The idea of walking 10,000 steps a day is familiar, but fitting that much movement into everyday life can feel challenging. Depending on your stride length, 10,000 steps is about 5 miles. Walking this amount may help lower blood pressure, improve blood glucose levels and boost mood.
Working towards that daily total can also help you meet the recommended target of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week. However, the average person in Britain walks between 3,000 and 4,000 steps a day, so reaching 10,000 may mean building up gradually rather than changing everything at once.
Start with a manageable target
If exercise is not part of your routine, begin with a smaller goal, such as 4,000 steps a day. Then add another 1,000 daily steps each week until you reach 10,000. As walking becomes more familiar, you may find it easier to increase how much you do.
A five-minute circuit around the block is one starting point. You could progress to a walk around a local park, then try a longer route along a country path, river or canal. Increasing the distance in stages makes the larger goal feel more manageable.
Keep a record of your routes and the time you spend walking so you can see your progress. A smartwatch or your phone’s step counter can help. Some devices also track stride length, heart rate and walking asymmetry. Brisk walking counts towards the weekly 150-minute moderate-intensity activity target.
Find small opportunities to move
A busy working day can make even five minutes of exercise seem difficult to fit in. Instead of relying only on dedicated walks, notice how many steps everyday tasks involve. Walking to another office building or around the block could add around 100 steps. Doing that three times a day would bring you 300 steps closer to your target.
At home, walk on the spot or around the house while the kettle boils. Use a toilet in another part of the house, or work upstairs so that collecting food and drinks involves going downstairs. A lunchtime walk can provide another opportunity, and people working from home could use time previously spent commuting to explore their local area. If you do not have a dog, a dog-sharing service can provide opportunities to walk someone else’s.
In an office, try using a kitchen on another floor. When practical, walk over to speak to a colleague rather than calling or emailing. Take a lunchtime walk, get off public transport one stop earlier, or park farther from your destination.
Device reminders can also prompt you to leave your desk and move. Many smartwatches offer hourly reminders to stand up, helping you remember regular breaks during a desk-based day.
What a day of steps could look like
Knowing roughly how many steps different activities contribute can help you plan. The following example totals 9,600 steps, leaving just 400 to reach 10,000. It does not include the extra steps you might gain by sitting less or taking regular movement breaks.
Walking to work for 15 minutes: 1,500 steps. A 30-minute lunchtime walk: 3,000 steps. Walking home for 15 minutes: 1,500 steps. Grocery shopping for 10 minutes: 600 steps. Washing the car for 20 minutes: 1,500 steps. Vacuuming the house for 20 minutes: 1,500 steps.
Approximate steps for different activities
These average steps-per-minute estimates cover both walking and other forms of activity. They are approximate guides, not exact predictions of your own daily total.
Walking at a moderate pace: 100; walking at a fast pace: 130.
Moderate gardening, such as weeding: 73; heavy gardening, such as digging: 155; mowing the lawn or raking: 135.
Vacuuming: 90; mopping: 85; scrubbing floors: 140; cleaning windows: 75; food shopping: 60; washing a car: 75; waxing a car: 100.
Slow dancing: 55; fast dancing: 175; Zumba: 152.
Cycling at 5mph: 55; at 10mph: 93; at 15mph: 160; at 20mph: 200.
Bowling: 55; golf while walking without a cart: 100; singles tennis: 160; doubles tennis: 110; ping pong: 90; casual football: 207.
Swimming front crawl at 1mph: 91; swimming front crawl at 2mph: 156.
Walking with others
If maintaining motivation is difficult, a walking group can add a social element to your routine. In the UK, the Walking for Health programme, run jointly by Ramblers and Macmillan Cancer Support, provides more than 3,000 free short walks around the country each week. Local authorities organise many walking events too. These options are UK-specific; other local groups may also be available.
If you are new to exercise or have a pre-existing medical condition, check with your doctor before getting started.