Matt Hancock warns that exercise rules might be tightened
Ten thousand is the magic number, according to your fitness watch. The reason why you’re meant to walk 10,000 steps every day is because it equates to about five miles. You’ll burn about 2,000 to 3,500 calories a week if you do 10,000 steps a day, and this could help you lose about a pound a week. If you’re struggling to get out and about for some exercise, you can still do 10,000 steps a day indoors at home during lockdown. Express.co.uk chatted to the team at WatchPilot to find out seven ways to do 10,000 steps from home
Walk up and down the stairs
Don’t be ashamed to admit you run out of breath walking up and down the stairs… use this as motivation to get fit and get your 10,000 steps in.
If you walk up and down the stairs 42 times, you’ll be adding an extra 1,000 steps to your daily count.
This is based on the fact that the average staircase has 12 steps, so by doing 84 trips in total you’ll reach 1,000 steps.
The best part about this hack is it will only take you roughly 12 minutes and 30 seconds.
Tim Harrison, MD at WatchPilot said: “And if you want to go faster, speed walking or running will burn even more calories.
“If you don’t have any stairs, you can just do 84 laps of either your balcony or your hallway, in the time it takes a pizza to cook in the oven.
“It will also help your sleep – one study found that 10 minutes of stair-walking was more energising than a cup of coffee!”
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Fake your commute by walking to a podcast
We’re all missing listening to our favourite podcasts on the walk or journey to work, but don’t let lockdown stop you.
Work up a step by walking around your home, garden, street, or local area while listening to podcasts.
The average podcast is 37 minutes long and the average person does about 80 steps a minute.
If you round that up to 40 minutes you’ll end up doing 3,200 steps.
Mr Harrison added: “Not a podcast fan? Pop the radio on, or your current Netflix show, and just do your steps in the living room while watching it, to distract yourself.
“Do this before work and you’ll have more energy throughout the day.
“If you’re a massive podcast addict, why not double up and do it at the end of the day too?”
Do 500 steps before each meal
Most of us have gained a few pounds in lockdown, as food has been the only enjoyable part of the day.
Mr Harrison said: “One of the biggest constants in lockdown has been food.
We’ve structured our days around it, and look forward to it more than ever.”
If you do 500 steps before and after each meal, this will be an added 3,000 to your daily count.
The best part about this is it will only take you a maximum of five minutes to do 500 steps.
Get your trainers on and start walking up and down your garden, or try doing laps around the kitchen.
Do 250 steps every working hour – 2,250 steps – 3 minutes for 9 hours a day
If you have a Smartwatch, you’ll be familiar with the buzzing to alert you every hour to get up and move… but how often do you listen?
From now on, try doing 250 steps every working hour – it will only take you three minutes!
This trick will gain you an extra 2,250 steps, making up a quarter of your daily count.
Mr Harrison added: “Experts recommend us getting a screen break every 40 minutes, doing this every hour will not only help your cardiovascular system but also your eyes! Do this 9-5, don’t overdo it.”
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Tea break stroll
Pre-Covid, most people would take tea or coffee breaks throughout the day.
Doing this at home four times a day could add 960 steps to your total.
Mr Harrison said: “The average kettle takes around three minutes to boil, and we’re drinking more hot beverages during the winter months.
“When you’re waiting for the water to boil, do your steps, either on the spot or by strolling around the kitchen.
“If you want to up the steps, you could do one extra minute of walking while waiting for the tea to brew.”
Have a walk-and-talk break
Whether you live with others or live alone, take some time in the day to chat with your pals or family while walking.
If you do this for 15 minutes a day, you’ll add 1,200 more steps to your total.
Mr Harrison explained: “To break up the day, walk with your housemate around the garden or down the hallway, to catch up on how your day is going.
“It will help improve your mood and reduce stress, and a 15-minute walk can give you a chance to clear your mind.
“If you live alone, why not buddy up with a friend and do your walking when you’re chatting on zoom or facetime?”
Housework
Cleaning your home often requires a lot of elbow grease, squatting down, and using your core muscles, and you’ll also rack up lots of steps on your fitness watch while you’re at it.
If you do five minutes of hoovering, mopping or window cleaning a day, you’ll be doing an extra 400 steps at least.
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