'Gentle' October Step Support
Wysewoman53
Posts: 582 Member
I have been on two different step challenges that have both been 10,000 steps challenges. Everyone starts out all gung-ho...got a gazillion steps in today or this week...and then, they are gone! I don't know if members just lost interest or the 10,000 steps were just too much for someone just starting something like this.
What I would like to start is something more realistic for people who work in offices or are just starting out as far as walking is concerned.
There would be no limit...top or bottom...just recording steps taken in a day. The goal would be your own and, I think, would be a little easier to maintain if the only person in competition with you would be YOU. This would just be a place to record what a person is doing and maybe help with motivation to keep moving forward.
How this would work is for each person to record how many steps taken in a day...or a week...or how ever you would want to do this. Record it even if you only took 100 steps or 30,000 or anywhere in between. With this gentle challenge, there would be no failure, no judgement. As I said, the goal is your own. Fall is here and Winter is on its way. This might be a way to keep yourself motivated to keep moving even during those days that aren't the greatest weather-wise.
Anyone want in? I will be here all month.
For those of you who are new to this walking thing, please don't let the amount of steps I and some others take in a day be daunting. I really meant what I said about this not being a competition!
Some things you might want to know about me. I am 63, a wife, a mother and a grandmother, if I have to be labeled as something other than a woman or human being. In 1988, we were in a pretty horrible motorcycle accident during which my husband broke his leg in 5 places from his hip to his knee and each break was shattered. I walked away with a little road rash and pretty much unscathed...or so we thought. He had surgery and everything worked out okay for him and he has no problems associated with that accident to this day. I, on the other hand, had more problems than we realized at the time.
About 2000-2001, I started having a little pain in my hip and started walking with a slight limp to accommodate for that pain and kept on truckin'. The limp was getting worse but when I could no longer lift my leg up or bend over to tie my own shoes, I went to the doctor. I was told that because of the accident, I was developing arthritis and nothing could be done about it...my first round of pain pills began. It's just what happens as we get 'older', he said. SMH!
This went on for years and I kept going back to doctor after doctor because even tho' I was no expert, I had a feeling this was more than arthritis but what did I know? I wasn't a doctor after all. More rounds of pain pills AND now Celebrex was added to the mix. It wasn't helping. During one of these 'visits', one of the doctors 'prescribed' a cane to help me walk. So, here I am, barely able to walk at all even with a cane and just getting out the front door to my car in the driveway was pretty much a miracle for me because my hip and back hurt so much (even with pain killers!), I pretty much gave up walking at all unless absolutely necessary. I walked with that cane for almost a decade!
As mentioned, I had been going to doctors for years and finally I just got mad...I mean really angry!! Getting dressed by myself had become so painful and hard, I was starting to need help with all aspects of it. I have a very loving, supportive husband who would do anything for me but he wasn't the problem...my inability to do anything on my own was the problem. So, I was angry after one more doctor tried to give me more pills to compensate for the pain I was feeling when I knew it wouldn't do any more good just as all the others had done no good. She seemed as tho' I was old anyway and with age comes aches and pains...something I would just have to learn to deal with as part of the aging process. I told her all I had ever wanted was an x-ray to see what was wrong inside and not one doctor would order one for me all these years. Smug as ever, she said "Fine. Let's check your range of motion in that leg" and I know she was trying to prove to me I couldn't possibly know more about my own body than a DOCTOR! Lo and behold! I had no range of motion and she immediately ordered an x-ray. Come to find out, my hip had deteriorated to the point of having almost no bone left! The miracle was that I was able to walk at all!
In October of 2014, I was blessed with a hip replacement. Normally, someone as 'young' as I was...see that stupid age thing again...would not be eligible because 'they' like to wait until someone is in his/her 70's before doing that but my hip was so far gone, my quality of life was effected so I qualified. It took me 14 months after the replacement to start walking again. Not because I couldn't but because I was so used to not walking, I didn't even know how to start. I still relied on my cane because now I was terrified I would fall and break my hip! All kinds of crazy scenarios would play out in my head as my anxiety got worse and worse. Basically, I was like a toddler, learning to walk all over again.
For Christmas, 2015, I got the activity tracker I had asked for from my wonderful husband and realized I was walking less than 1000 steps a day. I wasn't working anymore because I didn't feel like I could walk well enough to keep up with what was necessary for my job after this miracle operation...all mental-ality stuff only in my own head! I quit using my cane and started walking back and forth in my living room...a 'lap' consists of 14 steps but I was walking. I was ecstatic when I finally hit the 3,000 mark...for an entire day! It was not easy by any means but I just kept walking.
Now, I walk more than that first 3,000 step goal but I want all to know, I understand how hard it really is to get steps in everyday. I can really empathize with the struggles each and every person has with motivation and support to get up and moving...Hence, this 'Gentle' challenge. Some of us will take a whole bunch of steps in a day, some of us will take fewer steps a day but just remember, every step each one of us takes is a Victory!
What I would like to start is something more realistic for people who work in offices or are just starting out as far as walking is concerned.
There would be no limit...top or bottom...just recording steps taken in a day. The goal would be your own and, I think, would be a little easier to maintain if the only person in competition with you would be YOU. This would just be a place to record what a person is doing and maybe help with motivation to keep moving forward.
How this would work is for each person to record how many steps taken in a day...or a week...or how ever you would want to do this. Record it even if you only took 100 steps or 30,000 or anywhere in between. With this gentle challenge, there would be no failure, no judgement. As I said, the goal is your own. Fall is here and Winter is on its way. This might be a way to keep yourself motivated to keep moving even during those days that aren't the greatest weather-wise.
Anyone want in? I will be here all month.
For those of you who are new to this walking thing, please don't let the amount of steps I and some others take in a day be daunting. I really meant what I said about this not being a competition!
Some things you might want to know about me. I am 63, a wife, a mother and a grandmother, if I have to be labeled as something other than a woman or human being. In 1988, we were in a pretty horrible motorcycle accident during which my husband broke his leg in 5 places from his hip to his knee and each break was shattered. I walked away with a little road rash and pretty much unscathed...or so we thought. He had surgery and everything worked out okay for him and he has no problems associated with that accident to this day. I, on the other hand, had more problems than we realized at the time.
About 2000-2001, I started having a little pain in my hip and started walking with a slight limp to accommodate for that pain and kept on truckin'. The limp was getting worse but when I could no longer lift my leg up or bend over to tie my own shoes, I went to the doctor. I was told that because of the accident, I was developing arthritis and nothing could be done about it...my first round of pain pills began. It's just what happens as we get 'older', he said. SMH!
This went on for years and I kept going back to doctor after doctor because even tho' I was no expert, I had a feeling this was more than arthritis but what did I know? I wasn't a doctor after all. More rounds of pain pills AND now Celebrex was added to the mix. It wasn't helping. During one of these 'visits', one of the doctors 'prescribed' a cane to help me walk. So, here I am, barely able to walk at all even with a cane and just getting out the front door to my car in the driveway was pretty much a miracle for me because my hip and back hurt so much (even with pain killers!), I pretty much gave up walking at all unless absolutely necessary. I walked with that cane for almost a decade!
As mentioned, I had been going to doctors for years and finally I just got mad...I mean really angry!! Getting dressed by myself had become so painful and hard, I was starting to need help with all aspects of it. I have a very loving, supportive husband who would do anything for me but he wasn't the problem...my inability to do anything on my own was the problem. So, I was angry after one more doctor tried to give me more pills to compensate for the pain I was feeling when I knew it wouldn't do any more good just as all the others had done no good. She seemed as tho' I was old anyway and with age comes aches and pains...something I would just have to learn to deal with as part of the aging process. I told her all I had ever wanted was an x-ray to see what was wrong inside and not one doctor would order one for me all these years. Smug as ever, she said "Fine. Let's check your range of motion in that leg" and I know she was trying to prove to me I couldn't possibly know more about my own body than a DOCTOR! Lo and behold! I had no range of motion and she immediately ordered an x-ray. Come to find out, my hip had deteriorated to the point of having almost no bone left! The miracle was that I was able to walk at all!
In October of 2014, I was blessed with a hip replacement. Normally, someone as 'young' as I was...see that stupid age thing again...would not be eligible because 'they' like to wait until someone is in his/her 70's before doing that but my hip was so far gone, my quality of life was effected so I qualified. It took me 14 months after the replacement to start walking again. Not because I couldn't but because I was so used to not walking, I didn't even know how to start. I still relied on my cane because now I was terrified I would fall and break my hip! All kinds of crazy scenarios would play out in my head as my anxiety got worse and worse. Basically, I was like a toddler, learning to walk all over again.
For Christmas, 2015, I got the activity tracker I had asked for from my wonderful husband and realized I was walking less than 1000 steps a day. I wasn't working anymore because I didn't feel like I could walk well enough to keep up with what was necessary for my job after this miracle operation...all mental-ality stuff only in my own head! I quit using my cane and started walking back and forth in my living room...a 'lap' consists of 14 steps but I was walking. I was ecstatic when I finally hit the 3,000 mark...for an entire day! It was not easy by any means but I just kept walking.
Now, I walk more than that first 3,000 step goal but I want all to know, I understand how hard it really is to get steps in everyday. I can really empathize with the struggles each and every person has with motivation and support to get up and moving...Hence, this 'Gentle' challenge. Some of us will take a whole bunch of steps in a day, some of us will take fewer steps a day but just remember, every step each one of us takes is a Victory!
26
Replies
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I really respect that you kept at it until figuring out what was wrong and then doing what you needed to do to fix it, both before and after your surgery. It is hard not to give up and to work against the pressures for professionals who should be good authorities is especially hard. Congratulations on your progress so far.2
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Oct 1st
7165 steps
4.59 km1 -
October 1st, 2016
11,467 steps
4.8 miles2 -
I have an activity tracker and I'm in a step challenge every week. You would think that they would group them according to how many steps you are averaging a day, but that doesn't seem to be the way it works. Out of 15 steppers, I'm at just over 48K and in 6th place at the moment. (That will probably be 8th tomorrow morning after the last sync are made) That sounds great and it is pretty good, but the next person up the line is over 6K ahead of me with no steps logged yet today, so NO WAY I could take over that spot and the person in first place is over 80K without any posted today. I haven't been in competition with anyone because at my age, weight and health challenges, I do good to just make my goal everyday or maybe one K over it once in a while. I just do the best I can each day. I end up at the end of the day wishing I had walked more earlier in the day, but I get out there and finish my steps even though I would absolutely rather be resting. I would enjoy being challenged by people who walk about the same as I do, it would be fun, but I like your idea too! It's a good way to develop a habit of walking and logging!
Holly
2 -
I really respect that you kept at it until figuring out what was wrong and then doing what you needed to do to fix it, both before and after your surgery. It is hard not to give up and to work against the pressures for professionals who should be good authorities is especially hard. Congratulations on your progress so far.
Thank you and welcome @Sira125 !0 -
campfirequeen1 wrote: »I have an activity tracker and I'm in a step challenge every week. You would think that they would group them according to how many steps you are averaging a day, but that doesn't seem to be the way it works. Out of 15 steppers, I'm at just over 48K and in 6th place at the moment. (That will probably be 8th tomorrow morning after the last sync are made) That sounds great and it is pretty good, but the next person up the line is over 6K ahead of me with no steps logged yet today, so NO WAY I could take over that spot and the person in first place is over 80K without any posted today. I haven't been in competition with anyone because at my age, weight and health challenges, I do good to just make my goal everyday or maybe one K over it once in a while. I just do the best I can each day. I end up at the end of the day wishing I had walked more earlier in the day, but I get out there and finish my steps even though I would absolutely rather be resting. I would enjoy being challenged by people who walk about the same as I do, it would be fun, but I like your idea too! It's a good way to develop a habit of walking and logging! Holly
Welcome, @campfirequeen1 ! I was also in those challenges with my activity tracker but gave it up. It was becoming obsessive and I was just exhausting myself to the point of almost hurting myself. Now, my goal is to walk at least 10,000 a day and if I don't make it...oh, well. I'll make up the steps for the week somewhere along the line. I do have 'connections' with my activity tracker but am not in competition with them. So much nicer not to stress about 'making' my steps every week. I gave it up when it got up to about 175,000 a week. It was way more effort than I was willing to give. I also take at least one complete day off on the weekends which means hardly any steps at all. I've found I really need to do that to give myself the rest I need to start out the week fresh on Mondays. ~ Stephanie2 -
October 1
10,981 steps
4.6 miles1 -
10/2. 18787. 6.5 mi. 14589 aerobic
10/1. 14614. 5.0 mi. 10801 aerobic
Thank you for continuing this thread. I only want to be in competition with myself but knowing I'm logging here is a good motivator for me to get out.2 -
Oct 2nd
6331 steps
4.05 km1 -
October 2nd
12,341 steps
5.37 miles3 -
@Wysewoman53 Hi Stephanie and thanks for the encouraging words. I came in 9th this week. I could have taken 8th, and knowing me probably 7th this week, but I decided to take a rest day yesterday. My hips and knees were so painful and this morning they are feeling so much better! I am not even close to 10K a day yet. My goal today is 7620. Yesterday it was 7884 and since I took a rest day I only walked 2620. Compared to pre-tracker days that was a pretty good day even though I was resting. I don't know if being in a competition will work for me but I'm going to use better judgement like I did this week and give my poor old hips and knees a break when they need it.
2 -
October 2
7,583 steps
3.2 miles1 -
Can I join today?? Looking for motivation help.3
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smsinger75 wrote: »Can I join today?? Looking for motivation help.
You sure can!!2 -
Oct 3rd
7762 steps
4.98 km0 -
October 3rd
14,728 steps
6.17 miles1 -
Oct 3rd
8429 steps
3.4 miles1 -
Welcome @smsinger75 ! As @KariBush78 said you can absolutely join our group! All you have to do is start posting your steps daily, weekly or even monthly...all depends on how you want to log your steps. ~ Stephanie
October 3
12,709 steps
5.3 miles
1 -
Oct 4th
9383 steps
6.01 km1 -
Back home after holiday did lots of walking but not tracked. Fitbit on ready to go2
-
October 4th
14,154 steps
6.16 miles2 -
October 4
12,966 steps
5.4 miles
1 -
Oct 5th
8167 steps
5.23 km1 -
October 5th
13,612 steps
5.7 miles2 -
5 October
9,361 steps - 3.79 miles2 -
spikeyhair wrote: »Back home after holiday did lots of walking but not tracked. Fitbit on ready to go
Glad your back and hope you had a wonderful time ~ Stephanie1 -
October 5
13,049 steps
5.5 miles1 -
Oct 1: 9147 steps, 3.67 miles
Oct 2: 11,487 steps, 4.59 miles
Oct 3: 10,299 steps, 4.11 miles
Oct 4: 8315 steps, 4.0 miles
Oct 5: 8889 steps, 4.5 miles1 -
10/5. 15635. 5.4 mi. 12907 aerobic
10/4. 11093. 3.8 mi. 9102. Aerobic
10/3. 14325. 4.9 mi. 7875 aerobic
10/2. 18787. 6.5 mi. 14589 aerobic
10/1. 14614. 5.0 mi. 10801 aerobic1 -
Oct. 6th
10,007 steps
4.55 miles
I'm extremely excited a everyone is doing great!2
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