The resource 'All Our Health', published in 2022, reports that '34% of men and 42% of women are not active enough for good health'. The document, written by Public Health England, outlines the importance of reducing extended periods of sitting and recommends introducing a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week. One of the most simple ways to increase your physical activity is to improve your step count and it's easier than most think.

How To Improve Your Step Count

1. Take The Stairs
Whether you're in the office, at a shopping centre, or using a multi-story car park, use these opportunities to take the stairs instead of the lift. Even a small flight will improve your step count - plus there's no waiting in line or pressing up against strangers, it's a win-win!

2. Use Your Lunch Break
This tip is particularly important for those who work in sedentary industries, such as office workers who sit at desks for the majority of the day. Your lunch break is the perfect time to break the monotony of inactivity by taking a stroll and increasing your step count. If you usually combine work and lunch, arranging phone calls during your break is an easy way to combine the two. If you prefer to unwind, listen to music or a podcast, walk with a friend, or simply amble along with your own thoughts, this can be a healthy alternative to a desk-bound lunch.

3. Ditch The Car
Days can often feel time-sensitive and walking to places, rather than driving may not sound appealing. As soon as this go-to routine is broken, reluctance fades away. After walking to the local shops a few times, you'll find that driving actually saves little time and walking this short distance is a great way to improve your step count.

4. Walk The Long Way
Opting to walk to a chosen destination instead of driving breaks the first barrier of inactivity. To go one step further, plan an extended walk rather than taking the quickest route. This may not be achievable every time you leave the house, but when you have extra time, using it to moderately increase your daily exercise can improve your physical and mental well-being.

5. Use the 4improve Step Tracker
The 4improve lifestyle app has an inbuilt step tracker and its intuitive design enables you to effortlessly set goals and track your daily, monthly, and annual progress. To begin with, we recommend using the tracker to assess your baseline level of activity. Using this, you can set 'fixed' or 'smart' targets. When you choose a fixed target, you enter the number of daily steps you wish to achieve moving forward. This does not change unless you choose to increase the value at a later date. A smart target raises your step goal each month, for example 4500 in January, and 5000 in February. After a year, you are prompted to set a new target.

6. Ask 4improve to Set Reminders
To improve your step count long-term, practice must become a habit. This can be challenging early on as you are introducing something new into your routine. 4improve can lend a helping hand during this time by sending reminders to your phone or tablet. Use the reminder feature within the step tracker element of the app to set this up.

The World's First Holistic Lifestyle App

Using a tracker is one of the easiest ways to improve your step count as it increases your awareness of your current level of movement, enables you to set goals, and monitors your progress. Once your daily step goal becomes habitual, you're ready to extend your progress and set a new exercise or lifestyle target. 4improve is the only app with the inbuilt capacity to educate, set goals, and track progress across the primary, interlinked areas associated with holistic living: meditation, exercise, nutrition, and tracking.

Having successfully raised your family step count you may feel inspired to introduce a new element of exercise into your routine. 4improve contains hundreds of daily stretches and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) exercises. By selecting which areas of the body you would like to focus on and selecting between beginner, intermediate, and advanced settings, you can tailor your experience to suit your individual needs. Workouts on the app last around 10 minutes and do not require exercise equipment, making them easy to integrate into your day.

Increasing your daily steps may have given your brain a much-needed time out. Being kind to your mind is an essential part of healthy living, so your next goal may incorporate 4improve's bank of guided meditations. Whether you choose to focus on your physical or mental well-being, 4improve has got you covered.

Download 4improve

The benefits of exercise, nutrition, water intake, and meditation all feed into one another. 4improve removes the hassle of trying to track your progress across multiple devices and programs by housing the 4 primary aspects of holistic living together in one easy-to-use app. Why not get started today by pledging to improve your step count? Downloading the 4improve app makes this process as easy as putting one foot in front of the other! Visit the App Store or Google Play today to download the app completely free of charge. This offer stands for a limited time only.