18 Easy Ways to Get 10,000 Steps a Day When You Work In An Office
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Office workers sit for 66% of their days.
Factor in commutes and relaxing on the sofa after a long day of work, and that’s most of your day spent in the same position: Sitting.
A large study concluded that the risk of death from *any cause* is 16% higher among sedentary people as opposed to active people.
Yikes.
The good news is, there are many little things we can do throughout the day to break up the monotony of sitting behind a desk for 8 hours.
It’s all about the steps, baby.
There are numerous studies looking at how many steps per day are enough steps per day for optimal health. Whether you aim for 5,000 steps or 10,000 steps or somewhere in between, the consensus is that any amount of steps is good.
But if you’re looking for something a little more specific than that, a study of more than 226,000 people concluded that 4,000 steps a day is enough to reduce the risk of dying prematurely from any cause.
Each additional 1,000 steps, up to 20,000, reduces the risk of dying early by 15%.
My takeaway is we should aim for at least 4,000 steps per day, and anything above that is just the cherry on top.
With how busy our lives are, this takes a lot of pressure off from trying to get 10,000 steps every day or else. Because 4,000 is still a worthy number with many health benefits.
So whether you’re trying to get 4,000 steps, 20,000 steps, or anything in between, here are 18 easy ways to get in more steps throughout your office work day.
1. Set yourself an hourly step goal.
Sometimes it’s helpful to break your bigger goal up into smaller goals throughout the day. Setting yourself an hourly step goal is a great way to do that!
It really depends on your day and how much walking you do before and after work that dictates how many steps you want to aim for during your work day.
For example, 500 steps an hour equates to 4,000 steps spread across your 8 hour work day.
500 steps an hour is really attainable, considering I took 110 steps in 1 minute. Doing that math, you could easily reach 500 steps in just a short 5 minute lap around your office.
If that seems too easy, you could aim for 750 steps an hour, which is about 8 minutes an hour, and 6,000 steps in 8 hours. Or even 1,000 steps per hour, which is closer to 10 minutes of walking per hour, and totals 8,000 steps in 8 hours.
When you break it down like that, it seems much more attainable.
And remember, you don’t have to do it all at once — you can spread those 500 or 1,000 steps out across the hour.
A water refill break here.
A bathroom break there.
A trip to your coworker’s desk for a quick chat there.
2. Set yourself reminders.
It’s so easy to start working and next thing you know, a couple hours have passed and you haven’t moved from your desk.

Yes, it’s good for productivity. But it is NOT good for your body.
*enter reminders*
If you have an Apple Watch, they give you hourly reminders to stand up. You can also set hourly reminders on your Reminders app to get you up and moving at regular intervals.
3. Park further away.
I’ve worked in small offices with small parking lots close to the building, and I’ve worked in large offices with multiple parking lots and a parking garage. One thing that remains the same is (they all suck) you CAN park further away in both situations.
Yes, the smaller lot still requires less steps than a parking garage, but you can still park in the back of the lot or around the side of the building instead of closest to the door.
Even if it’s only 100 more steps, it’s still 100 more steps.
4. Take the stairs.
If your desk is not on the ground floor, or you have a meeting on another floor, skip the elevator and take the stairs.
It’s not only great for getting more steps in, but the challenge also helps build up your cardiorespiratory health more than just walking on a flat surface does.
And it’s good for the booty.
5. Use a smaller water bottle.
If you use a smaller water bottle, you drink the water faster.
If you drink the water faster, you have to refill it more often.
If you have to refill it more often, you have to walk to the water refill station more frequently.
And if you have to walk to the water refill station more frequently, you will get more steps.
6. Drink more water.
We love a hydrated queen.
Yes, it can be annoying. But if you drink more water, you have to use the bathroom more. Which means you have to get up and walk to and from the bathroom more = more steps.
That’s what I call a win-win.
7. Use a different bathroom.
Instead of using the closest bathroom to your desk, use a different one further away. Bonus points if it’s on a different floor.
8. Take regular breaks.
We are not meant to sit behind a computer screen for 8 hours straight with only bathroom breaks and a short break for lunch in between.

Whenever you feel antsy, stiff, or like you just need a break from what you’re working on, take a short break and walk it out.
This has been huge in getting me up and moving more, because I often feel uncomfortable sitting or just standing still behind my desk all day.
9. Take video/phone meetings on the go.
Don’t just sit at your desk and stare at your computer screen. If you don’t need to see the screen, get up and walk around, whether it’s inside or outside.
If you take the meeting from your computer instead of a phone, wireless headphones give you that flexibility to move away from your desk while still being connected.
10. Book meeting rooms further away.
If you’re scheduling an in-person meeting, don’t default to the room that’s closest to you. Instead, book a meeting room that’s further away from your desk.
11. Take a walk during your 1-on-1.
If your boss is willing (or if you’re the boss!), see if you can take your 1-on-1 during a walk rather than sitting in a conference room for 30 minutes.
It’s worth seeing if other meetings can also be made walking meetings.
12. Follow up on the email in person.
If you need to send someone an email, follow it up by walking to their desk and chatting about it in person.
They will have the email for you both to reference, and you may even end up clarifying things you might not have been able to just via email.
13. Walk during your lunch break.
Lunch usually doesn’t take the full 30 minutes to eat, so get up and go for a walk during the remaining time you’ve set aside for lunch. It’s great for digestion, and helps you get some extra steps in.
Alternatively, you can take your full lunch break and go for a walk, then eat your lunch back at your desk while you work. Or, eat your lunch at your desk while you work, then take a walk during your actual lunch break.
14. Eat lunch away from your desk.
It’s easier to eat lunch at your desk, but lets switch it up.
Instead, eat your lunch in the break room, cafeteria, or even outside. This also helps break up the monotony of being confined to your desk for 8 hours straight.

15. Use a printer further away.
Pretty self explanatory. If your office has multiple printers, print things to one that’s further away.
16. March in place at your desk.
If this isn’t going to distract your coworkers, you can simply stand at your desk and march in place.
Steps are steps, my dude.
17. Walk to work.
This isn’t applicable to everyone, but if you live a couple miles from work, consider walking or taking public transport instead of driving.
18. Mental exhaustion does not equal physical exhaustion.
The exhaustion you feel after a long day of work is more mental than it is physical. But we have a hard time distinguishing between the two.
Sometimes you are physically tired, but more often than not it’s mental exhaustion that’s keeping you from taking a walk after work.
My therapist taught me to forget about how you feel in the moment and think about how you will feel once you are doing that thing (good, proud, not as tired or anymore tired than you currently are). And then get up and go do it.
Less steps are okay.
10,000 steps a day is fan-freaking-tastic. But it’s also A LOT, especially if you try to hit it every day.
If you end the day with 9,000 steps, or 8,000, or 7,000, or 4,000, you still did a lot of walking, and that’s something to be proud of, not anxious or stressed about.
So regardless of how many steps you got, give yourself a pat on the back, roll your feet on your lacrosse ball, and keep it going the next day.
And in case you’re like me and feel like you’ll get in trouble for taking more walking breaks at work (even though I’ve never gotten in trouble no matter how many I take):
Nobody is paying attention to you. You’re not going to get in trouble. So just do it, one step at a time.