10,000 Steps

10,000 steps is the recommended amount of steps you should walk EACH day. For the average person this accumulates to about 5 miles total; which means depending on length of stride, 1 mile takes about 2,000 strides to complete. 5 miles may seem like a lot, but spread out over an entire day is doable for almost anyone.

Keep track:
A super easy way to keep track of steps per day is with a pedometer. These little gadgets click right on your pants and count the number of steps you take. A regular one can be purchased for as little as $3.00; a more for a complex one that keeps a record and counts calories is about $30.00. 

Challenge:
Keep track of the number of steps you take each day. If you aren't at 10,000 yet, work your way up there. Some sedentary people only get 1,000-2,000 steps in, so if this is you make small goals and work on increasing steps by at least 1,000 a day until you reach your goal.

Already at 10,000? Then you need a bigger goal!

A stepping challenge is a great worksite wellness activity where you can challenge your co-workers to see who takes the most steps. It is one of the affordable and effective ways to get the office moving. Prizes can be incorporated for winners to make it more competitive.

Steps aren't just from walks:
All movement throughout the day count; the more you move around, the more steps add up. Dancing or aerobic exercise classes have a lot of sideways movement that each count as a step. Some of these classes can add up to almost 10,000 steps per class! Incorporating more physical activity such as parking further away from entrances will also drastically increase the amount of steps you take.