How to Get More Steps When You Work From Home

ByAndy Kenny

Working from home removes a lot of walking you never noticed: the walk to the bus or train, the trip to a colleague’s desk, the stroll to get lunch. Many people only realise how little they are moving when they glance at a step counter at 6pm and see a three-figure number.

The good news is that you do not need a gym session to fix this. A handful of small, repeatable habits can add thousands of steps to a home-working day.

How many steps should you aim for?

The figure of 10,000 steps is a round number rather than a medical rule. A large 2025 review of step-count studies in The Lancet Public Health (Ding and colleagues) found that people averaging around 7,000 steps a day had substantially lower risk of early death, heart disease, dementia and depressive symptoms than people averaging around 2,000 steps. More steps still helped for some outcomes, but the biggest gains came from moving away from very low step counts.

The HSE physical activity guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, plus muscle-strengthening activity on two days. Brisk walking counts towards that 150 minutes.

A realistic approach: check your average for a normal week, then aim to add 1,500–2,000 steps a day before worrying about a bigger target.

1. Replace your commute with a “fake commute”

Walk for 10–15 minutes before you open the laptop and again when you close it. It gives you the steps you used to get from commuting and creates a clear start and end to the working day.

2. Take phone calls on your feet

Any call that does not need your screen – one-to-ones, catch-ups, calls with family – can be a walking call. Walk around the house, the garden or the block. A 30-minute call at an easy pace can add roughly 2,500–3,500 steps, depending on your stride and speed.

3. Use a lunchtime loop

Plan one route near your home that takes 15–20 minutes. Having a fixed route removes the decision-making, which is often what stops people going out.

4. Set a movement reminder

Set a reminder for every 45–60 minutes. When it goes off, stand up and do two minutes of walking: refill your water, walk up and down the stairs, or do a lap of the house. Twelve short breaks across a day add up.

5. Make your home less convenient

  • Keep your water bottle in the kitchen rather than on your desk.
  • Use the bathroom upstairs (or furthest away).
  • Put the printer, chargers or post in a different room.

6. Consider walking while you work – for the right tasks

Some people add an under-desk walking pad so they can walk slowly during emails or calls. Research from Brigham Young University (published in PLOS ONE) found that people walking at about 1.5 mph on a treadmill desk performed only slightly worse on attention and memory tasks than people sitting, though they typed more slowly. In practice, it suits low-concentration tasks better than detailed writing.

If you are considering one, this guide to choosing an under-desk treadmill in Ireland covers desk height, noise on video calls and space.

7. Track the habit, not just the number

Step counts vary with the weather and your workload. Tick off the habits instead – fake commute, walking calls, lunchtime loop – and the steps tend to follow.

A sample home-working day

  • Morning fake commute: 10 minutes
  • Two walking calls: 20 minutes
  • Lunchtime loop: 15 minutes
  • Hourly two-minute breaks: around 15 minutes in total
  • Evening walk after logging off: 10 minutes

That is roughly 70 minutes of light-to-moderate walking spread across a normal working day, without a separate workout.

For more everyday ideas, see 7 simple ways to increase your daily steps.

This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have a health condition or have been inactive for a long time, check with your GP before increasing your activity.

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