10,000 steps

kbholdings

Is anyone else getting back into fitness after a break? Or just starting maybe?

I am starting 10,000 steps per day for the next two weeks to get back into the swing of things. If anyone else is doing anything similar I’d be interested in hearing how you are getting on, tips of just general motivation x

stegeem

I was doing 20,000 steps everyday but getting angry when I had to do it. Now I'm doing rucking, which is when you walk with a weighed vest or backpack. You can burn as many calories as someone that weighs more. Gonna try walking with extra weight while doing 10,000 steps. The good thing is that it won't take as long!

mtaratoot

Walking is great exercise.

That 10,000 steps thing came from a company that sells pedometers! There actually is a correlation with improved health outcomes if you get 7,500 steps a day. If you're up to it, getting more steps can for sure burn more calories. If it's fitness you're after rather than weight loss, then working up to "more than last time" is a good approach. If it's weight loss you're after, it's your calorie balance that's important. You do burn more calories the more exercise you do, but it's actually not as much as many people realize. They say, "You can't outrun the fork."

Pay close attention to your body if you are adding mass. It is probably beneficial for building bone mass, and it can also stress your joints especially if you haven't been walking much lately.

Check out the "Fitness and Exercise" discussion group. You might find some good ideas there.

kbholdings

Stegeem - how much weight are you adding to your walk? I might give that a go next week as well x

kbholdings

Mtaratoot- thanks that’s really useful I will check it out today

I also had no idea about the daily steps thing being started by a pedometer company 😂😂 I’m just trying to get back into the swing of low impact daily exercise atm. Thanks for your message x

yirara

Have a look at how much adding weight adds with regards to calories: https://exrx.net/Calculators/WalkRunMETs

Set Energy to NET from GROSS.

mtaratoot

I should have mentioned:

After I had initially lost some weight, I did put on one of my SCUBA weight belts. It was just an eight-pound soft lead belt (pellets instead of bricks) and took a walk. It was the same walk I take routinely. I remember thinking, "Wow - I used to carry far more than this around with me everywhere I went." I also noticed that when my walk was done, I could feel it in my knees and hips. Wow.

I actually loaned that belt to a friend who uses it for walking, but not to increase calories. She is very concerned about losing bone density, and she's tiny. She adds the weight to help put stress on her bones to conserve or build bone mass as she ages.

kbholdings

Thanks Yirara that’s really useful il use it tomorrow x

kbholdings

Mtaratoot - well I will hit my 10,000 steps today but I don’t really feel like I have put a lot of work in so maybe I will try putting some extra weight belts on during my walk tomorrow x

stegeem

kbholdings wrote: »

Stegeem - how much weight are you adding to your walk? I might give that a go next week as well x

They recommend adding 10-20% of your body weight, but most of the people I've seen talking about it recommend starting with a lower weight then adding more weight as you get stronger/fitter. Also, start with a shorter walk.

STRAITBUGGIN

kbholdings wrote: »

Is anyone else getting back into fitness after a break? Or just starting maybe?

I am starting 10,000 steps per day for the next two weeks to get back into the swing of things. If anyone else is doing anything similar I’d be interested in hearing how you are getting on, tips of just general motivation x

New year - new streak!!!!

kbholdings

Stegeem - “They recommend adding 10-20% of your body weight, but most of the people I've seen talking about it recommend starting with a lower weight then adding more weight as you get stronger/fitter. Also, start with a shorter walk.”

Okay I will order a weighted vest this week will that be okay? Also what would you recommend for walk duration first time? Sorry for all the questions x

kbholdings

STRAITBUGGIN

New year - new streak!!!![/quote]

I am not going to let this be a streak this year….this year I’m just going to commit and stick to it yesterday I tried to do 10,000 steps just in a walk (not including my daily routine) and it was just too much for the first day. Today I will aim for 10,000 in total and keep that going for 2 weeks before I add swimming.

springlering62

It doesn’t have to be fancy purpose bought weights.

When I was training for my Camino (2020, natch 🤦🏻‍♀️) I simply gathered what I planned to take and weighed it. I think it came to 13 pounds.

I put that amount of weight in the backpack I’d bought for the trip, but in canned goods and water bottles. I thought it would be better getting used to shifty bumpy loads than walking with something softer and uniformly sized.

It worked just fine as weight. I honestly don’t remember if I got a better burn because that wasn’t my focus at the time, but like @mtaratoot i remember being grateful I’d lost many many times that 13 pounds, because even that seemed plenty heavy!

springlering62

And btw, agree with the other poster. If you haven’t been doing 10k or close, you need to build up to it. No point in injuring yourself, or turning it into a nagging chore instead of a joy.

You’ve got a whole lifetime in front of you. Focus on building habits, not aggravation.

kbholdings

springlering62 wrote: »

It doesn’t have to be fancy purpose bought weights.

When I was training for my Camino (2020, natch 🤦🏻‍♀️) I simply gathered what I planned to take and weighed it. I think it came to 13 pounds.

I put that amount of weight in the backpack I’d bought for the trip, but in canned goods and water bottles. I thought it would be better getting used to shifty bumpy loads than walking with something softer and uniformly sized.

It worked just fine as weight. I honestly don’t remember if I got a better burn because that wasn’t my focus at the time, but like @mtaratoot i remember being grateful I’d lost many many times that 13 pounds, because even that seemed plenty heavy!

@springlering62 I have a few questions if you don’t mind

Camino de Santiago?

Also when you started walking with the extra weight what did you aim for? Is 10,000 too much to start with do you think?

I have actually only just hit under 9000 the last two days and given myself a blister but I’m enjoying the extra exercise x

springlering62

kbholdings wrote: »

springlering62 wrote: »

It doesn’t have to be fancy purpose bought weights.

When I was training for my Camino (2020, natch 🤦🏻‍♀️) I simply gathered what I planned to take and weighed it. I think it came to 13 pounds.

I put that amount of weight in the backpack I’d bought for the trip, but in canned goods and water bottles. I thought it would be better getting used to shifty bumpy loads than walking with something softer and uniformly sized.

It worked just fine as weight. I honestly don’t remember if I got a better burn because that wasn’t my focus at the time, but like @mtaratoot i remember being grateful I’d lost many many times that 13 pounds, because even that seemed plenty heavy!

@springlering62 I have a few questions if you don’t mind

Camino de Santiago?

Also when you started walking with the extra weight what did you aim for? Is 10,000 too much to start with do you think?

I have actually only just hit under 9000 the last two days and given myself a blister but I’m enjoying the extra exercise x

I was planning to do the Portuguese Coastal route.

I did five miles in the morning and two or three in the afternoons to prepare.

Thankfully, Travelocity refunded everything, including airfare and hotel.

Maybe I’ll try again next year. They’re predicting record numbers this year and that’s just not my jam.

Blisters?

First of all, get some ComPeed. Greatest blister stuff on the planet. I was introduced to it in France but now it’s available in the USA. It’s some kind of an aqueous bandaid that merges with your skin and heals it much faster and eliminates the pain. Expensive but can be cut to fit, and does not come off since it merges with skin.

Second, go get professionally fit for walking shoes at a running store. Best money I ever spent. My shoes were all wrong. I was bruising and losing toenails, got blisters, feet hurt all the time. They will study your gait and the roll of your feet and make recommendations for shoes that will suit you.

I get a pair there every year and then hit Amazon and buy last season’s colors for huge discounts. I always have four or five pair in rotation, since I gots sweaty feet. 😗

And don’t be cheap (like moi). If they’re worn out they’re worn out. Toss them. Your feet will thank you.

mtaratoot

springlering62 wrote: »

Second, go get professionally fit for walking shoes at a running store. Best money I ever spent. My shoes were all wrong. I was bruising and losing toenails, got blisters, feet hurt all the time. They will study your gait and the roll of your feet and make recommendations for shoes that will suit you.

I get a pair there every year and then hit Amazon and buy last season’s colors for huge discounts. I always have four or five pair in rotation, since I gots sweaty feet. 😗

And don’t be cheap (like moi). If they’re worn out they’re worn out. Toss them. Your feet will thank you.

This is awesome advice. For sure take care of your feet. It's more important than many people realize. I'm guilty of keeping some shoes too long. A well-built pair of boots or shoes should last a lot longer than purpose-built running shoes or, I presume, walking shoes. I keep them for a long time. I actually keep older shoes until they wear out, but if I'm going for a long walk or run, I pick the good ones.

I have an ancient pair of Red Wing boots that I really shouldn't wear. They won't die. I'm trying. I bought them used at the Deseret Industries in the early '90s. They were already pretty well used. I rarely wear them, but they're good for some jobs. I have a less ancient pair of Redwing logger boots I bought new when I was starting my career and working in the woods. They are probably due for passing along. Now I mostly use them a couple times a year when I'm foraging for mushrooms. The soles are close to toast, and I don't think they can be resoled. They were expensive. I checked what they'd cost to replace, and I don't want to think about it.

I work at a sushi "restaurant" three days a year. I like to wear an old pair of Danner hiking boots that are beat up but still good for my feet. I walk a lot during those days and a few days before and after. When I'm not working, I wear some other good shoes.... or Keen sandals because they are comfy. I really should get rid of some of my old shoes; I just can't do it.

I wore a pair of Muck Boots yesterday to play disc golf. They are a size too big, and I really should get rid of those too. Fixed income though, so I keep wearing them against my better judgement.

AnnPT77

kbholdings wrote: »

springlering62 wrote: »

It doesn’t have to be fancy purpose bought weights.

When I was training for my Camino (2020, natch 🤦🏻‍♀️) I simply gathered what I planned to take and weighed it. I think it came to 13 pounds.

I put that amount of weight in the backpack I’d bought for the trip, but in canned goods and water bottles. I thought it would be better getting used to shifty bumpy loads than walking with something softer and uniformly sized.

It worked just fine as weight. I honestly don’t remember if I got a better burn because that wasn’t my focus at the time, but like @mtaratoot i remember being grateful I’d lost many many times that 13 pounds, because even that seemed plenty heavy!

@springlering62 I have a few questions if you don’t mind

Camino de Santiago?

Also when you started walking with the extra weight what did you aim for? Is 10,000 too much to start with do you think?

I have actually only just hit under 9000 the last two days and given myself a blister but I’m enjoying the extra exercise x

It matters what your starting point is. Phasing in new exercise gradually is generally a better plan, versus a giant jump up from almost nothing to 10k steps daily. Doing too much can become a downer psychologically, and overdoing isn't the best route to either improved fitness or weight loss.

Doing overly tiring exercise - too much for current capabilities - bleeds calorie burn out of daily life, because we'll drag through the rest of the day, resting more and moving less. That's counterproductive for weight loss.

For fitness improvement, the best idea is increases that are a challenge to current fitness level, but a manageable amount of challenge. Exactly what level that is will vary with starting fitness level. Obviously, if someone's been in the higher thousands of steps most days, but sub 10k steps, going to 10k steps isn't a big leap. If someone's been full couch potato for a while, it could be a really bad idea to shoot for 10k steps daily from the get-go.

springlering62

@mtaratoot yiur boots remind me of my dad.

He had a pair of plain brown Nocona boots that he wore every day of his life. They were expensive and he was not a wasteful guy. Those and his watch were his sole luxuries. He would get them resoled over and over and over again.

When they were twenty years or so old, he took them in, but the Asian cobbler he’d dealt with for years threw up his hands and said “No fix! No more fix!”

He was bitterly disappointed they were beyond repair. He got a new pair, and wore that pair til he died.

He couldn’t bear to part with the original pair, so they stayed in a place of honor in his closet.

After he passed, in the very back of his closet, I found four unopened boxes of identical unworn boots. Unfortunately, they went to Goodwill because no one else wanted them. Even if they’d fit, the association was too strong.

mtaratoot

That's quite the story @springlering62. I wonder if he bought five pair when the first pair was no longer repairable.

I have been bitten with old shoes once. I was on a Grand Canyon raft trip. I decided to bring a lighter pair of hiking boots rather than heavy leather ones. I only use them for hiking that time of year. I opted for that pair rather than a new one because they had a GoreTex liner in case of wet weather. I had booties for the river or sandals. I also had a pair of "dry sandals" for on-shore. Better for your feet. I probably also had a pair or Crocs for easily hopping on the boat without putting wet shoes on.

I sat in camp a while as most everyone else went for a hike on a layover day (i.e., we didn't boat that day; we stayed in the same place two nights to enjoy life). Eventually I went for the hike. I got a couple miles from camp, and the sole started to come off the bottom of the boot. Eventually I heard it going "Flop, flop, flop." I made one good decision: I decided to forego the rest of the hike and start back down. Eventually the entire sole came off. I think I remember the other shoe had started to lose it's sole about that time. It was a bit uncomfortable hiking back down that steep, rocky trail in shoes without soles. I went really slow. I had no boots for the rest of the trip. I even knew better, but didn't see it coming. For a Grand Canyon raft trip, you do NOT bring old gear. Gear takes a lot of abuse down there. Even though that means your nice new gear will get beat up, that's what you should take. There's more to this story, but it would get too long.

One good result of my shoe self-destruction was that when I got back to camp, a big thunderstorm was brewing. It started raining hard. I was able to close everyone else's tent so that their sleeping gear and anything else inside didn't get soaked. If my shoes hadn't failed, everyone would have come home to soggy stuff.