How Do I Get Started?

1. The first step is to buy a pedometer. Wear your pedometer for one week, and don’t make any changes in your normal routine. Use the pedometer to track your daily steps.
2. Find your baseline. Each morning, reset your pedometer and record the number of steps taken at the end of the day.
3. Set a personal goal for yourself. At the end of the baseline week, find the highest number of daily steps. This is your first daily steps goal.
   
   
   
4. If you find the highest number to be too challenging, divide the total steps you took during the baseline week by 7 to get your average daily steps. This is your new daily steps goal.
5. Record your daily pedometer steps, and reset your pedometer at the end of each day or in the morning before putting it on. At the end of the week, if you are below an average of 10,000 steps per day, or if your goal is 12,000 to 15,000 steps for weight loss, work on increasing your steps in small, achievable increments.
6. Increase your average daily steps by 500 steps per day each week until you reach your overall goal of 10,000 steps or 12,000 to 15,000 steps per day for weight loss.

What Are Some Ways to Increase My Daily Steps?

1. Walk to work.
2. Walk during lunch hour.
3. Walk instead of driving whenever you can.
4. Take family walk after dinner.
5. Walk kids to school.
6. Get a dog and walk it.
7. Replace Sunday drive with Sunday walk.
8. Get off a stop early & walk.
9. Go for a half-hour walk instead of watching TV.
10. Fetch the newspaper yourself.
11. Pace the sidelines at kids' athletic games.
12. Park further from the store and walk.
13. Take stairs instead of the escalator.
14. Walk to a co-worker's desk instead of emailing or calling them.
15. Pace while you have phone conversations.
16. Use part of every break to add a few steps to your day.
17. Walk and talk with friends, family, and colleagues instead of sitting and talking.
18. Hike with family or friends at nearby park.
19. Plan vacations or weekend events that include walking.
20. Join a walking/hiking club.
21. Get up and walk during TV commercials.