How to get 10,000 steps a day

Why it usually falls apart

Most people try to hit a step goal with one long walk, which is hard to fit in and easy to skip. The 10,000 number came from a 1960s Japanese pedometer called the manpo-kei, which means '10,000 steps meter'. Research since then suggests much of the benefit arrives somewhere between about 6,000 and 10,000 depending on age. Steps add up best when they are woven into what you already do.

How to get 10,000 steps a day

1. Find your baseline

   Check your phone or watch for last week's average. Add 1,000 to 2,000 steps a day to that, rather than jumping straight to 10,000.

2. Walk calls

   Take phone calls and meetings that do not need a screen on foot. A thirty-minute call is about 3,000 steps.

3. Walk after meals

   Ten minutes after lunch and dinner adds 2,000 steps or more, and it helps digestion. Attach it to the end of the meal so it needs no decision.

4. Change the commute

   Get off a stop early, park at the far end, or walk to the shop instead of driving. Small changes add up to thousands each day.

5. Take the stairs

   Stairs instead of lifts and escalators add steps and more effort.

6. Set an hourly nudge

   A reminder every hour to stand up and walk for a couple of minutes breaks up long periods of sitting and adds steps.

What to track

Track the smallest version you would still count on your worst day. A row you can clear when tired is a row you keep:

• Walk after lunch
• One walking call
• Stairs instead of the lift
• Hourly walk break

Print a tracker with these 4 habits or open them in a spreadsheet.

Your first week

1. Day 1. Check last week's average steps.
2. Day 2. Set a goal of your average plus 1,000.
3. Day 3. Take one phone call on foot.
4. Day 4. Walk for ten minutes after lunch.
5. Day 5. Get off a stop early or park further away.
6. Day 6. Set an hourly reminder to move.
7. Day 7. Compare today's steps with your baseline.