Can 6000 steps be enough?

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rosebette
rosebette Posts: 1,659 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So, I'm one of those crazy people who has been wearing a pedometer for years (one of those cheapies you get at Wal-Mart for $4.98), convinced that I have to get those 10,000 steps in every day (about 5 miles for me) for an adequate fitness level. So, even if I do a kickboxing or zumba class, if I haven't done the 10,000 steps, I'll still walk. If I can't walk, I'll do the equivalent miles on a stationary bike (I fell off a treadmill once). I do about 2.5 miles when I walk on the campus where I work, just as part of my daily trudge from parking lot, to classroom, to library, etc., and still walk more when I get home because I haven't met my "quota." Now, there are some news stories that are saying that 10,000 is probably an overestimate, and that 6,000 is plenty, especially for people with osteo in their knees (which I have). What do folks here say? Obviously, there's no such thing as too much exercise, but maybe I'm knocking myself out when I don't need to.

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  • joshpass
    joshpass Posts: 82 Member
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    the number doesn't matter really. Walking is basically one of the best exercises you can do. Hell, because of my job (IT Consultant), I'm lucky to get 5,000 a day. But I lift heavy weights 3 days a week and do some sort of cardio or yoga the rest. Is it "enough"? Depends on what enough is. But that's all i can fit into my schedule as I work 60-80 hours a week. You should definitely not get hung up on the numbers or feel down if you "only" get 6,000 steps. It's great to feel motivated though to do more. I wear a fitbit and that's exactly what it does. Subconsciously, I find myself wanting to walk more because of it.
  • chelseamc2013
    chelseamc2013 Posts: 3 Member
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    This is verbatim from the pedometer app I use called "Pacer":

    "Why 10,000 steps per day?

    An average person takes about 3,000 to 4,000 steps in their daily life at work and at home. In order to reach the World Health Organization's (WHO) daily activity requirement, we all need an additional 30-60 minutes of walking, or about another 3,000 to 6,000 steps. In other words:

    4,000 - average steps
    +3,000 - WHO minimum
    +3,000 - WHO ideal
    = 10,000 steps for an active life!"
  • spideywebb77
    spideywebb77 Posts: 126 Member
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    Exercise how much do I need?

    http://www.choosemyplate.gov/physical-activity/amount.html

    From a weight loss perspective you could probably lose just in diet alone but then you would be missing out on the benefits of exercise. I do anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour of "vigorous" exercise just about every day.
  • rosebette
    rosebette Posts: 1,659 Member
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    This was one online article that I saw: http://walking.about.com/cs/measure/a/locke122004.htm

    However, there was a print article in the AARP Journal that I got today; here's the online version: http://blog.aarp.org/2014/06/16/helping-your-knees-step-by-6000-steps/

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