Lazy Fitness Question: Stair climbing and steps

MaltedTea
MaltedTea Posts: 6,286 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I climbed 36 flights of stairs this morning (which my watch tracked at about 2,500 steps). I then did a short walk to cool down.

Total steps for the day so far? About 5,000

Why do I bring this up? I'm more than a week into an 11,000 steps/day walking plan.

My question is...do I count the 2,500 steps from stair climbing as part of the day's steps OR am I impelled to do another 8,500 steps?

Replies

  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Sure they count towards the total with that kind of goal.

    Now - some people have a goal to increase their daily activity outside of exercise, and I've known ones to take the Fitbit off for workouts so the steps don't count. Or log a workout of minimal distance so it wipes out the steps so they don't count towards the day's total.

    So it depends on purpose of goal - if the steps is to help you move more - is exercise part of moving more?
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    Stairs are steps with benefits :smiley:

    I agree with heybales it's really up to you. Your body counts them as steps. And 11,000 is a high goal (not a criticism, I think it's a great idea) and I personally would think that most reasons one might have for setting a high step goal would be met by stair climbing just as well as incidental steps. But that's just me!
  • Steph_135
    Steph_135 Posts: 3,280 Member
    I think most people count their TOTAL daily steps, but I think the point of it is to get more actual walking time. :wink: With my step counter, I count the steps from walking around the house with my phone, which is surprisingly 811 steps already, but obviously, I haven't broken a sweat with that - and I'm not doing a challenge. Stairs would be a different story...

    Definitely count your stairs, would be my bottom line.
  • MaltedTea
    MaltedTea Posts: 6,286 Member
    edited May 2020
    heybales wrote: »
    ... I've known ones to take the Fitbit off for workouts so the steps don't count.

    That was the moment I realized I was never going to truly be about that "Fitness Life." If I had an inkling that I was a sleepwalker, I'd keep the watch on at night so everything counted.

    I appreciate all of your responses and perspectives: very helpful!

  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    MaltedTea wrote: »
    heybales wrote: »
    ... I've known ones to take the Fitbit off for workouts so the steps don't count.

    That was the moment I realized I was never going to truly be about that "Fitness Life." If I had an inkling that I was a sleepwalker, I'd keep the watch on at night so everything counted.

    I appreciate all of your responses and perspectives: very helpful!

    The people that did that recognized that some workout routines would wear them out enough to impact daily life doing less, so they wanted to stop that by having steps outside the workouts show movement down as a way to catch it.

    There is also the other extreme, usually by those in challenges.
    "How do I get better steps on spin bike, or elliptical, or get some on rower or swimming or water aerobics" type thing.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    A step is a step regardless of whether you on a flat surface or walking a flight of stairs or going up hill...or sleepwalking.
  • MaltedTea
    MaltedTea Posts: 6,286 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    A step is a step regardless of whether you on a flat surface or walking a flight of stairs or going up hill...or sleepwalking.

    Agreed. I was overthinking it as "double-dipping." Like it's either climbing stairs or walking. It can't be both.

    That said, this is likely now moot for today anyhow, as I'll end up with more than 11k steps for all the errands I now need to do after work.

    Good to keep in mind for the future though!

    Thanks again, everyone!
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    36 flights of stairs is about 500 steps not 2500. Each stair is a step, or two if you’re going 2 feet per stair.
  • MaltedTea
    MaltedTea Posts: 6,286 Member
    lorrpb wrote: »
    36 flights of stairs is about 500 steps not 2500. Each stair is a step, or two if you’re going 2 feet per stair.

    Don't know what to tell you. The device says what the device says. I guess we have different stairs. I also do "extra steps" by doing what I call a reverse football shuffle as I go down each flight (for balance/mobility). Furthermore, I may - or may not - dance in between every third flight on the way up. No one but me will ever know for sure.

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  • MaltedTea
    MaltedTea Posts: 6,286 Member
    Mmmk. So a slightly hangry MaltedTea responded to you @lorrpb. The nicer version of myself understands what you're saying and is munching on snacks. Also, neurons started refiring ever so slowly during my HIIT session.

    Based on adjusted calculations, I don't have 11,139 steps so far today as per my device.

    I take out the 2,000 extra steps (err, from potential dance moves as well as going back down the stairwell 3 times) from stair climbing as well as the 800 steps that just got calculated from my HIIT session. So that's like 8.5k steps from dedicated, purposeful walking.

    Listen, y'all: I'm slow but it's sinking in. But also, I'm too lazy for daily math calculations. I'm just going to go with the general trend @heybales alluded to at the top of more exercise for more movement. That means I don't have to be so obsessed with steps.

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