For one month, I challenged myself to get 10 000 steps every single day. My sister and I had been doing Chloe Ting workouts for about six months at the time and I wanted to add a bit of cardio to my routine without overexerting myself. I didn’t go into this challenge expecting much, but as I went through the weeks I noticed a change in my health. Just not in the way I would have thought.
Getting 10 000 steps gave me a goal, something to focus on. I had to schedule my days and make sure I had time to get all my steps in. Or if I had poor time management, spend a couple of minutes walking up and down the hallway late at night. Like making your bed, getting your steps in is a goal to complete every single day, and gives you an immense feeling of accomplishment.
It also got me to go outside for at least an hour every day. While I love sitting down and binge-watching Netflix as much as anyone else, I can’t deny how much better I feel after getting some fresh air. Making that time to get outside, listen to some music or a podcast really helped boost my mood.
Finally, doing this challenge made me view my body differently. Although I hadn’t lost any inches or pounds, when I looked in the mirror I felt good about what I saw. I used to hyper-focus on the issues I had with my image but over the weeks I started spending more of that time thinking about how proud I was that I was doing things to take care of my body. That shift of mindset was huge for me.
So if you want to try this, here are my tips:
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Instead of doing 10000 steps every single day, aim for a monthly average of 10000 steps. This takes some pressure off, allows for rest days, and makes sure every step you take is counted to your challenge.
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Find something you enjoy doing while you walk. This could be talking to a roommate or family member, listening to some music or a podcast (check out our Her Campus Podcast, more episodes are on the way!)
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Do your best to avoid fixating on the numbers, as long as you are healthy and happy that’s all that matters.