How do you get 10,000 steps a day?

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Replies

  • ruby_red_rose
    ruby_red_rose Posts: 321 Member
    I got my fitbit in February 2012, and have gotten at least 10,000 steps since then almost every day (with a couple of exceptions when I was sick).

    I employ the following techniques during the day:

    1. Every step counts:
    a. Park my car in the farthest spot
    b. Get up from my desk and walk to the kitchen, bathroom, etc. as often as I can remember
    c. Instead of sending off an email, walk over to a colleagues office

    2. At lunch, take a 15-30 minute walk.

    3. Instead of eating a cookie for an afternoon pick me up, I take another 15 minute walk at 3pm.

    4. After dinner, I look at my fitbit to see how many steps remain to get to 10,000. Then I go for a walk and walk until I reach 10,000 steps.
  • yanghp1206
    yanghp1206 Posts: 2
    I don't have a fitbit, but I have a heart monitor with a pedometer built in -- I work an 8 hour clerical/adminstrative job, with 1 - 30 minute lunch. I parked the farthest I can in the parking lot and work on the 4th floor which takes 8 flgiht of stairs to get up to the office. As much as I hated it during the winter months, I still parked far and took the stairs. During my 30 min lunch, I'd go for a very brisk walk for 20 mins (with taking the stairs to exit the building) and quickly eat my lunch, & every chance I got or I remembered, I stand up and walk in place. That's some of the little tricks for the 10,000 steps... The extra push that always gives me 20,000+ steps each day is going to Zumba class every night. Every one of my Zumba classes (45-60 minutes) that I go to, I end up leaving the class with about 7,000-8,000 steps. =)
  • Qatsi
    Qatsi Posts: 2,191 Member
    I set my alarm to 6am and go for a long walk before work. Most days I can get my 10K steps in before breakfast.

    I have a desk job, and if it weren't for my daily walks I would be hard-pressed to get even 3K steps in.
  • kr3851
    kr3851 Posts: 994 Member
    I have a fitbit too and was shocked at how little I move during a typical day at work. Since then, I've done little things to get me over the line - go to the toilet across the other side of the building and upstairs (I'm trying to drink more water so that goes well!), walk the long way to visit colleagues, get up from my desk and do a quick lap of the room every 30 minutes or so.

    I still go to the gym and try to do 30 minutes on either the treadmill or the elliptical, but increasing the incidental exercise has really got my steps up to the point where I'm hitting 9-10k a day consistently.

    I don't have a long lunch break, so going to the gym is the only way I get my 30 minute walk in!!
  • tbushjr
    tbushjr Posts: 6
    I work from home and have no problem making 10k steps a day. I set an alarm for every 15 minutes to get out of my seat. I also take conference calls away from my computer. Always moving during them and I found I was sharper for the calls because no one was IM'ing me during the call. I added more steps by using the bathroom on the second floor instead on the one two feet out of my office door. I all adds up. If I find I did not do enough I'll take the family for a walk. Good Luck
  • RobynDCrossman
    RobynDCrossman Posts: 252
    I'm at 9,064 steps and 21 floors so far.
    I find it's best when you have a sedentary job (I do) to get up several times during the day and get walking. I do the same for stairs. Once an hour I get my butt up and do stairs or walk around my building (inside or out). I take a walk during my 30 minute lunch break, then eat.
    This is not a gym day for me. On gym days it's no problem because I usually hit a 3-6 mile run.
    Try pausing your work day with walks.

    ETA:
    I intentionally park on the fourth floor when I could park on the first.
    I also walk up the 9 flights to get to my floor -IF- I'm not running late.
  • Melanie_Robinson
    Melanie_Robinson Posts: 36 Member
    I'm a stay at home/homeschooling mom. I thought I was always busy, and I am but just not active. Fitbit was very enlightening! So, to get my steps in, every hour or so I get up and go outside and make laps around my yard. Three laps around the fence line is 1000 steps, then I still wind up having to do like a 3 or 4 mile workout later that evening. It was shocking that on an average day of school and house work, I was lucky to get in 2000 steps!
  • dlrcpa
    dlrcpa Posts: 114 Member
    I usually reached 13,000-14,000 steps when my dog was younger. We took 2 long walks each day, 45 minutes minimum each time and at a good pace. Unfortunately he is 11 years old now and has slowed down a lot. I need to get out the pedometer and see what we are doing these days. I have a computer/desk job too, so it was really walking the dog that accounted for all the steps. I enjoy the fresh air and nature too.
  • Qatsi
    Qatsi Posts: 2,191 Member
    The main thing is to not get discouraged if you don't get to 10,000 steps right away. When I first started here 6 1/2 months ago, I could barely get in a 30-minute walk before getting winded. Now, my average is around 14K steps a day.

    Start small - say, your normal daily routine plus 30 minutes of extra walking. Set that number as your initial goal. Then gradually work your way up until you get to 10,000 steps a day.
  • BeetleChe13
    BeetleChe13 Posts: 498 Member
    It's pretty easy if you don't have a desk job. I wore my pedometer to my restaurant job and hit 10k steps easily. My pedometer stopped working so I can't validate this, but I know I walk even more at my new retail job. I'm sure I'd gain weight if I had a job that reset my TDEE to sedentary.
  • gabrielleelliott90
    gabrielleelliott90 Posts: 854 Member
    i got a fitbit recently!

    if i walk the dog for 20 mins in the morning, ponder around work and then do another hour dog walk that night, it tends to get to 10,000 steps. on the 16.5.12 i did 25,202! i tends to be 1 mile is 2000 steps for me. i have now learnt not to wear it at the gym as it messes it up. i still cant get it to take off all the steps it gains in car journeys.

    :flowerforyou:

    Your dog is so cute!
  • Liber8
    Liber8 Posts: 13
    i'm a nurse and when at work i have no difficulty doing 15000 a day. but when i'm not at work i love my rebounder ( mini trampoline) i stick my earphones in and bounce like a loon ! easy !
  • stangirl1995
    stangirl1995 Posts: 43 Member
    I don't know what you do from home but I also work from home at a desk. I spend a lot of time on the phone for work so I march lightly in place while I am on the phone all day.
  • abickford82
    abickford82 Posts: 207
    Easy for me.

    I use a bodymedia so it tracks for me.

    I walk my daughter to and from school (.5 mile walk/ea. way -- so that's a 2 mile walk for me right there, 1 mile for her). 5 mile run 5x a week, I walk to and from the gym, to and from the grocery store. I do a lot of walking to run errands since I live in town. Won't exactly work for the person who lives in the suburbs or in the country, but works for me.
  • jhigginb
    jhigginb Posts: 15 Member
    I've been reaching 10,000 plus by going on long walks with my dog and doing exercise videos at home, like the 30 day shred. It's hard, especially since sometimes I come home from the office with only 3,000 steps put in!
  • hararayne
    hararayne Posts: 261 Member
    When I have an active day at work (I work in healthcare) I sometimes reach 10,000 with a 30 min walk at the end of the day. But I have days where I do more desk work and it can be really difficult to hit 10,000 or my actual goal of 13,000. And to be honest I haven't been trying very hard lately to get my steps in. But, when I do try, sometimes it takes a couple HOURS of walking on really sedentary work days. And some days you just won't be able to hit you goal. Try not to beat yourself up too much about it.
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
    I'm a teacher, I reckon I take a lot of steps while at work. I never sit down while I teach (although I'm trying to now I'm pregnant) and I'm not always in the same classroom, plus I do a break duty where I walk round for half hour.

    Running round after my kids must involve a lot of steps too!
  • laughingnome
    laughingnome Posts: 259 Member
    Get a dog they keep you walking. I walk as much as I can, I walk at work, park further away, I have 3 dogs I walk separately I have a fitbit and try to keep it over 10000 a day. I know it is hard. One woman I know steps while she cooks, does dishes, folds clothes.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    i dont drive and i live in a big city so it's pretty easy for me. walking to and from public transportation, up and down the steps, running for shuttles, is easily 25%

    i work a desk job as well but i do things like walk to ask my coworkers questions instead of email, print to a printer furthest from my desk, walk to the kitchen for coffee tea and water, go for easy walks at lunch. that's ends up being around 50% . on the weekends i easily get in more steps because i run errands and i'm pretty much all on foot for those

    the rest comes from exercise which means i typically end up with 15K-20K steps a day
  • JBnyc99
    JBnyc99 Posts: 100 Member
    I have never known how many steps I take, but I got a FitBit this morning.

    I walked some around the house, then I went shopping for an hour in a large supermarket, Later I went for a one hour walk and did over 3 miles.

    For that I get a measly 7700 steps. Most of the day I'm sitting working at a computer - my main step action, is going to be my daily walk, and I only do a shopping like today once a week. I cant see how I'm going to get another 3000+ steps a day.

    (climbing stairs will be easy - I'm at 7 already and I'm sure I will do 20 a day)

    Take a walk each and every time you talk on the phone. Multitasking at it's best.
  • barbiecat
    barbiecat Posts: 17,250 Member
    :bigsmile: Just getting a fitbit or a pedometer is an awesome start.....there is research that shows that people who carry or wear pedometers walk more steps than people who don't.....I love the feeling of "getting credit" for being active

    :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: what worked for me was to take honest inventory of what I do in the morning before leaving for my morning appointments and what I do at night after 6PM........it was a huge revelation to see how much time I wasted watching TV, messing about at the computer and generally doing nothing of great consequence......so.........I gradually gave up the wasted time in the evening, went to bed earlier, and started getting up earlier in the morning. I keep my morning walking clothes in a special place and get up and go for a walk immediately,---walk for 20-30 minutes, then eat a simple breakfast (same thing every morning so I don't waste time with planning or cooking) and then walk again for as long as I can fit in before having to come home and shower and dress for the day......some mornings I have 10,000 steps before 8 AM.

    :flowerforyou: it's easier to do if you making walking a top priority above stuff like drinking coffee, checking Facebook, watching TV, etc....I am always on the lookout for opportunities to walk......I meet my friends for walks rather than coffee or a meal...saves money and calories and adds steps.
  • jadelyndsey
    jadelyndsey Posts: 150 Member
    I suppose it depends on your lifestyle really! Last year, I did about 3,000 steps per day and even that felt like a struggle. I lived right across the road from my uni, next door to a large supermarket and in the centre of town so I barely walked anywhere really.

    This year, I have a dog. I take him out for 20 minutes 3 times a day most days which is about 6000 steps. I walk to uni which is a mile (2000) and back again (2000) with an average of 3000 steps around buildings at uni. On gym days, I walk to the gym (I go to the gym 4 times per week) which again is 2000 and 2000. So on Gym days, I can do about 18000 steps, non gym days about 15000 or so. But I don't really notice it really although I'm a lot more active than last year.
  • janeite1990
    janeite1990 Posts: 671 Member
    My step number goes up a lot when I commit to DEAD time: Drop Everything And Dance. I put music on a lot and try to move. Good music in a commercial? Time to dance. Kids whining? time to dance. Dancing gives you more steps than walking, and I say that's fair because I'm moving more intensely.
  • CTcutie
    CTcutie Posts: 649 Member
    I usually only get about 3500-5500 at work; if I go for a 2 mile walk at lunch time, AND park far away from the entrance (not hard where I work), and swing by the grocery store, I can get to 10000. On weekends I used to run and/or do the elliptical until got to 10000 before doing pretty much anything else. Most people need to intentionally "go for a walk or run" for up to an hour or sometimes more to get their steps in, unfortunately. But you always feel great when you do :smile:
  • kayharrison79
    kayharrison79 Posts: 1 Member
    I just got my fitbit and I too was shocked by the low amount of steps I take on average. Today I went for a long walk but about an hour ago I noticed I was 500 steps short of 10000, so I went for another walk just to break that goal. So I guess the fitbit is a good thing!!! Just keep walking, my new mantra!
  • WAHMto5
    WAHMto5 Posts: 375 Member
    I only get 10,000 on days that I run or go for a hike.

    This is for me as well;)
  • bobbijodmb
    bobbijodmb Posts: 463 Member
    On a lot of days I am in an office working-- I just take more bathroom breaks and i try to split up trips to the water cooler and the copy machine. I park further away when I go shopping and I don't take short cuts-- plus when i workout I get a ton of steps. Most days I average 14,000 or over
  • zencreations04
    zencreations04 Posts: 1
    I average between 10,500 to 14,000 per day, and work in a small office. Most days I get up a little earlier and take a quick walk before work and if I need to, another walk after dinner at night. At work I try to get up from my desk and move around every 30 mins. Little things walking in place while printing or talking on the phone and taking a walk on my lunch break adds up quickly!
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