Aiming for at least 10,000 steps a day is a solid health goal to work towards. Walking 10,000 steps is close to walking 5 miles and for the average person that will take you about 1 hour and 15 minutes. It is recommended that you aim for at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily, and walking or working towards a goal of 10,000 steps can be an important part of your weekly exercise routines.

However, busy schedules and limited free time can make it hard to exercise for a full hour at a time. But the good news is that you can break up your exercise routine throughout the day. You can start integrating some of these tips to help you reach your goal of 10,000 steps daily.

1. Instead of circling around the parking lot looking for a spot up close, park your car in the back of the grocery store parking lot and enjoy the longer walk to and from the store.

2. Get more steps in by getting a new hobby like geocaching. Geocaching is fun for your whole family and can help you get more steps in as you search for the cache!

3. Mow your own lawn! Even if you have a small lawn, use a push mower and add up the steps.

4. Use your 15-minute breaks at work for walking breaks. Even if you can only walk down a long hallway or go up and down a few flights of stairs, every little bit counts.

5. Wake up 30 minutes earlier and have your exercise clothes laying out, so you can just jump into them and take off for a quick walk to wake you up.

6. Walk your neighbor’s dog if you don’t have a dog. Dogs are always up for going a few steps further!

7. Ride your bike to the grocery store.

8. Listen to podcasts and clean your house instead of just sitting on the couch and watching television.

9. Use the restroom on the other side of your office or the one downstairs just to get a few more steps in.

10. When you call your friends or family, put your walking shoes on and multi-task.

11. Join a community gardening group and walk there in your free time.

12. Plan weekend activities that include exercises like hiking, snowshoeing or canoeing.

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