk of heart disease by about 30%
How to Track Your Steps & Easily Increase Step Count
3 Ways to Track Steps:
- Smartwatch (Apple, Garmin, Fitbit, etc)
- Pedometer ($15-$20 on Amazon)
- Smartphone (note: has to be “on” you)
Tips on Getting More Steps:
- It’s a lot easier to walk and be outside when it’s not cold (and doesn’t suck out). If it’s winter, you just gotta be more intentional and suck it up
- Don’t be weird and do things like pace circles around your house. Find ways to naturally move more. Then make it part of your daily routine!
- Go for a 5-10 min walk after each meal
- Walk your dog for 10-30 min, 2-3x/day
- Walk to check the mail daily
- Park farther away in parking lots
- Take the stairs (rather than the elevator)
- Treadmill for 5-10 min before/after workouts
- Walk around between lift sets
- Get a mini treadmill for under your desk
- Listen to Live Big Lift Big Podcast while ya walk (:
TLDR (Too Long Didn’t Read)
- Great to spend 30-60 min working out — how ya spend the other 23 hours of each day is really important, too
- Most Americans get ~3000-4000 steps per day
- Getting ~8,200 steps daily may greatly reduce your risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, acid reflux (GERD), sleep apnea, and obesity.
- Walking and moving more throughout the day may also improve your mood, digestion, productivity, and ability to concentrate
- Find ways to move more during your day so that they become part of your daily routine and you don’t really have to think about it
- If your step count is low rn, don’t try to go from 0 to eleventy billion. Increase the average by 1,000 steps. Once ya master that, another +1,000. And so on.
Where To Go From Here
You can always check out my e-book, The Ultimate Guide to Nutrition, Muscle Gain, & Fat Loss if you want to get more details about supporting your nutrition and fitness goals (:
We’re always posting workout and nutrition tips on our Paragon Training Methods Instagram page. Follow along for some free workouts and tips for enhancing your routine!
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- to run AND lift
- workout 3 days per week
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- or just look/feel your best
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