Road trips don’t mean you should stop getting your exercise. It just means you have to get a little more creative in order to get all your daily steps in. Find out how to get 10,000 steps on a road trip here.
For more ideas, check out all of our fitness content.
If you have a Fitbit or an Apple watch, you know that if you don’t move every hour, it will buzz and remind you to stand and get moving.
But, when you’re on a road trip, it’s not as easy to move around to appease the buzzing as it is when you’re at home.
But, fitness goals stop for no one, not even people on a road trip. And, you can still hit your goals and get 10,000 steps when you’re on a road trip. You just have to get a little creative and make a conscious effort to get those step in.
If you’re tracking your steps with an activity tracker, you might as well make a little money. And you can. There are a bunch of mobile phone apps that will actually pay you for tracking your steps. Find the best ones in our list of Apps To Earn Rewards For Using Your Fitness Tracker.
How To Get 10,000 Steps On A Road Trip
We’re using 10,000 steps as a base, but it’s really an arbitrary number. It was picked by a Japanese company that designed the pedometer. It was a nice, round number that people would remember. So, that became the daily step goal.
Honestly, though, even though we say 10,000 steps, we just mean whatever total steps your daily goal is.
Move around before you leave.
When I have to leave early in the morning for a road trip, I just want to roll out of bed and get in the car. I don’t want to shower and I don’t want to really wake up (if I’m not driving). That doesn’t help with steps though.
So, if you’re taking a long road trip, wake up a little earlier than you need to, and use those extra minutes to get steps.
You’re not gonna take long morning walk (you don’t have that much time), but you can still squeeze some steps in. There are things you need to do before leaving on a long trip, like checking that the iron is unplugged and making your bed. While you’re doing all those last minute things, you’re easily adding steps into your day.
Pack the car slowly.
I always want to take all my bags to the car in one trip, but that doesn’t add up to a lot of steps. So, instead, I make sure to bring each bag out to the car one at a time. And, if I’m taking an exceptionally long road trip, I make sure to leave all my bags in our bedroom upstairs instead of downstairs by the front door. Then, I take them downstairs one at a time.
It’s annoying, sure, but you’ll be sitting in the car for a long time so you can relax then. Until you’re sitting, though, make as many excuses to walk around while you’re packing the car.
Take Pit Stops.
Don’t try and power through your road trip. Stop and stretch your legs every so often.
If you’re driving on the highway, you’re going to pass a bunch of rest stops and a nice visitor’s center if you cross state lines. Those are really safe places to stop, go to the bathroom, and walk around a little to get some steps. If you’re driving with kids, local parks are a good place to stop with them so they can get some wiggles out and you can get some steps.
You could also build pit stops into your trip. Any time I’m driving back from Florida, I make sure to stop at South of the Border. And I know people who need to stop at Buc-ee’s anytime they’re on a road trip. Sure, they might be a little way out of the way, but you don’t need to rush when you’re on vacation.
So, build those stops into your itinerary next time you’re planning a trip and get some extra steps when you’re there.
Try and get at least 300 steps every time you stop. For me, that’s less than two minutes of moving. So even though it’ll add a few minutes on to your trip, it’ll help you get your steps in and it’ll give your mind a break from the drive.
Stop For A Meal.
I always pack lunch and other snacks for a road trip. It’s an easy way to stretch your budget. Plus, that means you don’t have to stop when you want a lunch break.
But, if you do stop for a lunch break or for a cup cup of coffee to keep you awake on your drive, you can turn that into a walking break too. Order your drink or food, then, while you’re waiting for it, walk around the fast food restaurant until they call your order.
Or, when you’re done eating, just walk around the building before getting back into the car. Anything you can do to squeeze in some steps really helps you inch closer to that daily step count.
Don’t wait in the car.
If you’re on a road trip with someone, and he or she needs to stop for the bathroom and you don’t, don’t wait in the car when you pull into the rest stop. Or, if your companion is the one who is getting gas, don’t just sit in the passenger seat.
Get out of the car and walk around. If you have garbage, now is a great time to get out and throw it away.
Or, if all else fails, just run in place next to the car. Sure, it’s tempting to just sit in the car and play on your phone, but you want to use any excuse you can to get some extra steps.
Exercise when you get to the hotel.
When you finally reach your hotel, find the fitness center and go for a quick run on the treadmill. Pete is so good about exercising on vacation and going to the hotel’s gym every day. When we check in to our hotel, he’ll do that quick while I head upstairs with a cup of coffee and start unpacking.
If you don’t have time for the gym because you have dinner reservations, take a long walk after dinner, near the restaurant. You’ll do some sightseeing and you’ll also make up for some of the steps you didn’t get while you were driving.
More Tips For Hitting You Step Count:
You might need a little bit of help hitting 10,000 steps a day (or whatever your magic number is). If you do, we got you. We have a post with 10 Ways To Get 10,000 Steps When It’s Too Cold To Walk Outside, which is filled with the easiest ways to get steps in the winter, and another with 10 Ways To Get 10,000 Steps When It’s Hot Out, which is great for summer.
What are your tips to get 10,000 steps on a road trip? Be sure to let us know in the comments.