The Rewards of Making Movement a Daily Game
By Cindy Moore
Making movement a game with rewards can motivate behavior change.
In our family of 3, one non-negotiable is having dinner together every night. It gives us a chance to catch up and check in with each other. When my son was younger, it was a challenge to get him to help with cleanup after the meal; that’s when we came up with a way to gamify it. Whoever got the most steps during the day could choose the cleanup chore they wanted to do.
This approach makes movement feel rewarding, encouraging us to stay active and have fun. It has spurred some fun before-dinner rowing, walks, and aggressive laps around the kitchen island.
This daily step game is our small way to connect movement with reward, boosting both physical health and mental well-being. For my family, the obvious reward is getting to do your least-hated cleanup chore.
Benefit of Movement
Daily step goals offer many other benefits for your physical and mental health, stress levels, consistency, and identity. Focusing on movement and setting a daily step goal that is realistic and personalized can help you feel capable and motivated, building confidence in your progress.
Hitting 6K+ steps daily reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease by 40-50%.
Daily walking can help strengthen bones and improve balance, which is super important as we age and maintain our independence.
Racking up your daily step count supports weight loss and maintenance, as well as lowering your risk for developing Type 2 diabetes.
Walking over 5K steps a day has been linked to lower depression rates, with 7-10K + daily steps showing even more significant reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Daily walking increases the release of your feel-good endorphins, reducing feelings of anger, confusion, and stress. Bonus points for taking your movement outside for even more impact.
Another important piece of the step goal puzzle is consistency. When you stay consistent, it reinforces your ability to follow through with intention. Consistency in meeting small goals boosts motivation, increasing confidence and positively impacting other areas of your life.
Small steps for big wins
Small actions can lead to long-term benefits. Consider starting with one or two simple habits to gradually increase your daily step count and build confidence in your ability to make lasting change.
To fit walking into your busy schedule, try parking further away from your destination or arriving early to do some window shopping. These small changes make it easier to incorporate more steps without a huge extra time commitment.
Try a walk after your evening meal to aid in digestion and decompress from the day.
Lace up, pop in ear buds, and phone a friend to catch up as you stroll around your neighborhood.
Better yet, grab that friend and do a walking catch-up in person. You both will reap the rewards of walking and feel more connected, which can boost your motivation to stay active regularly and strengthen your sense of community.
Ready to get started?
Join Eagles everywhere June 1-30 for the June Summer Streak & Steps Challenge. Check in to the daily events, track your streak as it grows, and invite a friend to join you. Share your progress in the app daily with all of Eagle Nation cheering you on!
BTW, clearing the table is my son's go-to chore so he can get quickly back to his online games. Small wins, right?