How to set a good daily step goal for yourself, and improve your health. Learn more about how to walk more and stay motivated.
Daily Step Goal
Increasing daily physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health.
A daily step goal can be a great way to work towards this.
By setting a daily step goal, you are more likely to meet this target than by simply trying to fit in 30 minutes of brisk walking each day.
Be sure to set an achievable daily step goal based on your particular fitness levels and other factors to avoid getting discouraged rather than encouraged about meeting your daily steps targets.
I've found that setting fitness goals that incorporate my daily step count have helped me to create a good exercise routine that I can stick with.
I am not a medical professional. Please discuss your fitness plans with your doctor before beginning.
What's a Good Daily Step Goal Recommendation?
You've probably heard that people should try to get 10,000 steps a day for optimum health.
This is an arbitrary number, but it is a great daily step goal to aim towards.
Of course, it's not feasible or realistic for everyone.
Start with a daily step goal that feels doable to you, and gradually work at increasing the number of steps you take over time.
Everyone has a different starting point, and that's okay!
The important thing is to set up a routine that will help you get in more activity each day.
Talk to your doctor about your daily step goal for help in determining the right amount of activity to aim for.
Staying Motivated to Reach a Specific Number of Steps
Setting daily step goals can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be.
Some people like to keep their daily goal number in sight all day and work towards achieving it, using a pedometer or a wristwatch that counts steps to track the exact steps they take each day.
Others prefer to set average daily step goals such as reaching 5,000+ by 10:00 am then another 3,000 before lunchtime and finally 7,000 more steps before going to bed at night.
Although daily step goals don't have to be complicated and may change depending on what you've done earlier in the day, setting an average daily step goal is certainly helpful if there are days where you might walk fewer steps than your daily target.
A daily step goal is a great way to ensure you still average at least 5,000 steps daily.
Many people start walking more for weight loss, and to lower their risk of heart disease or diabetes.
But you may find that when you start walking more, your mood improves as well.
What a great motivator!
Do You Need a Pedometer or a FitBit?
Using a pedometer or a fitness tracker can certainly make counting your daily steps much easier.
If seeing your step count in real-time is a motivator for you, definitely think about investing in a device to count your steps for you.
Many mobile phones also have built-in step trackers.
They may not be as accurate, but they will give you a general idea of how many steps you've walked.
Is Setting a Daily Step Goal The Right Strategy?
A daily step goal can be a great way to make sure you aim for a reasonable amount of physical activity each day, as long as it's something that works for your lifestyle and fitness level.
For those who want a concrete daily step goal to work towards, aiming for 10,000 steps per day can help you easily achieve this number.
Although daily step goals should suit the needs of the person setting it as much as possible, there are also online daily step calculators available which calculate your daily target based on how many days per week you want to exercise and other factors such as age or weight.
How Many Calories Do You Burn By Walking 10,000 Daily Steps?
As a general rule of thumb, 10,000 steps is equal to walking about five miles. This varies a bit depending on your stride length but it's a good goal for beginners and those who don't have much time in their busy day!
Another popular estimation is that walking one mile burns 100 calories.
So, if you walked 10,000 steps each day, you'd burn around 500 extra calories.
Over time this will add up, especially if your daily calorie intake remains consistent based on your body's daily caloric needs.
What About Exercise Intensity?
As you adjust to walking a certain number of steps each day, you will be able to walk at a more brisk pace.
You may even decide to add some running into your routine!
Daily Physical Activity
Getting to the point where you can walk 10,000 steps each day can feel daunting for most Americans.
But the truth is, any increase in daily activity will result in health benefits.
Go here to learn more about the recommended levels of daily physical activity from the CDC.
Their physical activity guidelines can help you and your doctor create a daily step goal incorporating the suggested minutes of moderate exercise per day for healthy adults.
How to Get in More Steps
Check out these articles for ideas about how to walk more each day: