Walking is one of the most accessible forms of exercise there is. It’s free, low impact, and something most of us can fit around our lives in some form or another. But if the idea of walking 10,000 steps a day is daunting or you feel like you don’t have enough time to achieve the amount of walking you’d like to do, then there are some smarter ways to get your daily steps in.

Before we share our tips, did you know that the 10,000 steps a day idea didn’t come from any backed science? It instead came from a marketing campaign, launched by a step counter company during the 1964 Olympics in Japan.1 This number was actually picked because the Japanese character for 10,000 (万) looks like a person walking.

How many steps should I be walking?

Setting yourself a goal of 10,000 steps, when you only average around 4,000 a day, is going to seem unachievable. Remember, everyone is different. Everybody has varying levels of fitness needed for good health, so having a realistic aim, even if it’s an extra thousand a day, can help with consistency and staying motivated.

The ideal number of steps differs depending on age, and research2 suggests there’s a cut-off point where health benefits plateau:

  • For those aged 60 and over – the ideal number of daily steps is between 6,000–8,000 steps.
  • For those younger than 60 – it’s between 8,000–10,000 steps per day.2

Living a sedentary lifestyle, so regularly walking less than 5,000 steps a day3, is thought to increase the risk of certain conditions, in particular cardiovascular disease (CV).3 Numerous studies have looked at the optimum number of steps needed to reduce the risk of CV.

17 studies, with almost 227,000 participants, assessed the health effects of walking, measured in the number of steps. Results showed that as few as 2,337 steps a day started to lessen the risk of dying from heart and circulatory diseases, while at least 3,867 steps reduced the risk of dying from any cause.1

It also found that for every 1000-step increment, there was a significant reduction of all-cause mortality of 15%, and similarly, for every 500-step increment there was a reduced risk of CV mortality of 7%.4

>Read more about the health benefits of walking

If you're currently fairly sedentary, adding just 2,000 extra steps – roughly a 15-to-20 minute walk – can make a real difference over time. There's no pressure to hit a big number straight away, it’s about finding ways to add in more steps by building them into existing routines.

Top tips to get in more steps

If time is tight

Life is busy, and the idea of finding an extra 30 minutes to an hour for a walk can feel unrealistic. However, instead of thinking about this as one block of time, break this down into shorter bursts of activity which all add up. Try thinking in “tens” – ten minutes here, ten minutes there. Repeat this six times, and you’ve got your 60-minutes’ worth of walking ticked off for the day.

Why not try these ideas to help you build up some extra steps:

  • Getting off the bus or tube one stop early and walking the rest of your journey.
  • Taking the stairs instead of the lift, whenever you can.
  • Having a walking phone call – pacing the room or garden counts.
  • Parking at the far end of a car park when arriving at work or when shopping, rather than the nearest space.
  • Using your lunch break to get outside for a quick stroll, even 10 minutes makes a positive difference.
  • Walking to the shops rather than driving, if you need to get something for dinner.

Make it enjoyable

Walking doesn’t have to seem like a chore. There are ways to make it more enjoyable which takes the focus away from only doing it to increase your step count:

  • Is there somewhere close by or further afield where you’ve always wanted to go? Invite along family members or friends and make an evening or weekend of it, exploring a new place and ticking it off your “to visit” list.
  • If you own a dog, then invite a friend along for a park walk during the week or a longer stroll in the countryside at the weekend. Take a picnic or stop off for a pub lunch to make it less focused on your steps and instead about socialising in the fresh air.
  • Try new activities where you’ll be walking. For example: outdoor treasure hunts, having a look around local shops, picking you own vegetables/fruit or visiting local markets.
  • If you’re working the majority of the day, can you walk to somewhere new for lunch or take a packed lunch to a local park?

Ever heard of Japanese walking?

Also known as interval walking training, it involves alternating between slow and fast walking in three-minute intervals for a total of 30 minutes. A slower pace lets you take in more of your surroundings while a faster pace increases your heart rate and brings with it a whole host of health benefits.5

>Find out more about what Japanese walking is and how it can help you increase your steps in a more varied way.

Walking at every age and stage of life

There's no one-size-fits-all approach here. What works for an active and fit 30-year-old might not suit someone managing a chronic condition or recovering from an operation.

The NHS recommends that adults aim for 150 minutes of moderate activity per week — and brisk walking counts perfectly well towards that.6

Younger adults

For those who are physically able, aim to increase your steps by 1,000 each day for a week, then by 2,000 the next week and so on, until you’re at a sustainable and achievable daily count. Using fitness trackers or step counters on phones can help those aiming to reach the daily goal of 8,000 – 10,000 steps.

If you’re keen to get walking in the evenings or weekends, then try mixing up your routes, hill walks or faster-paced intervals to help keep things interesting.

Mid-lifers juggling work and family commitments

This is the group most likely to feel they are time-poor, with family commitments and work taking priority.

Habit stacking can therefore help here. Try linking a walk to something you already do, like the school run, a commute, or a lunchbreak. Even a 20-minute walk, five days a week adds up to 100 minutes of moderate activity.

Older adults and those with limited mobility

Shorter, steadier walks are just as valuable. Age UK highlight how regular gentle walking helps maintain balance, supports joint health, and benefits mental wellbeing.7

If you're managing a health condition, it's worth checking with your GP about the right level of activity for you – but for most people, a gentle daily stroll is very much encouraged rather than off limits.

Staying safe in autumn and winter

Walking might seem more appealing in brighter and warmer months, but with a bit of planning, you can keep walking comfortably and safely right throughout the autumn and winter months.

Dealing with the dark:

  • Wear bright or reflective clothing if you're out in the evening or early morning – a hi-vis vest or a jacket with reflective strips can make you much more visible to drivers.
  • Stick to well-lit routes where possible. Familiar paths are safer than exploring somewhere new in the dark.
  • Let someone know where you're going if you're heading out alone for a longer walk.
  • A small head torch is surprisingly handy, particularly in rural areas.
  • Indoor walking machines are an option too. Stick on some headphones and listen to a playlist or podcast or walk in front of the TV while watching a show, to help the time go quicker.

Dealing with ice and wet pavements:

  • Wear shoes or boots with good grip – smooth-soled trainers can be slippery on frost. Many outdoor shops stock inexpensive rubber ice grips that slip over your shoes.
  • Shorten your stride and walk at a slower pace on icy or wet surfaces – think 'penguin walk' on really tricky patches.
  • Use a walking pole or stick if balance is a concern.
  • If conditions are genuinely icy, it's fine to skip the outdoor walk that day. No walk is worth a fall.

Try not to see 6,000 –10,000 daily steps as an unreachable task. At first it might seem impossible to achieve but breaking it down into smaller bursts, using our tips to help get you walking more, and remembering that even an increase of 1,000 steps a day, can all help increase your activity levels and keep you on a path for better health.

References

  1. How many steps a day should I walk for my heart health? – British Heart Foundation
  2. Daily steps and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of 15 international cohorts – The Lancet
  3. How Many Steps a Day Is Considered Active? – Medicine Net
  4. The association between daily step count and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality – National Library of Medicine
  5. What is Japanese walking? – Women’s Health
  6. Physical activity guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64 – NHS
  7. Walking tips and advice for older people – Age UK