How hard is this exercise malarkey?

Imcharmed
Imcharmed Posts: 346 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Man, I've just got a Fitbit, first day of use. How hard is it to achieve 10,000 steps? 50 minute walk and only just got over halfway!?

Replies

  • amgreenwell
    amgreenwell Posts: 1,267 Member
    If you work a desk job you'll have to work to get those steps in. I make a point to get up and walk at work and I try to walk at least 1/2 hour at lunch too. You can do it, just remember that sedentary jobs mean you've got to work even harder
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,976 Member
    Yep. Realize that you have another 15 hours of awake time to achieve it and it helps to let you know how far you are from goal. I have one and use it just to track whether or not I'm being active enough.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
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    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • Imcharmed
    Imcharmed Posts: 346 Member
    The dog won't complain about the extra walking! :smile:
  • CurlyCockney
    CurlyCockney Posts: 1,394 Member
    edited January 2016
    I'd give you extra steps just for using the word 'malarkey', as it's one of my faves!

    I don't have a fitbit, but I've seen knowledgeable posters on here say that fitbit 'learns' over time. I don't know if that refers to steps or just calories burned.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    I walk on my morning and afternoon breaks at work, and sometimes on my lunch break. If I do only my breaks, I usually get about 8,000 steps at work.
  • Sklahsen
    Sklahsen Posts: 76 Member
    I'm a stay at home mom with 2 little ones at home all day...I find it difficult to get the 10,000 steps, especially when it is too cold outside to take the kids for a walk..I try to take a few minutes to just do some "high knees" or a slow jog on the spot while we are playing, or while I watch a show when they are napping. I do have to put the effort in though..cause it is also easy to get to the end of the day and only have 3000 steps.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    Imcharmed wrote: »
    Man, I've just got a Fitbit, first day of use. How hard is it to achieve 10,000 steps? 50 minute walk and only just got over halfway!?

    It will vary a bit by person but it's around 2000 steps per mile. If you got about 5000 steps walking for 50 minutes you're at around a 16-17 minute per mile pace. All this seems very reasonable.

    Just goes to show how sedentary our lIves have become and how we need to work at moving.
  • JQuinnLife
    JQuinnLife Posts: 102 Member
    I'd recommend a gym
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
    Our instructor counted the steps during one of his exercise classes and the class alone was over 10,000. That was when I walked half an hour each way to the class, besides my regular daily routine.

    From that, I don't think of 10,000 steps as much at all. But not everyone is that active or works that hard.
  • StacyChrz
    StacyChrz Posts: 865 Member
    I find that it takes me about 8-10 minutes to walk 1000 steps, depending on how fast I am walking. I'm 5'2" so my strides aren't all that long. I work a desk job now so I try to get up and walk a lot. I am always offering to bring paperwork to people in other parts of the building just to get a few extra steps in. I have a Fitbit Charge and I love it.
  • gunrock1970
    gunrock1970 Posts: 45 Member
    edited January 2016
    I have got a fitbit for Xmas and found it was too generous with it's steps compared to my old (dead) Up24. I have adjusted the stride length and I'm not sure it's totally correct - still seems too easy for me to hit 10k.

    Claimed I did 15k steps yesterday. I did walk a lot more, but over familiar routes and I would have thought 12/13k max.

    Anyway, it can be hard if you don't have a end location (like a commute to work) or a place to go (like the shops). When I'm off work, it's harder to hit 10k, unless I rock up at Bluewater (shopping centre - mall for American friends).

    Keep at it, you can do it!
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    edited January 2016
    gunrock1970 wrote: »
    I have got a fitbit for Xmas and found it was too generous with it's steps compared to my old (dead) Up24. I have adjusted the stride length and I'm not sure it's totally correct - still seems too easy for me to hit 10k.

    Claimed I did 15k steps yesterday. I did walk a lot more, but over familiar routes and I would have thought 12/13k max.

    Anyway, it can be hard if you don't have a end location (like a commute to work) or a place to go (like the shops). When I'm off work, it's harder to hit 10k, unless I rock up at Bluewater (shopping centre - mall for American friends).

    Keep at it, you can do it!

    Adjusting your stride does not affect the number of steps recorded. A step is a step. The ones worn closer to the body, like the Zip or One are most accurate with counting steps, compared to the wristbands.

    FB multiplies the steps x stride to get your distance. Unless you have a GPS model, then the distance might work differently.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    I definitely feel like I'm moving quite a bit to hit 10,000 steps-that's outside/in addition to when I'm working. I apparently don't like to walk very much
  • Imcharmed
    Imcharmed Posts: 346 Member
    Thanks everyone. I'll keep going regardless!

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