WHAT:
This habit is about setting a daily step goal for yourself.
WHY:
Walking more throughout the day is one of the simplest and most reliable ways to boost your overall health and wellbeing. It can improve cardiovascular fitness, reduce stress, and increase your daily energy expenditure.
By setting achievable step goals, you can progressively challenge yourself and gradually build a healthier lifestyle.
HOW:
Set a “bare minimum” amount of steps to aim for. This would be your minimum daily step goal that you’ll always try to achieve, even on busy days.
Then, define an “ideal” amount of steps that you would like to push for. This would be a bit of a stretch that gets you out of your comfort zone and working hard to hit the step goal.
Now you have a “bare minimum” and “ideal” range to work between. See if you can close the gap between those two over time by slowly raising your bare minimum closer and closer to your ideal number of steps.
By adopting this habit of increasing your daily steps progressively, you’ll reap the physical and mental benefits of a more active lifestyle while allowing flexibility to adjust your goals based on your daily life.
If you’d like some guidelines:
- Beginner: 4,000 steps a day (someone who lives a VERY sedentary lifestyle).
- Intermediate: 6,000 steps a day (someone who lives a moderately sedentary lifestyle).
- Advanced: 8,000 steps a day (someone who lives a moderately active lifestyle).
- Elite: 10,000+ steps a day (someone who lives a very active lifestyle).
TIPS:
✅ Use a Pedometer or Smartphone App to track your steps and monitor your progress.
✅ See if you can incorporate walking more into your daily routine.
✅ Make it social and fun by inviting friends or family to join you on walks.
✅ Be deliberate by scheduling walking breaks in your calendar or setting reminders on your phone to ensure you meet your daily step goal.
✅ Celebrate your milestones, whether it’s reaching your bare minimum or hitting a personal best.
