How do you reach 10k steps per day?

I recently downloaded the Pacer pedometer app and while I'm aiming for the recommended 10k steps per day I'm barely hitting 5k and that's including my daily dog walk.

Id like to know how many people "naturally" hit 10k per day? (Not including workout steps). Do you have to go out your way or do extra activities to reach 10k? Anyone got any tips? Thanks!

Replies

  • Docbanana2002
    Docbanana2002 Posts: 357 Member
    I live 2 miles from my workplace and walk every day. If I don't, I usually am not active enough to get to 10K without exercising.
  • love2lift_85
    love2lift_85 Posts: 356 Member
    I take my little one out for a stroller ride every day, and that lasts about an hour. Gives me about 6-7K steps just from that. I usually hit somewhere between 15-20K steps in a day.
  • Dofflin
    Dofflin Posts: 127 Member
    I sit in front of a desk all day so I barely get any steps in on days I don't go running.
    I would also like to know!
  • 70k1
    70k1 Posts: 8 Member
    I have three dogs and I walk them separately. I take a walk during breaks. I walk to wherever I want to eat lunch at. Some days I reach 15K steps.
  • blossomingbutterfly
    blossomingbutterfly Posts: 743 Member
    I'd like to know how people get to that as well. I walk to work (10 mins each way), and I get up and walk at work when I can but I really have no idea what else I'd do. I like coming home then doing my exercise videos and then relaxing on the internet. Heh! I really should get something to measure my steps, I'd be curious to see what I get to a day, for all I know I do get to 10K a day and don't even know it XD
  • njlegault
    njlegault Posts: 15 Member
    I wish I could but she's a small dog (cavalier King Charles) and she's 15 and arthritic and overall in rough shape lol so even our 15-20 minute walks are taxing for her but I'll start going on walks without her I think. I'd really like to hit 10k daily.
  • Thiatereika
    Thiatereika Posts: 6 Member
    edited April 2015
    I naturally hit between 14-17k steps a day but that's ONLY because I live in queens and my commute to work is walking 2 miles each way, I'm on my feet most of the day and I exercise at least 1/2 hr.

    After awhile the walking is fine and is wonderful. Just walk walk walk. Add 5 extra minutes to your dog walk a week and watch the steps pile up!
    I hope that helps!
  • njlegault
    njlegault Posts: 15 Member
    edited April 2015
    Extremelygrumpycat ... I'm loving the pacer app. It's been really insightful to see how little I walk and I'm pretty competitive even with myself so I'm always trying to beat previous days steps. Also it syncs with MFP and adds back the cals you burn walking. And it's free! Only downside is since it's on my iPhone I need to carry my phone and so often it misses steps when I leave it on my desk or in the car etc.. But I guess it's better to underestimate than over...I really recommend it if you're on the fence.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    I drive to work...and have a desk job.

    I average 8-10k without exercise a day.

    How...living life. I wake up at 6am

    Getting coffee, getting ready, putting dishes away in the morning, getting my breakfast, getting dressed.

    At work getting water (I go to a cooler farther away) when I go get ice I take the long way around. I go have a vape every hour, I go to the bathroom, go to the printer, instead of emailing people I take a walk, at lunch I go home clean out the dish washer, get my lunch repeat the above after lunch.

    Get home make dinner for 3, tidy up the house which could include anything from sweeping the floors everyday to dusting with a swiffer, to cleaning the handles and door knobs with lysol wipes.

    I sit down at 8pm...sometimes like today I went for a walk (only 1.65 miles) that was 3816 steps...my total steps for the day was 12214 and it's 8:30pm....I will get in probably another 1k between getting a drink, using the bathroom, going back to brush my teeth, locking doors etc.

    And no I don't have a big house...it's a single floor with a basement.
  • KrunchyMama
    KrunchyMama Posts: 420 Member
    I have a 3.5 year old and a 5 year old, a dog, and chickens. Lots of up and down the stairs to retrieve toys, back and forth to the bathroom with them, from the table to the kitchen and back for requests during meals, and to and from the chicken coop to check for eggs/bring them kitchen scraps, and running up the street after my dog. I easily hit 10k, and if the weather is somewhat sunny and above freezing then I'm more likely to hit 25k. If I'm sick and pretty much don't move from the couch I still end up with 4-6k steps because of the kids :-S
  • blossomingbutterfly
    blossomingbutterfly Posts: 743 Member
    njlegault wrote: »
    Extremelygrumpycat ... I'm loving the pacer app. It's been really insightful to see how little I walk and I'm pretty competitive even with myself so I'm always trying to beat previous days steps. Also it syncs with MFP and adds back the cals you burn walking. And it's free! Only downside is since it's on my iPhone I need to carry my phone and so often it misses steps when I leave it on my desk or in the car etc.. But I guess it's better to underestimate than over...I really recommend it if you're on the fence.

    I appreciate the suggestion. To be honest, I have thought about downloading an app for tracking walks and whatnot, my only problem is that I don't have a data plan! I must be one of the few left that has an iPhone but no data plan. I use wifi at home and at work. I could always invest in one but aside from when I walk, I am at work or home (or my parent's house with wifi as well) so I feel no need. I think I'd rather buy a cheap pedometer. I feel more that it'd be useful to know but not a necessity if that makes sense? :) I still do appreciate the rec though. I'm all for learning more, using more tools, and appreciating awesome people helping out! :)
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    njlegault wrote: »
    Extremelygrumpycat ... I'm loving the pacer app. It's been really insightful to see how little I walk and I'm pretty competitive even with myself so I'm always trying to beat previous days steps. Also it syncs with MFP and adds back the cals you burn walking. And it's free! Only downside is since it's on my iPhone I need to carry my phone and so often it misses steps when I leave it on my desk or in the car etc.. But I guess it's better to underestimate than over...I really recommend it if you're on the fence.

    I appreciate the suggestion. To be honest, I have thought about downloading an app for tracking walks and whatnot, my only problem is that I don't have a data plan! I must be one of the few left that has an iPhone but no data plan. I use wifi at home and at work. I could always invest in one but aside from when I walk, I am at work or home (or my parent's house with wifi as well) so I feel no need. I think I'd rather buy a cheap pedometer. I feel more that it'd be useful to know but not a necessity if that makes sense? :) I still do appreciate the rec though. I'm all for learning more, using more tools, and appreciating awesome people helping out! :)

    You should check for a free pedometer app for the iphone...my son's has one..

    Samsung just got one as well..it's pretty good...no data needed just strap your phone on your hip/arm and go.
  • countscalories
    countscalories Posts: 418 Member
    I get lost a lot.
  • blossomingbutterfly
    blossomingbutterfly Posts: 743 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    njlegault wrote: »
    Extremelygrumpycat ... I'm loving the pacer app. It's been really insightful to see how little I walk and I'm pretty competitive even with myself so I'm always trying to beat previous days steps. Also it syncs with MFP and adds back the cals you burn walking. And it's free! Only downside is since it's on my iPhone I need to carry my phone and so often it misses steps when I leave it on my desk or in the car etc.. But I guess it's better to underestimate than over...I really recommend it if you're on the fence.

    I appreciate the suggestion. To be honest, I have thought about downloading an app for tracking walks and whatnot, my only problem is that I don't have a data plan! I must be one of the few left that has an iPhone but no data plan. I use wifi at home and at work. I could always invest in one but aside from when I walk, I am at work or home (or my parent's house with wifi as well) so I feel no need. I think I'd rather buy a cheap pedometer. I feel more that it'd be useful to know but not a necessity if that makes sense? :) I still do appreciate the rec though. I'm all for learning more, using more tools, and appreciating awesome people helping out! :)

    You should check for a free pedometer app for the iphone...my son's has one..

    Samsung just got one as well..it's pretty good...no data needed just strap your phone on your hip/arm and go.

    And it doesn't use data? Really now? That's interesting. I haven't found one that hasn't somehow used data yet. Neat. Will check it out. Thank you.
  • Marilyn0924
    Marilyn0924 Posts: 797 Member
    15 minute walk to work in the morning, 30ish minutes at lunch to escape my desk and stretch my legs, 15 minutes return trip home. 30ish more working out either on the treadmill or a general strength workout and general moving around the house prepping dinner, washing up etc. gets me my 10k easily.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    njlegault wrote: »
    Extremelygrumpycat ... I'm loving the pacer app. It's been really insightful to see how little I walk and I'm pretty competitive even with myself so I'm always trying to beat previous days steps. Also it syncs with MFP and adds back the cals you burn walking. And it's free! Only downside is since it's on my iPhone I need to carry my phone and so often it misses steps when I leave it on my desk or in the car etc.. But I guess it's better to underestimate than over...I really recommend it if you're on the fence.

    I appreciate the suggestion. To be honest, I have thought about downloading an app for tracking walks and whatnot, my only problem is that I don't have a data plan! I must be one of the few left that has an iPhone but no data plan. I use wifi at home and at work. I could always invest in one but aside from when I walk, I am at work or home (or my parent's house with wifi as well) so I feel no need. I think I'd rather buy a cheap pedometer. I feel more that it'd be useful to know but not a necessity if that makes sense? :) I still do appreciate the rec though. I'm all for learning more, using more tools, and appreciating awesome people helping out! :)

    You should check for a free pedometer app for the iphone...my son's has one..

    Samsung just got one as well..it's pretty good...no data needed just strap your phone on your hip/arm and go.

    And it doesn't use data? Really now? That's interesting. I haven't found one that hasn't somehow used data yet. Neat. Will check it out. Thank you.
    I will try to remember to ask him about it tomorrow (he is in bed atm) and try to remember to send you the app name.

    My samsung has S Health now, came with the upgrade of the software...it's pretty accurate.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member


    I walk whenever i can. If I'm on the phone, i walk around the whole time. While I'm waiting for the kettle to boil i'll walk up and down the hall way. I'll take one item out of the dryer at a time, put it away, then walk back and get another item. I'll do 10 laps of the house while I'm waiting for my cup of tea to brew, instead of standing there waiting for it.
    If i have a couple bags of trash to take outside, I'll take one at a time. I'll bring one bag at a time of grocery shopping inside. Instead of parking as close to the store as i can, i'll park further away.
    lots and lots of laps around my house, I also live in a culdesac, so I walk around there too. I get over 20,000 steps a day.
  • melodyis4reals
    melodyis4reals Posts: 186 Member
    I walk to work, walk at lunch, walk the dog, and if I haven't met my 10000, I YouTube Leslie Sansone. Sometimes I walk in place while I fold laundry.