When Nancy set her New Year goal to reach 10,000 steps every day for a year she wasn’t entirely sure how she was going to do it. Before January 1, 2019, Nancy averaged between 3,000 and 4,000 steps a day because she has a desk job and sits A LOT.
But, when you have big goal, as Nancy did, and you’re motivated, as Nancy was, you find a way. Even though her job might have felt like a liability to reaching her daily goal Nancy found a way to make it an asset.
Nancy’s office building is situated on property that gives her the opportunity to walk safely before work. She takes advantage of that every morning by arriving early.
Nancy also realized she did not need a full hour to eat her lunch. She now uses that time for a walk too.
Nancy celebrated reaching her goal of 10,000 steps every day for a full year less than two weeks ago. And, she’s still going. Those fitness habits she put in place at work are now a permanent part of her daily routine and she’s got lots of fitness momentum.
(About a month before Nancy successfully finished her 10k One Year Step Challenge, I posted an article about what she was doing and why. You can read it HERE)
If you’re doing The 30 Day New Year Fitness Challenge are you finding fitness opportunities at work like Nancy did? Of course, every situation is different and not every job or location offers the same opportunities that Nancy has.
I work at a radio station that is located in a business park. It’s not very attractive, but I have taken walks through those parking lots that are filled with loading docks for tractor trailers. Not the most fun, but those walks were just what I needed to clear my mind in the middle of a stressful day.
And, that’s the other HUGE benefit of finding opportunities to walk during the work day. Forget the step goal for a moment. Walking lowers your stress, improves your mood, and helps you think better. What a great combination to help you be even more productive. In fact, smart employers should build in a 30 minute walk break every day!
One of my favorite parts of the day is a walk I take before we go on the air. I’m part of the morning show and I need to warm up my voice. I get to work early enough so I can walk around the station and sing. Please understand I’m a terrible singer, but singing is a great vocal exercise. It’s during that time of walking (and singing) that I can think through my day and find real clarity.
The beauty of walking for fitness is just how flexible it is. If you can find a ten-minute chunk of time you’ve got the opportunity for 1,000 steps. Find three of those chunks during your workday and that’s 3,000 steps.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY
If you don’t have a daily step goal, I want to challenge you to give it a try and create a fitness habit. I call it The 30 Day Fitness Challenge. This free guide will walk you through how to get started. It’s very easy.
If you don’t have a Fitbit I recommend the Fitbit Inspire HR. This is the Fitbit I use to track my 20,000 steps a day. The Inspire HR also tracks your heart rate and sleep so you get an even wider picture of your fitness progress.
(By the way…if you use the links in this article to make a purchase this blog will receive a small commission. It won’t add anything to what you pay, but letting you know is the right thing to do)
This blog is designed to help you embrace walking as a fitness activity. It’s sustainable, flexible, effective, and fun. Every week I post new articles with stories and helpful suggestions to Win at Fitness.
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