Counting Steps FAD

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  • MommyL2015
    MommyL2015 Posts: 1,411 Member
    edited February 2016
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    OP, why are you even trying to equate step counters with being fit? I have absolutely no care in the world about being "fit." In whatever definition you are applying to it. What is the correct definition of being fit?

    My goal was to get my butt up off the couch, get more active and lose weight. I have accomplished that goal and my step counter helped me with that. Am I fit? I really don't give a rat's behind.
  • MommyMeggo
    MommyMeggo Posts: 1,222 Member
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    OP. Track yours steps as inexpensively as you can. See how many you get in a typical day. I'd be interested to know how many and if you are "fit"...whatever that means to you.
    Get 10,000. Heck Get 15,000. See how much movement is required to reach this goal.
    PS- How can you blast trackers and their users and condem 10,000 steps/day when you don't even track your own?
  • Therealobi1
    Therealobi1 Posts: 3,262 Member
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    Honestly OP i dont know what the issue is here
    Lots of people who couldnt walk or wouldnt walk are now walking with their gadget of choice
    some aim for 10, 0000 some even more
    some end up running marathons
    what is the problem?
    you have to start somewhere
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    I thought this article was interestingon the topic of pedometers and better cardiovascular health- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2894114/

    I went looking for some written source that would tell me that increasing steps and using a pedometer would not increase a person's physical fitness and health. That is not what I found. Everything I found said pedometers are useful tools that help people improve their health and fitness, that people who use pedometers and increase their steps to 10,000 or more are more likely to engage in other vigorous exercise as well. No negatives.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    @koinflipper
    How far do you run each week? How much do you cycle? What do you lift? Swim?

  • CollieFit
    CollieFit Posts: 1,683 Member
    edited February 2016
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    koinflipper wrote: »
    10,000 steps DOES NOT make somebody physically fit. That is the premise of this thread. All it does is motivate people to be more active. Active does NOT equal PHYSICALLY FIT.

    We established that on average 10,000 steps comes to approximately give or take just under 5 miles. Surely you are in absolutely no position to determine whether or not these 5 daily miles contribute to the improvement of someone's cardiovascular fitness?

    Okay, if I'm Mo Farah I doubt that walking an extra 5 miles a day is going to make any gains, but for a previously completely sedentary overweight person to suddenly knock out 5 mile walks is considerable and WILL improve their cardiovascular fitness, it will make them stronger and it will help them lose weight.

    And not everyone gains their 10,000 steps by just strolling around. 5 miles of hill walking in countryside or power walking at 4.5mph -- don't tell me that does not contribute to fitness?



  • CollieFit
    CollieFit Posts: 1,683 Member
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    DizzyMissIzzy wrote: »
    Look at it this way, OP, they're a way for you to feel superior, so they can't be all bad.

    :D

  • scolaris
    scolaris Posts: 2,145 Member
    edited February 2016
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    Wow! Just wow! What an angry thread. I think you've demonstrated to yourself that the vast majority of MFP users agree to disagree with you OP & there's not much more that can be said.
    I think step counting is to fitness like so called 'gateway drugs' are to substance abuse: it often ignites a desire to do and experience more. Walking 2k steps a day can lead to 10k, walking 10k can turn into to 15k, walking 15k and over turns into hill hiking or trail running, some lifting gets added and bob's your uncle...
  • shadow4478
    shadow4478 Posts: 37 Member
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    I dissagree with OP.
    I do agree its become popular (fad) but overall walking 10k vs 3 and beeing aware is much better. Just like dieting the more you are aware, the better the results.
  • scolaris
    scolaris Posts: 2,145 Member
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    There's an ee Cummings quote that seems appropriate here:

    'I would rather learn from one bird how to sing, than teach ten thousand stars how not to dance.'

    Find YOUR joy, OP, and let the step counters happily keep stepping and counting.
  • kk_inprogress
    kk_inprogress Posts: 3,077 Member
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    I'm going to go run a few thousand steps and walk off a few hundred more lifting.
  • Shells918
    Shells918 Posts: 1,070 Member
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    JustMissTracy wrote: »
    I love mine...and haven't taken it off other than to charge it since Christmas. I've gone from being completely sedentary in my at home desk job, to being considered "active" in that short time. Believe me, seeing those numbers on a daily is very motivating, and constantly challenging.

    Same.
  • bclarke1990
    bclarke1990 Posts: 287 Member
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    Disagree completely. IMO, There's nothing wrong with using a simple tool as a bit of extra motivation. Obviously seeing a high number of steps and responding with a large pizza isn't a good idea, but it's a great way to raise your TDEE and encourage people to be a bit more active.
  • SumnyUK
    SumnyUK Posts: 33 Member
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    What I want to know is.... What's With The Capital LETTERS IN The Title OF THIS Thread?
  • MNLittleFinn
    MNLittleFinn Posts: 4,271 Member
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    koinflipper wrote: »
    The components of physical fitness: cardiorespiratory endurance, muscle strength, muscle endurance, flexibility and body composition.

    So do your 10k steps per day accomplish this? NOT BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION.

    So, a 300 pound person who has a desk job and hasn't worked out wouldn't improve any of those by adding 10,000 steps? Calorie burn alone from the person walking 5 miles a day would be huge....so, yes, it would improve fitness. Fitness is subjective, as has been pointed out.
  • katy84o
    katy84o Posts: 744 Member
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    I completely understand what you are saying, but I do not agree. Looking at it more as a fun way to track something, and compete with office mates, might make you a little less negative of it. My mom, for example, loves her fit bit. When she first started wearing it she was only getting 3000-5000 steps per day. She realized that she did need to move more, and that she wasn't moving as much as she thought she was. So now, she parks further away from the grocery store and her office. She walks over to the movie theatre and the various stores that are in a close proximity to her. She uses it as a tool, as I think most people do, to help them make better choices through out the day. When my mom hits 10k steps- she doesn't automatically make her think she is the most fit person in her office. She doesn't think she can go run a marathon. She has no illusion that this has toned and tightened. But it HAS got her moving more and walking further distances. It HAS helped her make better choices.
  • BurnWithBarn2015
    BurnWithBarn2015 Posts: 1,026 Member
    edited February 2016
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    Hornsby wrote: »
    koinflipper wrote: »
    The components of physical fitness: cardiorespiratory endurance, muscle strength, muscle endurance, flexibility and body composition.

    So do your 10k steps per day accomplish this? NOT BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION.

    When 7000 of your steps are running 7 minute miles, they accomplish all of that. Wrong again, I'm afraid.

    Maybe wrong according to the OP
    But this sure is true to me. 15000 to 20.000 steps a day and 8000 are from my hour of walking/jogging everyday.
    Or from swimming a couple of thousands. It all adds up.

    Now i have a Polar FT7 HRM too which i wear when i jog or swim...gives me the same numbers ( about) But isn't far off. In the end the averages are the same. So i dont see the whole problem here. All about preferences and if you like or dislike a device. That doesn't mean it is bad or can not do the job...It means you dont like to work with the device for whatever the reason is. Or maybe can not work with it because you can not wrap your head around it.

    Fad?? I dont care if it is or not. For me it is a nice way to see and keep up with what i have done. Simple, clear and plain. You walked/moved 9000 steps today so get of your **s and do something girl, try to hit your 15K steps!
    But that's just old me...

    95069916.png
  • turbosad
    turbosad Posts: 11 Member
    edited February 2016
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    For me, it helps put things into perspective for how much time I am sedentary. I work in IT and so I spend a lot of the time at my desk. Also seeing the step count of my friends pushes me to catch up to their 7 day average. Instead of getting in my car and driving a couple miles to the liquor store, I either walk or run there now.

    Additionally, mine tracks my heart rate so I know when I am not pushing myself hard enough and when I am in the zone.

    If counting steps doesn't work for you, then don't buy into the "fad" nobody is forcing you. It works for me, so I am going to keep on stepping.
  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
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    Lounmoun wrote: »
    I thought this article was interestingon the topic of pedometers and better cardiovascular health- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2894114/

    I went looking for some written source that would tell me that increasing steps and using a pedometer would not increase a person's physical fitness and health. That is not what I found. Everything I found said pedometers are useful tools that help people improve their health and fitness, that people who use pedometers and increase their steps to 10,000 or more are more likely to engage in other vigorous exercise as well. No negatives.

    This is my experience too. They aren't for fitness per se but do encourage it for many.
  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
    edited February 2016
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    Azdak wrote: »
    Throwing this in at the end, but the 10,000 steps recommendation is meant for overall health, not necessarily "fitness" and health professionals (at least the knowledgeable ones) don't prescribe that goal as a substitute for a traditional exercise programs.

    In the late 1980s-early 1990s it became clear to health researchers that the percentage of people participating in a "traditional" exercise program (at that time, 3 days/wk, 20-30 min a session, maintaining a heart rate of 70%-80% of max) had not changed over the previous 15-20 years, despite the intense focus on running, health clubs, etc. In addition, research showed that, after a certain point, more exercise did not provide further decreases in mortality and morbidity.

    Since then, the emphasis by major health organizations has shifted. Instead of focusing on getting a small number of people to "exercise", the focus is on trying to get the majority of the population to move around a little more. The effect on society and on health costs of getting a large number of people to just be a little more active would be huge.

    Is the 10,000 steps somewhat of a gimmick? Absolutely--but that's what it takes to send a clear and simple message to people who really don't have the time or interest in detailed exercise plans or research studies.

    In that light, it is a valid tool, not a fad. And in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter if some of the steps are just from walking around the house, etc. To get to 10,000, you have to do some substantive moving around and that is the goal.

    But it's not to be confused with "fitness" or fitness training. That's something completely different. But, exercise fitness is not always necessary to improve one's health.

    This is very true. A lot of people who get fitness trackers, and many that I know personally, use them as a way to start getting active again because they aren't active at all. Getting active can be the best way to get people on their way to fitness and if that's the case they are certainly a good investment. I think most people are well aware of the differences between fitness and activity, at least in a general sense.

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