Getting up and moving is important for your health and well-being, especially during the long workday where you’re likely spending the majority of your time sitting, and perhaps even poor posture. Taking part in moderate activity every day can help reduce the risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, type II diabetes, and is a great way to boost productivity and lose weight.

The recommended daily step count is 10,000 steps, which is roughly about 8km’s of walking. Sadly, this step count is rarely achieved, we tend to take about 5000 steps a day. The thought of doubling our current step count can be daunting and intimidating. The trick though is to find ways to integrate more walking in small amounts throughout the day instead of tackling a long walk at the end, which can be time-consuming and an unsustainable solution for many.

Here are 10 easy tips to get your daily step count up.

• Take public transportation or park far away

  If public transportation is an option for your commute, take the bus, or walking to work is a great way to increase your daily step count. If not, try parking further away so that you have a longer distance to walk to get to work.

• Download an app for your phone or wear a pedometer.

  Having something on you that is tracking your good work is a great motivational tool. Wear it on the 1st day and write down the amount, every day try to beat this amount. 5 – 10 steps per day.

• Take the stairs whenever possible.

Make a habit of taking the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator whenever you have the option to. It’s a great way to sneak a mini workout in during your day without having to go to the gym.

• Set an alarm on your phone for every hour.

  It is recommended you get up and walk around for 10 minutes out of the hour. Set an alarm or timer on your phone to remind you to take a quick walk around the office to shake out your legs.

• Get up and walk during commercials.

  At home watching TV, commercials are a great time to get up off of the couch and log some extra steps. Instead of mindlessly waiting for your TV show to come back on, walk in place or do a quick lap around the house to pass the time.

• Go for a post-dinner walk around the neighborhood.

After dinner is likely your last opportunity to squeeze in some extra steps before turning in for the night. A post-dinner walk, even if it’s just for 15 minutes, can help digestion along, burn calories and reduce blood sugar.