Do you have a step goal?

The gold-standard is 10,000 steps a day, but, the average American takes only about 5,000 steps a day. I personally kicked it up a few notches with a step goal of 25,000 steps a day, but I did not get there overnight! I too started with a goal of 10,000 step and overtime challenged myself to eventually reach that 25,000.

So what do all these numbers mean? Based on a pedometer study, the number of steps in a day have been classified into the following activity levels.

• Less than 5,000 steps is considered a sedentary or inactive lifestyle and burns about 250 calories
• 5,000-7,499 steps is considered to be low activity and burns about 250-375 calories
• 7,500-9,000 steps is considered a somewhat active lifestyle and burns about 375-450 calories
• 10,000 steps is considered an active lifestyle and burns about 500 calories
• 12,500+ steps is considered a highly active lifestyle and burns 625+ calories

But take these calorie burns with a grain of salt. Calorie burn varies for everyone and depends on many factors including gender, pace of the steps, bodyweight, and age. But, overall, the more steps you take, the more calories you burn.

Reach your step and activity goals with these tips!

• Get your baseline. Use your phone, pedometer, or smartwatch to get an average of how many steps you are taking now.
• Push yourself. Once you have a baseline, set a realistic goal to go above your baseline. Starting at 5,000 daily steps? Aim for 6,000 next week, then 7,000 steps, and keep going up from there.
• Start your day stepping. Give yourself time in the morning to get some steps in, even if its 10 minutes. Your step count can only go up from there!
• Workout at work. Need to talk to a coworker? Walk to their desk. On a conference call? Take small paces while on the phone. Got a few extra minutes of your lunch break? Go for a walk.
• Get outside. Spring temperatures are perfect for taking walks outside and enjoying nature.
• Bad weather? Do a few laps around your local mall or put on some good music and have a dance party at home.
• Get a treadmill. My Landice treadmills have been a game changer for reaching my step goals! I do not have to worry about weather, time of day, or safety. I just hop on and get moving!
• Switch up your plans. Instead of scheduling a dinner date with a friend, try a walking date. Or combine the two!
• Pick up the pace. To increase health benefits and calorie burn, walk at a moderate to vigorous pace for 10 or more minutes. Somedays I set my treadmill to a challenging pace to see how fast I can really walk.
• Park far. When you go to the store or work, choose a spot further from the door.
• Take the stairs. Choose the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator – every step counts.

No matter what your step goal is, strive to be active every day!