10,000 steps a day?

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jabsmckee
jabsmckee Posts: 30 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey everybody. If this has been asked already, I apologize. I just bought a Garmin Vevofit. I have set the steps to 10,000. Does this count as exercise or are you supposed to exercise on top of that??

Thanks

Replies

  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
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    10K was decided so that it meets the level of activity recommended for adults. So you could walk your normal amount throughout the day and then get the activity in another way, sure. I personally recommend a more vigorous activity for at least 15-20 minutes or so, myself.
  • macgurlnet
    macgurlnet Posts: 1,946 Member
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    If you don't move much right now, then sure, walking counts as exercise! The more you move, the more calories you burn and the more you can eat ;)

    I agree with @cafeaulait7, though - if you can do something more intense a few times a week (ie: go for a run, do a dance workout, etc), even better.

    You don't have to go from hardly moving to running 3-5+ miles 4 times a week or anything. Just move more, and your body will thank you for it.

    ~Lyssa
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    Yes, if you are able to. Strength training definitely and ideally some more intensive cardio unless you are running some of those steps.
  • kellyjo278
    kellyjo278 Posts: 1 Member
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    My friend lost 80 lbs walking. Shes my inspiration. All she did was walk an hour a day 4 days a week and watch what she ate.
  • laurainottawa
    laurainottawa Posts: 64 Member
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    Wear your new Garmin for a few days so you get a sense of how many steps you usually take. If you're not at 10,000 now, slowly work toward getting 10k a day. As cafeaulait7 said, the number was decided upon as a healthy guideline for adults.

    So much can be done with walking and watching your diet. Don't stress if you haven't been working out yet. Work on getting your daily steps up, with that, activity will become easier. Then start adding in some moderate to vigorous activity. Find something you like, that gets your heart rate up.
  • Expatmommy79
    Expatmommy79 Posts: 940 Member
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    I was just reading about this yesterday. 10,000 steps burns about 400-500 calories per day for an average 70kg male. If you control your calories and walk 10,000 steps you can loose 1 pound per week.

    There is a 10,000 step diet that basically asks sedentary people to reduce their portions by 25pc and increase walking from 2000 steps a day to 10,000 steps as mobility improves in order to loose weight.

    I can't get to 10,000 without purposeful walking so until my fitness improves I walk 60min on the treadmill for 6,000-7,000 steps and usually get the other 3k from errands.

  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
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    I rarely make it to 10k, normally more like 5k.

    When I get over 10k it's because I played a bit of soccer/jumped on the treadmill at the gym.

    Don't feel 10k is necessary, aim for it sure, but it's just another form of exercise/activity.

    So the more you walk the more calories burned just like lifting weights or swimming or any other exercise.
  • xLyric
    xLyric Posts: 840 Member
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    I consider it exercise. You get exercise calories from walking, so why not? Especially at 10,000 steps, that's an extra meal you've just earned, or if it doesn't make you hungry, extra weight gone.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    This is how many calories I've earned today, just from walking. It's only 4:30pm here, so I've still got a few walking hours left. Definitely worth it.

    5ypqclmta0pf.png


  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    10,000 steps would take me about 1h20 mins and usually only happens without "exercise" if I go to a city.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    I consider it part of my regular activity and try to hit it each day whether I exercise or not. Exercising I think of as something that increases strength or fitness in some way, walking I consider being a minimally active person. I think both are important -- starting to walk more in my daily life was the first thing I did besides cutting calories when I started this, but in that I live in a city and can walk most places (or take public transportation) I have no good excuse for not walking a decent amount.
  • angerelle
    angerelle Posts: 175 Member
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    I've got a Fitbit One and aim to do 30 "active minutes" a day and 10k steps as part of living a healthy lifestyle. I also run 3 times a week and do an exercise class, because I like the fitness (and calories!) this gives me. I eat back all the calories that Fitbit adjusts MFP by, whether it's normal activity or "extra" exercise - I'm hitting my weight loss rate goal, so it seems fairly accurate for me.
  • Colorscheme
    Colorscheme Posts: 1,179 Member
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    I do about 14k steps a day, which is 6-7 miles and that burns 700 cals according to my fitbit. It's equal to one hour of walking for me since I walk 4 mph.

    I suggest building your way up to it, I wasn't able to do that much walking when I first started. I started doing 15 minutes then after a few weeks, 30 mins, etc. I do Leslie Sansone's videos on youtube.
  • CandiceMcD
    CandiceMcD Posts: 115 Member
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    It is exercise...but I always try to get some of my 10K whilst doing something other than that, like, a cardio work out or a video or something. I do that 5 times a week. On days I don't exercise (Sat & Sun) I try to get between 6-10k.
  • afatpersonwholikesfood
    afatpersonwholikesfood Posts: 577 Member
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    I have to purposefully walk or be working at my second job (active) to reach 10k. Yes, it's a good, healthy goal. The average person, normal weight or not, is not getting 10k steps a day. It's not necessarily hard to reach, but neither is it too simple or not "enough" depending on where you are starting from.
  • choppie70
    choppie70 Posts: 544 Member
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    On my last visit with my PCP, he stated that 10K is a goal that the Dr's suggest to help people who want to lose weight. Dr's always push the eat less, move more.

    I get about 10k steps while I am at work (I teach) each day. I try to do an extra 6K or so once I get home (treadmill, videos, etc). When I am at home more during the summer, some days it is a push to read the 10K.

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