10,000 Steps really??????

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Replies

  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    mph323 wrote: »
    If you want to be entertained, check out the forums on the fitbit site, especially the multiple-year threads titled "How Can Anyone Do [50,000, 80,000, some other random number] Steps In A Day?????" And people who join contests on the internet with people who may or may not exist, and complain that people are cheating.

    Hhmmm I had a few of those in my last challenge. I swear some of them put their fitbits in the tumble dryer or something to get 50+k steps 7 days a damn week!
  • RemarkablyUnremarkable
    RemarkablyUnremarkable Posts: 63 Member
    Lounmoun wrote: »
    I think people get hung up on 10,000 or more steps and those are decent goals to shoot for to increase your basic activity. Walking more is easy but set your own goal that fits your life. 80,000 steps every day is unrealistic for almost everyone with a life. If you are starting at 3,000 steps maybe working on increasing to 5,000 every day is awesome though.
    Or maybe you don't want to want walk much and counting steps is thus a stupid measure of fitness since you might have other fitness goals/methods.

    YES!!! So hung up on 10k, I never seem to hit that! I am going to just try and up it a little each day and compete with myself only so I don't stress out LOL! Is there a tracker that measures spinning/eliptical etc? That would be nice.
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    mph323 wrote: »
    If you want to be entertained, check out the forums on the fitbit site, especially the multiple-year threads titled "How Can Anyone Do [50,000, 80,000, some other random number] Steps In A Day?????" And people who join contests on the internet with people who may or may not exist, and complain that people are cheating.

    Hhmmm I had a few of those in my last challenge. I swear some of them put their fitbits in the tumble dryer or something to get 50+k steps 7 days a damn week!

    50k+ a day all week??? OMG having done 50k once and wanting to die I can't imagine doing that every day. Admittedly I didn't take enough decent rest breaks that day and was battling high winds (which is tiring as hell) but still...I am planning to do a 55k day over my summer break to get that badge but I will be planning it really carefully and you can bet the next day will be a rest day.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,345 Member
    I manage to hit my 10k every day, but I walk to the train, walk from the train to work, walk in my lunch break, repeat the journey on the way home, then walk the dog. That gets me to 12-13k usually. A couple of months ago my trains were terminating one stop early, so I was walking an extra mile each way and hitting 20k a day. My highest was 30k, and that was an all day walk. I can't imagine hitting 40k or 50k, unless I was doing one of those epic walks for charity or somesuch.
  • Sara1791
    Sara1791 Posts: 760 Member
    Sued0nim wrote: »
    10k is a marketing tool

    But it does make your activity level ...active ..which is significant calories to eat

    That said why would you set your tracker to annoy you every 15 minutes

    I agree. For me, this is the main point. 1500ish doesn't do it for me, so on top of regular intentional exercise I try to get steps to eat. I find that I burn far more calories from being steadily active/walking than I do from exercise, which is fine because I don't really exercise for the purpose of calorie burn.


  • RemarkablyUnremarkable
    RemarkablyUnremarkable Posts: 63 Member
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    RemarkablyUnremarkable wrote: »
    My question is... Is 10,000 steps really the end all of how fit you are?

    Here are some things that require lots of fitness and 0 steps.


    :smile:

    VERY true!!! I guess all of the commercials selling these trackers subconsciously get some of us ( right in the pocket book) :/ This post was so insightful to see that not everyone is getting "steps" in for their activity! I will keep on with my activities and maybe join the 10k steps a day club when I can run! :p

  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    mph323 wrote: »
    If you want to be entertained, check out the forums on the fitbit site, especially the multiple-year threads titled "How Can Anyone Do [50,000, 80,000, some other random number] Steps In A Day?????" And people who join contests on the internet with people who may or may not exist, and complain that people are cheating.

    Hhmmm I had a few of those in my last challenge. I swear some of them put their fitbits in the tumble dryer or something to get 50+k steps 7 days a damn week!

    50k+ a day all week??? OMG having done 50k once and wanting to die I can't imagine doing that every day. Admittedly I didn't take enough decent rest breaks that day and was battling high winds (which is tiring as hell) but still...I am planning to do a 55k day over my summer break to get that badge but I will be planning it really carefully and you can bet the next day will be a rest day.


    Yep! I asked one of them how they did it, and they replied "walks around the neighborhood in the morning and evening ". I felt like asking if they lived in the middle of Africa lol

    I bet that takes a form of obsession (with fitness), patience and a ton of free time. I walk 3 rounds around my workplace parking lot and it completes 10k. I don't feel tired but feel time standing still.

    The difficulty with alot of exercises isn't in the physical act itself. Sometimes the physical "exhaustion" can even be addictive (that's why people drop dead from overexhaustion without being aware, which is something I always dread when I push my limit) It's the mind and other mental conditioning that put up the blockage.
  • ntrlwmn
    ntrlwmn Posts: 3 Member
    edited December 2016
    i'm at 14,547 steps today. walked this morning and around work. oh i walked at lunchtime too. i have to look for opportunities to get moving.
  • RebeccaMott1
    RebeccaMott1 Posts: 4 Member
    10,000 steps doesn't equal fitness. If you are a runner, it is easy to get it in with a run. But the run is what gets you fit, not the steps. I played those games with steps and I agree that something is real fishy about some of those step counts. I posted multiple times to people who had high step counts asking them how they did it. {Crickets chirping in the background} I'm still waiting on an answer.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,345 Member
    Oh, and yeah - the original question. 10k steps is what health institutes have set as the number a 'healthy' person should seek to hit each day. Not a fit person, and it's totally not an indicator of fitness. Even at my fattest and unfittest I could still bang out 10k steps a day. My knees might hurt and my legs ache, but it was do-able.
  • atjays
    atjays Posts: 797 Member
    It's merely a guideline like someone telling you 30 min of "elevated heart rate activity" a day is good for you or an apple a day or whatever. Neither is going to get you skinny and ripped but they are good practices to include in your day. Plus 10k steps works out to be 2-300 calories from just walking, which alone could begin to result in weight loos if you happened to be eating at your maintenance calorie intake.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    edited December 2016
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    mph323 wrote: »
    If you want to be entertained, check out the forums on the fitbit site, especially the multiple-year threads titled "How Can Anyone Do [50,000, 80,000, some other random number] Steps In A Day?????" And people who join contests on the internet with people who may or may not exist, and complain that people are cheating.

    Hhmmm I had a few of those in my last challenge. I swear some of them put their fitbits in the tumble dryer or something to get 50+k steps 7 days a damn week!

    50k+ a day all week??? OMG having done 50k once and wanting to die I can't imagine doing that every day. Admittedly I didn't take enough decent rest breaks that day and was battling high winds (which is tiring as hell) but still...I am planning to do a 55k day over my summer break to get that badge but I will be planning it really carefully and you can bet the next day will be a rest day.


    Yep! I asked one of them how they did it, and they replied "walks around the neighborhood in the morning and evening ". I felt like asking if they lived in the middle of Africa lol

    Yeah...that's not going to get you 50k. I'm currently sitting on a daily average just under 25k (challenging myself to hit my 4 millionth step since getting my Fitbit by the end of the year). Yesterday that was two 7km walks and bootcamp; plus a few thousand from 'non exercise' activity including trying to be mindful to just get up and move every hour. 50k+ in a day is hours. It basically equates to a good 40km worth.

    Your challenge pals are doing something dodgy.

    I've been getting 20-25k a day and that takes me all day to get! And i dont work, so I've got all the time in the world.
  • mysticlizard
    mysticlizard Posts: 896 Member
    This article talks about where 10,000 steps originally comes from

    http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-33154510
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
    Alatariel75 wrote: »
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    mph323 wrote: »
    If you want to be entertained, check out the forums on the fitbit site, especially the multiple-year threads titled "How Can Anyone Do [50,000, 80,000, some other random number] Steps In A Day?????" And people who join contests on the internet with people who may or may not exist, and complain that people are cheating.

    Hhmmm I had a few of those in my last challenge. I swear some of them put their fitbits in the tumble dryer or something to get 50+k steps 7 days a damn week!

    50k+ a day all week??? OMG having done 50k once and wanting to die I can't imagine doing that every day. Admittedly I didn't take enough decent rest breaks that day and was battling high winds (which is tiring as hell) but still...I am planning to do a 55k day over my summer break to get that badge but I will be planning it really carefully and you can bet the next day will be a rest day.


    Yep! I asked one of them how they did it, and they replied "walks around the neighborhood in the morning and evening ". I felt like asking if they lived in the middle of Africa lol

    Yeah...that's not going to get you 50k. I'm currently sitting on a daily average just under 25k (challenging myself to hit my 4 millionth step since getting my Fitbit by the end of the year). Yesterday that was two 7km walks and bootcamp; plus a few thousand from 'non exercise' activity including trying to be mindful to just get up and move every hour. 50k+ in a day is hours. It basically equates to a good 40km worth.

    Your challenge pals are doing something dodgy.

    Hell yeah they are - We walked Torquay to Bells Beach and back, and I only hit 25k steps. 50k steps is non-stop walking all damn day.

    Yeah after I did my 50k day (to prove to myself I could) I said 'never again'. Six months later I'm busy trying to find a nice 42-45km loop to do :p. I may well do it as an overnight camping adventure, because I can almost guarantee I will be incapable of driving immediately after. There will also be a lot of yoga.
  • IrishHarpy1
    IrishHarpy1 Posts: 399 Member
    edited December 2016
    I routinely hit 21K+ steps each day - with around 10K-12K of those between the time I get up at 4:45AM to when I walk into work for 8:00AM. I have a "desk job," but still manage to take as many trips to the printer/restroom/associates' desks as I possibly can. After work, just running around doing housework and chasing after the cat gets me to the 21K mark by 7:00PM.

    That being said, it's not the steps alone that have made me fit... it's the change in eating habits and getting in decent workouts every morning that have gotten me there. I think it's just my OCD that compels me to get those steps in each day. :)
  • NeuronsNeuronsNeurons
    NeuronsNeuronsNeurons Posts: 83 Member
    I hit around 10k, my minimum is 6k and some days like today I do over 12k. Sitting is the new smoking and like you most days it's a challenge for me but I feel so much better when I'm moving each and every day and have much more stamina for my workouts 3-4 times a week as well. I notice my posture is way better and it relieves tension that I carry in my shoulders from work related stress; not to mention moving everyday is important for your immune system, brain/memory and bone density. I pop in my ear buds and go into my own world and put my mind as far away from my problems as possible-as an introvert, it's very awesome to have that "me" time each day---can easily kill an hour walking around town without even thinking about it that way. At this point I'm addicted to it, it's very much a treat to get that time to be alone and cultivate my inner world.
  • Cylphin60
    Cylphin60 Posts: 863 Member
    My day seems to average out around 7-7500. I don't think I've hit 10k yet lol, but I'm not worried about it. I leave the notices on though, for amusement. Yeah, screwy but I laugh every time "feed me" scrolls across the screen lol.
  • DEBOO7
    DEBOO7 Posts: 245 Member
    It's really not about the 10k steps.... it's about getting active and not sitting all the time. I have a fitbit and my aim is to do at least 5 walks a week for 30-40 minutes. It's about all the time I have. Sometimes I'll hit or exceed the 10k, sometimes I've had a deskbound day so even the 30-40 mins doesn't cut it. The key is... I got off my *kitten* and moved!
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,687 Member
    edited December 2016
    RemarkablyUnremarkable wrote: »
    Is 10,000 steps really the end all of how fit you are?

    No.

    Turns out ... 10,000 steps is a rest day for me.

    I had no idea how many steps I was doing each day until my place of employment had a step challenge just recently. Those of us in the challenge were issued pedometers and we had to log our steps every day. For the first couple days, I just did what I normally do on a relatively casual rest-type day and I easily logged 10,000 steps each day.

    By the end of the challenge, a month later, I ended up averaging just shy of 16,000 steps a day.


    Challenge over ... and I'm back to logging my exercise in time and distance rather than steps. :)

    My walking goal for 2016 was 1000 km ... I'm a little bit over that, with a couple weeks left to go. (And that is just planned walking, not all those trips to the photocopier or kitchen or whatever.)

    My cycling hope for 2016 was 5000 km ... I'm just over 5500 km now, with a couple weeks left to go.

    Plus I lift weights and row and swim from time to time as well just to round out the exercise a bit. :)

  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Credit your forty minutes of exercise a day and debit your step score for that day. I suggest a max one hour exercise daily with at least two rest days. (I get stronger when I include rest days).

    My step counter is set for 6 K a day and I teach it by noon. I have an office job but there's a lot of running around. Kind of cool really.

    How many steps do you get in for twenty minutes? That would be your new step goal.

    I really started to take off when I stopped trying to hit an objective ideal and instead focused on increasing my goal by 5% a week until I hit my sweet spot.

    It's all about listening and honouring my body.
  • TrishSeren
    TrishSeren Posts: 587 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    this is what I use it for...the 10k steps I mean

    Per this article
    1) <5000 steps.d (sedentary);
    2) 5000-7499 steps.d (low active);
    3) 7500-9999 steps.d (somewhat active);
    4) > or =10,000-12,499 steps.d (active); and
    5) > or =12,500 steps.d (highly active)
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14715035

    basically tells me how active I am most of the time unless it's a cooking day then it gets shot to hell...

    for me I get about 4k in the winter at work...and I am trying everything, summer at work 6k (walk outside) around the building. If I am shopping on my lunch break about another 2k...

    so it's the treadmill I go to get the 10k..mainly for the extra food.

    So does this mean in MFP I'm low active as I walk this much every day because I walk to and from work?
  • hal1964
    hal1964 Posts: 82 Member
    Sued0nim wrote: »
    10k is a marketing tool

    But it does make your activity level ...active ..which is significant calories to eat

    That said why would you set your tracker to annoy you every 15 minutes

    All it does is sell activity trackers. There is no science behind it.
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