Walking 10,000 steps
Replies
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ashlygraves wrote: »This might sound really dumb but what's the thought behind walking 10,000 steps a day?
I get to eat an extra 350-450 calories per day when I hit 10K based on my zip
4-5000 steps = 30 minute lunchtime walk
To hit MFP sedentary activity level is around 2500 steps
if I'm lazy and lounging around and don't make myself walk (which never happens any more because the dog is so used to his park / woods walks) then I struggle to hit that0 -
azulvioleta6 wrote: »SexyKatherine73 wrote: »they don't count steps ... eg fitbit is on your arm so it's counting your arm movement, and not your feet.
Not the Fitbit Zip, which is what I have. I wear it on my shirt or bra.
So it counts boob movement? Isn't that worse than arm movement for counting steps?
Clearly you do not own any breasts.
No, the center part of my bra does not move unless I am moving my whole body.0 -
ashlygraves wrote: »azulvioleta6 wrote: »ashlygraves wrote: »azulvioleta6 wrote: »Yes, some of us compete with each other and with family members. I've been sick for the last two weeks so my step totals have been atrocious, but usually I am in the 100,000 step range for any given week.
This time of year my challenge is that I am doing a lot of gardening. It feels like a decent casual workout, but it really doesn't earn very many steps.
Great idea competing! Do you do that on here with other MFP or with your family/friends??
I use a Fitbit, and there is a "friends" function on the dashboard there.
One of my main motivations is that my 73-year-old father is constantly beating me, even when I am walking 50 miles a week. I'm extremely competitive and it drives me nuts to let him beat me.
What is a Fitbit?
It's a pedometer. I have this one. I got it because it was the cheapest option, but I think that it really works better for me than the wristband-types would. I like being able to hide it under my clothes--I can even wear it when I am dressed up and nobody can tell that I have it on. There are lots of other brands out there. Some people also use smartphone apps to track steps.
https://fitbit.com/zip#i.ynlybsgsieiuyf0 -
azulvioleta6 wrote: »ashlygraves wrote: »azulvioleta6 wrote: »ashlygraves wrote: »azulvioleta6 wrote: »Yes, some of us compete with each other and with family members. I've been sick for the last two weeks so my step totals have been atrocious, but usually I am in the 100,000 step range for any given week.
This time of year my challenge is that I am doing a lot of gardening. It feels like a decent casual workout, but it really doesn't earn very many steps.
Great idea competing! Do you do that on here with other MFP or with your family/friends??
I use a Fitbit, and there is a "friends" function on the dashboard there.
One of my main motivations is that my 73-year-old father is constantly beating me, even when I am walking 50 miles a week. I'm extremely competitive and it drives me nuts to let him beat me.
What is a Fitbit?
It's a pedometer. I have this one. I got it because it was the cheapest option, but I think that it really works better for me than the wristband-types would. I like being able to hide it under my clothes--I can even wear it when I am dressed up and nobody can tell that I have it on. There are lots of other brands out there. Some people also use smartphone apps to track steps.
https://fitbit.com/zip#i.ynlybsgsieiuyf
I've also got the zip ...I downgraded from the flex and much prefer it as I wear it on my waistband or in my bra and get to wear bracelets too ..the flex was accurate too just a little more ugly0 -
On the weekends, assuming the weather is decent, I go for a walk on a nearby hike/bike trail. A "long walk" of that is a little over 4 miles, I think, and is 10,000 steps in one walk. I'll normally exceed that by 1000-3000 over 24 hours, with shopping and other activities.
At work, I have a bit of a walk to and from my car--maybe half a mile each way. Then there's a semi-official walking path in the building--5 laps around it is a mile. I do 2 laps in the morning and usually 2 in the afternoon. After lunch, I do a 5-lap power walk (very brisk, to music).0 -
Hello,
have been doing 10,000-11,000 steps ever day,,, love walking. for me its my stress release in life. happy to be friends with anybody.
Vin from Australia0 -
I do not feel like I walk that much, but hit 8000-10000 steps pretty regularly on my Garmin Vivofit. I'm getting a little concerned though that it's inaccurate. I rarely take deliberate walks, just go about my day. I work at home though so I don't sit at a desk for 8 hours, can that be it?? Just walking around the house?
I'm usually at 5000 steps within 5 hours of getting up, but I don't do anything specific...
Any time I do a "test calibration" on it and count steps while walking back and forth across the house, it is right on.0 -
i walk 15k steps, 7 miles daily... unless something interferes with my workout. it usually takes me 2 hrs 15 min to finish my morning walks. i walk outside when i can but if weather doesn't permit that i walk in my house... i use a Fitbit One. good luck with your fitness journey...0
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I have the Fitbit flex, I bought a replacement band that's not as ugly as the one that came with it. I participate in several challenges at any given time, this weekend I averaged 17K per day, though my normal numbers are closer to 12K but have been as high as 35K per day and as low as 7500. I have a few days at less than 5K but that's because I tend to forget to charge it, then not notice it's dead. If I'm running low on steps I've done all sorts of crazy stuff. Like taking one article of clothing out of the drier, walking upstairs to put it away, then back down to the laundry room for the next item. Since I have a super capacity drier this can equal 15-30 individual trips upstairs per load. I've done the opposite to load the washer. One night I convinced hubby to take a walk at 9pm to get ahead in the challenge, we ended up walking 7 miles (my friend ended up beating me by 3 freaking steps).0
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I have a Fitbit One. I liked my Zip better, since it's smaller and I don't use the stairs or sleep functions anyway, but I had to upgrade because changing batteries became tedious. I don't do 10,000 steps either, but I would randomly look at my steps throughout the day and feel the urge to complete a 1000, so I just walk around the house. I average 8000 steps, which includes a shorts walk/run in the morning.0
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azulvioleta6 wrote: »
Yeah I wasn't saying it was impossible. Just that a large part of my day is taken up with sitting still.
Compared to other jobs like nursing where your wandering about all day.
Also I Eat lunch at lunch
shocking I know.
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I have an extremely sedentary job and my car is parked outside my home and office so any steps I do I have to go out of my way for but I tend to average around 8k a day.0
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azulvioleta6 wrote: »
Yeah I wasn't saying it was impossible. Just that a large part of my day is taken up with sitting still.
Compared to other jobs like nursing where your wandering about all day.
Also I Eat lunch at lunch shocking I know.
I average 10 hour work days (most of which are sitting) I walk on my lunch break or get up early and go to the gym I hit 15K pretty regularly0 -
I have a desk job and hit my 10,000 a day by walking to the train station, getting off one station early and walking the rest of the way to work, walking in my lunch break and little things like walking to the far kitchen to refill my water, going down one flight of stairs to use the toilet, walking the long way to the copier...0
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I've been a Fitbit Flex user for over a year-and-a-half. I originally bought it to track the "extraneous" calorie burn (i.e. the burn I wasn't counting from planned exercise). I had originally bought the Jawbone UP, and returned it for the Flex ... yeah, I've replaced the band a couple of times (a lot cheaper than replacing car tires, or brakes).
A quick review of my last 365 days of Fitbit dashboard: 3,359,099 steps, 888,155 calories burned (almost an avg of 10,000/day). It's important to note: I don't *ever* simply go out for a walk for the sake of it: that's steps from desk to printer, around the grocery store, from bus the parking lot...like I said, "extraneous".
I do "compete" against my wife and a colleague, one of whom has the Zip and one has the One.0 -
i do my best to hit 10,000 a day. I park in car parking spaces furthest away to increase steps. I walk to the local shops whereas pre-fitbit days Id drive. I love it when my fitbit beeps to say Ive hit the 10k and I know it means Ive earnt a certain amount of extra cals. I also do a fair bit of running which just blows any target out of the window, but I know that doesnt suit everyone. I also enter the fitbit competitions, as I find them a good way just to help get a little bit more motivation and fun into the whole process.0
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Don't worry about the 10,000 steps thing. It's based on an old Japanese campaign to sell pedometers. It's not something rooted in science. Better to just shoot for as much activity as you can fit.0
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FoCoAlphaNerd wrote: »Don't worry about the 10,000 steps thing. It's based on an old Japanese campaign to sell pedometers. It's not something rooted in science. Better to just shoot for as much activity as you can fit.
whilst true, it's a bloody good initial goal for most sedentary people to work up to / maintain0 -
10,000 steps is a little above 4 miles (5,280 ft in a mile) - 5 minute break every hour = 30 minutes = 2 miles or 4,000 steps without even adding time to your day.
http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/sundquist.html
Also, for effort: WALKING PACE CHART
LEVEL 1: VERY INACTIVE: 80-100 steps per minute = 2 mph (30 minute mile)
LEVEL 2: LIGHTLY ACTIVE: 120 steps per minute = 3 mph (20 minute mile)
LEVEL 3: MODERATELY ACTIVE: 130 steps per minute = 3.5 mph (17-18 minute mile)
LEVEL 4: ACTIVE: 140 steps per minute = 4 mph (15 minute mile)
LEVEL 5: VERY ACTIVE: 150 steps per minute = 4.3 mph (14 minute mile)
LEVEL 6: EXCEPTIONALLY ACTIVE: 160 steps per minute = 4.6 mph (13 minute mile)
LEVEL 7: ATHLETE: 170 steps per minute = 5 mph (12 minute mile)
LEVEL 8: ATHLETE: 180 steps per minute = 5.5 mph (11 minute mile)
LEVEL 9: ATHLETE: 190 steps per minute = 6.0 mph (9-10 minute mile)0 -
azulvioleta6 wrote: »
Yeah I wasn't saying it was impossible. Just that a large part of my day is taken up with sitting still.
Compared to other jobs like nursing where your wandering about all day.
Also I Eat lunch at lunch shocking I know.
I make my lunch at home and bring it with me. It takes me five minutes to eat it. That leaves 55 mins of a lunch hour to walk three or four miles. Job done!!
I hit 10k steps nearly every day. I park a ten minute walk away from my job. I leave the car in a car park 5 mins away from my kids school morning and afternoon (so they get a little walk too). If the kids are playing in the park I walk around the park and watch them. I go to the gym or walk at lunchtime. If I'm really stuck at home I walk watching tv or use a Leslie Sansone "walk at home" programme on YouTube.0 -
FoCoAlphaNerd wrote: »Don't worry about the 10,000 steps thing. It's based on an old Japanese campaign to sell pedometers. It's not something rooted in science. Better to just shoot for as much activity as you can fit.
whilst true, it's a bloody good initial goal for most sedentary people to work up to / maintain
Nah, health goals should be entirely based on the health you are in now, and what your body is ready to handle. Having a magic number isn't helpful. There are people who are going to have to push themselves to make it halfway around the block, and people who are very healthy, but just inactive for who are going to find 10k to be no big deal.
Pick a goal that is going to be challenging yet possible and then increase it as it gets to be less taxing.
Humans like big round numbers. That doesn't mean that 10k is any more appropriate a goal than 9,235 steps or 16,083 steps. The only way anyone should ever set a health goal is by listening to their body.0 -
I find 10,000 steps pretty easy, but I am on maternity leave so I don't currently have work to fit into my day. It's 10:20am in England now and I've already done 7300 steps. That was rushing about getting my 3 kids and myself ready (hubby is on early shift and left at 5am), walking my eldest to school, walking to the post office to post a parcel, and going on the seafront with my 3 year old on her scooter. Later i'll walk to collect my son from school, and this evenings i'm doing a kettlebells class. Some days I do 18,000 steps. In the Summer I know I'll do more.
I go back to work in a few weeks, but I'm a teacher so I imagine I'll do more steps than an office worker.
If you're an office worker, can't you go for a walk on your lunch break? Pop to the loo a few times, walk to get a coffee. Years ago I worked in an office and I walked to work, then I used to go for a wander to the shops in my lunch break, and I went to the gym after work.
I've got a Fitbit Zip.
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FoCoAlphaNerd wrote: »FoCoAlphaNerd wrote: »Don't worry about the 10,000 steps thing. It's based on an old Japanese campaign to sell pedometers. It's not something rooted in science. Better to just shoot for as much activity as you can fit.
whilst true, it's a bloody good initial goal for most sedentary people to work up to / maintain
Nah, health goals should be entirely based on the health you are in now, and what your body is ready to handle. Having a magic number isn't helpful. There are people who are going to have to push themselves to make it halfway around the block, and people who are very healthy, but just inactive for who are going to find 10k to be no big deal.
Pick a goal that is going to be challenging yet possible and then increase it as it gets to be less taxing.
Humans like big round numbers. That doesn't mean that 10k is any more appropriate a goal than 9,235 steps or 16,083 steps. The only way anyone should ever set a health goal is by listening to their body.
did you misunderstand the phrase 'to work up to'0 -
I have a Fitbit One and sync it to MFP. Like _runnerbean_ I use Leslie Sansone YouTube videos. I am in Wisconsin and when it is icey out I am afraid to walk with any speed. I try and just walk in place whenever...using Leslie's 4 basic steps. I've been increasing my steps everyday.0
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My goal is 12000 steps daily. I have reached that goal every day for the past 3 weeks except for 3 days where I walked 8000 steps and then either swam for an hour or did cardio for 30min.
I make sure I get the first 6000 steps in first thing in the morning. Whatever amount I have left in the late afternoon I get in either right before or after dinner.0 -
One of my tactics, as i work from home or at a desk in client offices is to wait till I have a few calls to make and then go for a walk while I make the calls on the mobile. My mobile tracks my steps and I am so distracted by the calls the step target is just part of my day. I never sit while on the phone, i pace or walk, that also helps me think more clearly and focus on the call, rather than seeing emails pop up on my screen while i'm talking.
If i haven't made the 10,000 steps by the time i get home I get to my station I just keep walking and am not allowed home until i have finished them. I come up with little task excuses: need to get that light bulb, must walk to shop and get some dishwasher tablets etc. anything that achieves a life task while also helping me hit my goal.0 -
At my job they gave out pedometers to everyone as one of the health initiatives, and here are some of the 'tricks' we used to get more steps in everyday: use a small-ish, reusable water bottle, and walk to the further kitchenette feasible to fill it up when empty (this also ensures that you drink plenty of water every day). Then, when it's time to use the restroom, use the furthest feasible bathroom--bonus if you have to go up or down stairs to get to it. If it's nice out, take a little walk around campus after lunch.
I work from home most days now, but when I am on a telecon I use a wireless headset and walk laps around my kitchen island just to keep moving... I usually run most days so I don't have a problem getting my steps in, but I might be a little hyperactive so sitting in the chair all day drives me a little batty!0 -
I use the Pacer app to track steps. It works fairly well, but sometimes it crashes and I gotta restart my phone for it to work again. On average, I usually walk 3000-5000 steps a day. Its not too bad for a semi-desk job, but I need to work on getting more steps in.0
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On my off training days I try to walk a lot more even if I'm tied. I will do things like only grab one thing at a time from th upstairs, park my car further from the store, take the kids of for a walk if it's warm enough or play tag in the yard, have a race across the house ( I walk so they win lol) ever but counts. Yesterday I had to take clothes to the donation bin which was 2 blocks from my house. I walked each bag there one at a time. I still didn't make the goal but I got really close0
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I bought a flex over a year ago to track activity at work (since some nights I don't have to do much and others I am really busy. I am still trying to work up to 10,000 steps a day. I don't have a job where I have a meal break. Basically it's an eat when you can, so I can't walk during a meal break. We also don't really get bathroom breaks- again it's kind of a go when you can. I wish I was able to walk during down time, when we do have it (rare) but it is not safe and I really can't stray very far from the vehicle. I am slowly getting there though- lol.0
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