Have you been bored in the house? And quite possibly moving from the bedroom to the kitchen and back to the living room? As an introvert, as much fun as it sounds, not to have to leave the house if my body could speak, it’d tell me to get up and start moving. So, let’s talk about how to walk 10000 steps in a day at home.
You get creative, especially when you can’t leave the house.
After about a week into realizing that the gym would be closed and I would not be working my part-time waitressing job (what helped me get over 15,000 steps a day), I knew I had to figure out how to walk more while at home.
I went online and ordered the Fitbit Inspire. I didn’t want anything expensive. All I cared about it doing was tracking my steps and having a timer. But until it arrived, I used my iPhone to track my steps.
Before my allergies started kicking in, I would go on walks outside or a light run using my Nike run app. And because sometimes I’m extra like that, I wanted to know how many miles were 10,000 steps, so that I had an idea of how long my walk should be. If you’re also wondering it’s close to 5 miles, of course, this is depending on your stride length. But you get the idea.
I had made it my routine to get around a 2.5-mile walk outside. Usually, in the afternoon, after I finished working and the remainder of my steps throughout my day at home.
But now that my allergies have made it almost impossible for me to enjoy being outside, let’s talk about how you can walk 10,000 steps in a day at home by being creative.
Walk Frequently
Quite frankly, I put this first on the list because it’s the easiest to do and the easiest to miss out on. On my busy workdays, time flies by without me knowing, and next thing I know, I haven’t moved in about two to three hours.
I try to be very conscious of this because when I first started working from home, I got caught up doing work on the kitchen island table once where my posture was just all wrong. By the time I stepped away, my lower back was in so much pain, I could barely stand straight. I ended up going to the chiropractor, and all is well now, but lesson learned.
If you don’t already have a fit bit that sends a reminder for you to get up and move set a calendar reminder on your work computer or your phone, another great trick is to drink lots of water throughout the day. Trust me with all those trips to the restroom you’ll add on to your step count.
use a Standing Desk
I don’t personally have a standing desk, but I wish I did have one. When you’re not standing, it’s easier to step away and walk around more often than sitting.
If you can order through your job or invest in one, give it a go, and if you can’t, maybe my next tip will help you like it’s been helping me.
Walk on a Treadmill
I have no idea how I didn’t think of this, but it’s genius and wishes I knew about this sooner. The other day I was talking to my very close friend who’s also been working from home. She was getting in close to 15,000 to 20,000 steps in a day.
I was shocked when she told me that. I looked at my Fitbit that barely read 2,000 steps and said, HOW is that possible?
She had set up a mini workstation on her treadmill. How creative. I told my mom this, and two days later, she came home with a long piece of wood from Lowe’s for me to use as a tabletop.
I love her for that. Now I’ll hop on the treadmill from 9:30/10 AM to around 11:30 AM or 12 PM until it’s time for me to take a break and eat. I keep my pace very slow and steady, usually level 2, and aside from getting more steps in, I find I even get so much more work done.
Walk-in Place While Watching TV
TV has been soaking up more time than I would like to, so I’m working on being more disciplined. With that, I told myself that if I was going to watch TV, it was going to only be for 30 minutes during the week and that if I were going to watch TV, I would have to be eating, walking around the living room, or stretching.
Give this a go. If you’re watching TV, walk around your living room or stretch your body instead of lying on the couch.
Facetime a Friend and Do Laundry
The other day my best friend called me just as I was about to do laundry. As soon as I picked up, I flopped on my bed and started talking away. And as we were talking, I could see all my laundry staring back at me. Why is this always the hardest part!
If you struggle, fold laundry like me, call or facetime a friend, fold or do your laundry at the same time. You won’t even realize you’re getting sneaking steps in and folding your laundry.
Get a Workout In
As part of my morning routine, I love getting my home workout in especially since I’m down ten pounds already.
If morning workouts aren’t your thing, still aim to get a workout in to get your body moving. After my morning workout and before I started working around 9:30/10 AM, I’m usually close to 2,000 steps in already.
Dance Around
2020 is the year I turned 29. And I have a lot of goals I want to accomplish; getting uncomfortable is, of course, on the list. Confession time. I’ve been faking it til I been making it.
Being Latina, you’d think I can naturally move and swoosh my hips, but let me tell you that’s a no-no. As a child, I hated going to family parties because if you grew up Latina, you know that if someone asked you to dance, you had to dance.
While dancing in public wasn’t my thing because I was shy, that didn’t mean I didn’t have dance parties in my room. But as I got older, it’s been something I wanted to feel more confident in, bachata, to be exact. I want to take it to the next level.
It looks sexy, and I want to feel sexy. We should always feel sexy. So you should do whatever makes you feel sexy too.
Have a dance party at home or join online dance classes as I did. I love my online bachata classes right now. It’s been such a fun way to get 10000 steps in a day at home, also my favorite.
Jump Rope
Jumping rope has a special place in my heart. Do you remember as a child going out to recess to jump rope with all your friends? Double dutch was my thing!
And now, with the shut down of everything, jumping rope is perfect for getting steps in. Unfortunately, I lost my old jump rope, so I’m waiting on my new one to get here in the mail.
Clean Around the House
If you’ve been locked up in quarantine, this long, you’ve probably cleaned about every corner of your place. Or you may still be ignoring all the cleaning you’ve to mean getting to get done.
Girl, if you’re trying to get those steps in, put on your favorite cleaning playlist on Spotify and get moving.
Saturday mornings or late nights have always been my go-to times to start cleaning.
I know sometimes cleaning and organizing can feel overwhelming, so try setting a timer for 15 minutes and break up designated areas that need to be cleaned and organized.
Walk Around the House
Walking around the house does feel a little goofy, but it counts, right?
Walk around as much as you can throughout the day. And if you have stairs, try going up and down the stairs twice.
Hop in Place
My last tip and another goofy idea on how to walk or get 10000 steps in a day at home is to hop in place.
For example, if you’re cooking something in the microwave or the air fryer hop in place while you wait.
Conclusion
Is it possible to get 10,000 steps in a day without leaving the house?
Absolutely.
We aren’t even halfway through 2020, but it sure has had us make a lot of adjustments in all areas of our life. If you’ve had to start working from home or have severe allergies like I do, I get it.
As always, you have the power to put in the work and get it done.
There isn’t a day where I want to push it off for tomorrow, but I never regret getting it done after.
How are you getting creative getting 10000 steps in a day at home?
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