Do you take 10,000 steps a day?  I recently attended a wellbeing webinar at work which highlighted the important of reaching this lofty goal.  We all know the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle but how easy is it to fit five miles into the average working day?  And do we really need to reach 10,000 steps a day to reap health benefits? Read on to find out more.

Where did 10,000 steps a day come from?

The 10,000 steps a day goal started by accident in Japan in the 1960s when a clockmaker mass-produced a pedometer.  It was called the 10,000 steps meter as the Japanese inscription for 10,000 steps resembled a walking man which they wanted to use to market the pedometer. So despite its popularity, there is no hard evidence to substantiate that walking 10k steps a day actually helps our health.

Do we really need to walk 10,000 steps a day?

To test the 10,000 steps a day wisdom, tests were carried out on 16,000 elderly American women.  The results found that these women only had to walk 4,400 steps a day to have significantly lower mortality rates than women who were less active. If the women walked more than 4,400 steps, the mortality rates continued to reduce until they plateaued at 7,500 steps.  Increasing the steps after this milestone did not produce better results.  Interestingly the results also demonstrated that taking as little as 2000 steps a day – which equates to less than a mile – also produced positive health outcomes.

Can 10,000 steps a day help you lose weight?

You can lose 250-600 calories a day by walking 10,000 steps a day – depending on how much you weigh.  If you want to work this out for yourself you can use a steps to calories converter chart.  If you want to use steps to lose weight, burning 200-300 calories per day is the range you should aim for.  But this is not strolling and will involve fairly brisk walking, walking uphill or using stairs in the case of the office.

What are the other benefits of walking every day?

Weight loss is just one of the many benefits of daily walking. The act of putting one foot in front of the other releases neurotransmitters, endorphins and other chemicals which help to make us feel calmer, more energetic and less prone to low mood.  It can also help us sleep better. Walking can also help with blood flow to the brain, lowering stress hormones and helping to promote cognition and memory.  Walking also uses the largest set of muscles in our body, (the trunk, bottom and legs) and with persistent practice can help us to avoid age-related muscle loss.

5 steps to achieving 10,000 steps or less while at work

Get off the tube one stop early

Fitting more steps into your working day starts with the commute. By getting off one or two stops early, you’re already getting a head start on your steps for the day.  Your early release from the public transport cattle truck will also help you feel calmer and more energised for your entry into the office.  

Banish email and visit colleagues in-person

While it can be tempting to fire off yet another email, opting to meet someone in person gets you away from your desk and back on your feet again.  While this may require a bit of planning in these days of hybrid working, it’s an ideal way to get a break from your screen while also fitting in some more steps.  Meeting a colleague in person also helps to build positive working relationships and gets your face known around the office.

Set up a lunchtime walking group

If you never get away from your desk at lunchtime, it’s time to set up a lunchtime walking group.  The walks can be as short or as long as you want and can take the same route or different routes around your local neighbourhood.  Forty-five minutes of brisk walking can burn around 300 calories.  Taking the initiative will not only increase your steps but may also mark you out as leadership potential while allowing you to make more friendships in the office.

Take the stairs

Unless you’re working in a 71-storey building, my mantra is always take the stairs.  Brisk stair walking gets the blood pumping and is also an ideal pick me up when the mid-afternoon slump appears. You can also add an element of competition by introducing team games with colleagues.  Challenge colleagues to see who can climb Mount Everest first on the internal staircase.  This game went down a treat in my own office.

Conduct meetings on the move

Have you ever struggled to keep your eyes open in mid-afternoon meetings?  Walking meetings can create a whole other dynamic. People feel more energised due to fresh air and activity – creating an environment where staff are more able to come up with creative ideas.  Walking side by side also helps to dismantle the hierarchal boundaries that exist between staff and management.  This helps to enable closer bonds to be bridged and ideas to be more widely accepted.

Get on the tube one stop later

Finish the day as you began by getting on your chosen mode of transport one stop later.  This will not only help you to start to unwind but will also help you lose a few more calories while getting a few more steps in.  It also means having to endure a little bit less of the cattle truck while saving a bit more money.

Walking 10,000 steps a day can seem like a huge hurdle.  But integrating just one or two of these ideas into your working day will help to increase your steps and pay dividends for your long-term health.  Our working lives don’t have to be sedentary – the power is in our hands.