10 Creative Ways to Increase Your Daily Step Count

Increasing my step count has been one of the biggest hurdles in my fitness journey. Each week, my step count average was about 7,000 steps a day and that’s life for me as a stay at home mom. Occasionally, the day would surpass 10,000 steps, but; only if I was doing a group exercise class at the gym. 

Earlier this summer, I challenged myself to increase my step count. First goal? 10,000 steps a day! 10,000 steps a day is the AHA recommendation and it seemed like a goal that could easily be celebrated.

I tried several things to consistently get my step count up and now, 4 months later, my step count is averaging 12,000 steps a day. 

How did I do it? I found different ways to get creative and started out slow. My goal wasn’t to reach 10,000 steps and get burned out! The ultimate goal was to reach 10,000 steps and create good habits that will continue through life. 

Here are the methods that I’ve used to naturally increase my step count. 

Accountability – I started out by using Facebook for accountability. Each day, if I wasn’t near my step count goal then I would go out for a walk and document it on my Facebook page. My friends would keep me in check! After a while, if I didn’t post about it, my friends would ask and it would help kick my butt in gear

Fitbit Move Reminder – If you have a Fitbit, there is a really cool feature called the Move Reminder. Each hour, if you haven’t taken enough steps, your Fitbit will vibrate and tell you to get up and take more steps to reach your goal.

Park Far Away – Some days are filled with errands and there is a lot of car time. If you aren’t getting creative while you are out, step count will probably be down that day. Instead, park far away in the parking lot.. I’m talking all the way out! You can easily grab a couple hundred steps just doing this at one store.

Walk Your Street – Sometimes, I’m just not in the mood for a long walk. Break the day up and go outside on your street, walk up and down just a few times and go back inside. Doing this several times a day will definitely rack up those steps!

Pedal Exerciser – Some days are rainy, super cold and some days I just can’t get away from the house. The Vive Pedal Exerciser has become a god send! 

The Vive Pedal exerciser is compact, sturdy and fits perfectly in my living room. I’ve even taken it into the kitchen to pedal while the kids are doing homework! Even though it’s lightweight, the rubber grips on the bottom keep the pedal exerciser in place. Carpet, tile, hard floors, it will work anywhere.

Designed to be used by your hands or feet, the Vive Pedal Exerciser is great for keeping your body moving and keeping your joints nice and warm. The winter time is coming and it becomes harder to keep the joints warm and pain free. By having a pedal exerciser in my home, I’m able to easily keep my knees moving and work on my goals!

If you are curious about the functionality, the resistance can be changed to allow for a harder workout (or easier) and the digital display will let you know how far you’ve gone, your RPM, speed, time and number of calories burned. This is really a great way to add some extra steps in your day!

For more specs on the Vive Pedal Exerciser, click here.

Pace Your House – This sounds silly, but it really works! Let me give you an example, say you are cleaning the kitchen and you have a pile of stuff to put away. Instead of piling it all in your arms, grab one thing and put it away, go back and do the next. Also, while brushing your teeth, walk back and forth in your bathroom. Walking to the bathroom? Take the long way and add an extra loop through the kitchen to get there. 

Treadmill – I hate walking on the treadmill more than anybody. But sometimes, after getting things done at the gym, I will jump on the treadmill for 15 minutes and knock out an extra 1-2,000 steps.

Zumba – If you love to dance, get into a Zumba class pronto! I take a zumba class 4 times a week and each class will rack up 5-6,000 steps.. in one hour. Seriously, the most fun and fast way to get your steps for the day!

Walk During Rest Time at the Gym – Love to lift weights like I do? My weight lifting sessions will often last an hour or more. Between each set, there is a rest period. Instead of sitting there playing on your phone, get up and walk around! I take 1 minute rest periods in between sets and can easily get an extra 3,000 steps in my day by doing this. Try it!

Fitbit in Your Pocket – Finally, but not least important. The Fitbit hates grocery carts, strollers and just hates it when your arm isn’t moving. While it isn’t protocol for Fitbit, I will take my watch off and put it in my pocket to capture those steps. There’s nothing worse than doing an hour of grocery shopping, torture already!, and not getting credit for your steps.

10,000 steps a day isn’t always easy and some days you just need to rest. But, if you are looking to reach new goals to increase your step count, I hope that these tips can help you out!

Do you own a Fitbit? Add me as a friend! I’d love to challenge you to help us both reach those goals.

Disclosure : This post is sponsored by Vive Health. All thoughts are my own.