Most of us simply don’t move enough. In fact, research shows that the average adult spends more than 9 hours a day sitting — and it’s taking a big toll on our health. Whether you want more energy, clearer skin, weight loss, or better focus, upping your daily movement levels can be the missing key. After all, our activity levels help regulate everything from blood sugar to cortisol (aka the stress hormone that loves to wreck your glow).
But the good news is that you don’t need an expensive gym membership or hours of spare time in your day to get more activity in. The secret is simple. Find ways to make the extra steps easy, obvious, and rewarding. That way, it’ll just happen!
Here are 10 easy tricks to get more steps into your daily routine without even noticing it.
- Take a 5-minute walk right after meals — It aids digestion and sneaks in steps effortlessly.
- Park at the far end of the car park — This can seriously add up over a week.
- Get off the bus or tube one stop early — Turn your commute into a stealthy step win.
- Use the stairs instead of lifts or escalators — Old-school advice that is extremely effective.
- Use a smaller water bottle — More refills = more movement without even noticing it.
- Create a walking playlist or podcast queue — Make walking feel like me-time, not a chore.
- Walk your grocery bags in one at a time — It’s weirdly satisfying and adds bonus steps.
- Pace while waiting for your oven, microwave, or laundry — Make dead time move time.
- Plan walking meetups or coffee walks with friends — Social steps are the easiest kind.
- Explore a new park or street each weekend — Novelty keeps the habit exciting and fresh.
These strategies are designed to stick by taking advantage of proven behaviour design principles. For example, pairing movement with things you already do (like eating lunch or drinking water) or anchoring in the new behaviour by rewarding yourself (listening to your favourite playlist or podcast. Also remember, the key to making new habits stick is to lower the friction and make the desired behaviour as effortless as possible (try keeping your walking shoes by the door).
And for some extra motivation, here’s why all those little movements matter: they fall under something called NEAT — Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. That’s a fancy way of saying the calories and energy you burn doing everyday activities that aren’t formal exercise. NEAT is a hidden powerhouse for metabolism, mood, and long-term weight balance. Remember, stepping it up even slightly will make a noticeable difference over time. An extra 100 calories a day is approximately a lb of fat at the end of the month.
So, start by picking just two or three of these to add to your routine this week. Look for the habit that’ll you’ll find the easiest to implement. Let them take hold. Then, in a couple of weeks, layer on one or two more. Build the habits gradually and sustainably. Before long, you’ll be walking more without even thinking about it. Your body will thank you!
