The Pacer Blog: Walking, Health and Fitness

Adding 2,000 extra steps in your day can burn 100 calories or more, get you almost an extra mile of walking, and help you reach your daily recommended activity goals. The 20 minutes or so of walking that 2,000 steps will take is easy for most people to work within a busy schedule. Whether you start a morning walking habit, or get those steps in an intense walking workout, you can burn those 100 extra calories if you work at it.

These 30 tips will get you more steps throughout your day so that hit those extra 2,000 steps per day. We also cover the benefits that you’ll gain, including those 100+ calories burned.

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What Do 2000 Steps Look Like?

Would you believe that it only takes on average 15-20 minutes to take 2000 steps? If you split those minutes up over the course of a day, that means just an extra 5 minutes of walking, 3-4 times a day. Most of us can work that in! According to the Cleveland Clinic, these 2,000 steps equal walking around one mile. Depending on your weight, this could mean burning an extra 100 calories a day. Your actual distance walked in 2,000 steps may vary – taller people or those with longer strides go farther in any given number of steps.

What do those 2,000 steps add up over the long term? Walking is a great way to burn calories. Every 3,500 calories you burn is 1 extra pound of fat lost. By burning an extra 100 calories a day, after a little over a month you may add an additional pound of weight loss! Let’s write that again, because it’s important: Adding 2,000 steps a day to your walks could mean an extra pound of weight loss every month.

Increasing your step goal by 2,000 steps over the course of a month or two is a great way to work your way up to a higher step goal. Trying to go from little walking to 10,000 steps per day is a huge jump that can leave you feeling discouraged. 2,000 steps is a big enough jump to motivate you to get much more active, but manageable enough that you can see viable progress towards your goal.

How To Get In An Extra 2000 Steps Daily

There are almost an infinite number of ways to get 5 minutes of extra walking in, 3 or 4 times per day. You’re only limited by the creative walking ideas you can think up and the walking locations in your area. There are a lot of resources to find creative walking ideas, but here are some for you to try!

While Out and About

When you’re out and about, take the long way around and get extra steps in wherever possible. Usually, the easiest or most comfortable things you can do get you the least steps. Here are some ways to get those steps while doing errands!

• Walk the outside aisles or the perimeter of the grocery store before you start really shopping. While you’re getting your extra steps, think about your strategy to buy the fresh, whole foods featured in these store sections. By walking (and planning) more, you can avoid the unhealthy packaged foods typically found on the interior store aisles and get more steps!
• While shopping at big box stores, don’t cluster your shopping by buying what’s next on your shopping list according to its proximity. Try taking a zigzag path, going out of your way intentionally as you work down the shopping list.
• When parking, choose a space farther from the store’s entrance. If you’re shopping at multiple stores in a strip mall, resist the urge to move your car after loading up your bags. Instead, head to the next store on foot.
• Return shopping carts to the store instead of leaving it in the used cart area. You might get a warm thank you from the store employees!
• Avoid the drive-thru. Park your car and walk yourself into the store. Do this even for quick roadside pick-ups. You’ll also make healthier choices if you have to eat fast-food, as you’ll have a bit more time to decide on healthier choices.
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator at malls or shopping centers when possible.

While At Work

• Walk to work if your workplace is a reasonable distance away from home.
• Get off of public transportation one or more stops before your destination.
• Instead of using the nearest restroom on your floor, find the toilet farthest from you. You can even try another floor if possible so that you can get in some stair work in addition to walking.
• Refill your coffee or water at break room farthest from your workstation.
• When taking phone calls, walk in place or walk around the hallway or meeting room to get extra steps.
• Get up once every 30-60 minutes and get moving – even if it’s only for a minute.
• Try holding a walking meeting to get some steps while getting some work done. It’s probably best to test this out in a more casual setting before trying it on important work business!
• Try talking to co-workers in person instead of responding via email or messaging apps.

At Home

• Drop the remote control and change channels manually.
• Get up during commercial breaks and take a brisk walk around the house.
• If you’re binge-watching TV shows on a streaming service, make your own walking breaks!
• Do some active play with your kids or grandkids. It helps them develop active habits, and gets them away from the screen for a while.
• Mow the lawn. If you upgraded years ago to a riding mower, consider dusting off the old push mower for a real workout.
• Take the pooch for a walk. If you don’t have a dog and aren’t interested in getting one, you can always volunteer at the local dog shelter to walk their dogs or help out an elderly or infirm neighbor with their pet.
• Make a habit to take an after-dinner walk around the block. You can get your whole family in on the action and use the opportunity to catch up on their day.
• Walk on a treadmill while watching the evening news or another short television program. If you don’t have a treadmill, try walking in place or pacing in your living room. Even just standing up is a better workout than slouching on the couch.

Get out and have fun!

• Explore the world around you by finding new nature trails.
• Pop into the shopping mall and do some fast-paced window shopping.
• Discover a new cafe, coffee shop or boutique in your area.
• Join a local walking club in your community.
• Take a walk around the block listening to an audiobook or podcast. Aim to keep walking until you finish one chapter.
• Find a historic place or landmark near your house or office and learn more about it.
• On the weekends, visit your downtown city center, park the car and see what you can discover on foot. If you live in a city, just walk over instead of driving!
• Don’t just watch the kids play, but walk loops around the playground while keeping an eye on the kiddos.

Think of these as ideas to have fun and get active, rather than thinking of them purely as a step number. You can start by adding just one of these ideas into your daily routine. The key is to add small amounts of walking that are easily absorbed into your schedule but can add up throughout the day.

As you review your progress you will likely be surprised at how easy and effortless it was to increase your mileage. Perhaps at the end of the month, you can even boast a little extra weight loss and a considerable gain in strength and endurance.

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If you haven’t downloaded the Pacer app yet, download Pacer now for free (on mobile)! You can also check out our website (mobile or desktop) or follow our blog for more great walking and healthy lifestyle tips.