Counting Steps FAD

rileysowner 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.

Getting to 10,000 steps is going to increase endurance, and it will affect body composition for people who usually only want 2000-3000, or for that matter even 5000 steps in a day. For a person walking 5000 steps who increases that to 10000, it will double the amount of steps they take. For a person who only does 2000-3000 steps, something quite common today judging by the posts above, that increase is even more. It will result in positive changes.

From my personal experience, I can't say that this is true for everyone. I went from doing (estimated, since I didn't have a Fibit before the spring but on rare occasions used a pedometer) about 3500-4000 steps a day last winter, to about 5000 this spring, to 6000-7000 this summer, back down a bit to 5000 late summer/early fall, and then a quick increase to 11000-12000 in October. My cardiovascular endurance improved a bit by early winter, but I think that was more so due to a slight increase in the amount of vigorous exercise that was included in that.

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.

The "illusion" my doctor spoke about is very apparent on this forum. There wouldn't be so much defensive and angry posts if you all understood that.

So it appears to me that you're conflating different issues, and fwiw your initial rant really didn't convey the discussion point that you seemed to want to raise.

I would agree that there are lots of threads on here where people see the tool as some kind of panacea. There are lots of threads along the lines of what's the best fitness tracker or which HRM is best for ....., essentially lots of people buy into the marketing that these things are generically useful.

The tools have to be used in an informed way, they need to be used in a way that's appropriate for their design. The purpose of an HRM is to measure HR, not to measure calories. Most HRM threads are about how to use them to measure calories. Frequently that use is for exercise where an HRM is broadly meaningless.

Pedometers are just overgrown accelerometers with a radio in them, they will have inaccuracies. As an example I got about 1000 false positives last night when I was on my rowing machine. Similarly I'll get false positives when I'm cycling, although generally very few on the turbo trainer. I understand the false positives, and account for that in terms of what I'm doing with the data.

So we get to the question of whether 10k steps per day is useful. In its own right, it's a measure of background activity. It's better than 1000 steps per day. There is a point of diminishing returns. I see people talking about 20k or 30 k steps per day, is that worthwhile? It's activity, but in isolation it's of limited value. If 20k of those 30k have come from a 14 mile run then the value was in the run, not the 20k steps.

Is my pedometer uesful? It's of interest, the biggest value to me is that it prods me to move around. As a runner I do suffer adverse effects from protracted periods of sitting, which leads to a muscle imbalance in my legs. So prompting me to get up and move around is useful. I can get lost in work and not remember. Equally there are times that I can't move around. I have a 90 minute train journey twice a day, on Friday afternoon I have a 4 hour board meeting. In both those cases the pedomoeter isn't telling me anything useful, but if I'm sitting at my desk it is useful.

I would also observe that tracking history is useful as that provides insights. Tuesdays are my least active day of the week, for example. So I'm now grappling with how to improve that. They're least active for a very good reason, so they may remain that way, but it's a useful prod. Similarly I get my best quality sleep on a Friday night. Considering in conjunction with other data is where it becomes valuable.

Context is important. 10K steps in isolation are of limited general fitness value, but they have a place.

koinflipper wrote: »

Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »

koinflipper wrote: »

gia07 wrote: »

OP's doctor thinks we are all delusional. As she pointed out that he/she told her that many people are under the illusion they are getting physically fit based solely on steps and weight loss. Who in the world said that?

I would like to know under what context the actual discussion of 10k steps came up in a doctors office visit and are all doctors now supposed to be advising their patients to go out and buy a fitness tracker? Or just give suggestions on basic health benefits such as improving health by moving more.

/snip/

"I did not say my doctor said you "were all delusional". Go back and read original post. You are misreading what I wrote.

How did this come up with my doctor? I asked him if I should get one. (I really wanted one but couldn't find one that had numbers large enough I could read without constantly putting on and yanking off reading glasses during workout.)

Most of my original post are the things he brought up. That is why I became a disbeliever at least for developing physical fitness with step-counting.

But I see many of those protesting the most are using step counters in combination with dieting to lose weight. This makes a lot of sense to me for that purpose. Losing weight is great way to improve health (not same thing as improving physical fitness.)

I do not agree that computers and smartphones are a FAD (like saying the automobile or air travel is a fad.) They have totally changed how we live our lives. No longer tied to landlines at home or office, we can communicate with ease anytime and from most any place. Computers have opened a world of information and knowledge in unprecedented access and speed. And provided social contact for many people who would otherwise be isolated.

There are still work situations where an employee would be written up by their boss for leaving desk briefly every 45 minutes. 911 operators, for example. I am sure there are many others.

I have yet to find exactly what I need but am making do with HR chest strap and Endomondo app during workouts. Endomondo gives me audio information about progress during workouts so I don't need to read anything.

Cannot justify buying a $120+ device when I cannot read the small numbers on the display. Or a $400 wrist device for runners to get large numbers when I cannot run.

But I did splurge last night on a Xioamo Mi activity band for $20 from Amazon. It won't give me any real time data but useful data at the end of the day to help me with weight loss. But won't take the place of cardio exercise.

Your OP does not convey any of this, nor does it attribute it to your doctor. But whatever.

But yeah, you're 62 according to your profile. Are you "fit"? Will an activity monitor and 10,000 steps improve things? Probably.

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.

The "illusion" my doctor spoke about is very apparent on this forum. There wouldn't be so much defensive and angry posts if you all understood that.

See how I juxtaposed my two sentences. Now read them again as written.

i think anything that helps people who are otherwise very sedentary get up and move is a good thing. condescending 'professionals' are the reason why so many people get discouraged and give up. watch your attitude.

do i think it should (steps in general) be counted as purposeful exercise. no, unless it IS purposeful exercise. but it can be a good indication of how much, or little, you move on average.

i have the fitbit charge hr. i dont worry about steps, or do challenges, or really pay much attention to it at all. but HAS made me more mindful of my overall activity level. i do 45-60 minutes of cardio 5-6 days week in the gym, and jog daily, when the weather cooperates. because i work at home (and a very small home at that), i dont get much movement in if i DONT do those things.

i lost 80 pounds before i got the fitbit. right now im using it to (roughly) calculate exercise calories instead of mfp to see if it makes a difference. since i dont eat back many exercise cals anyways (i primarily go by tdee), i doubt it will, but the numbers may be interesting.

koinflipper wrote: »

My physiology classes in graduate school taught me that to contribute towards fitness, there must be sustained physical activity for at least 30 minutes at cardio training level.

You're confusing a general idea of fitness with a more specific and higher standard of cardiovascular fitness. It doesn't take a physiology class to understand that moving more is better. And for people not moving much at all, moving 10k steps is much better than 2k steps.

I've had a Fitbit of one type or another for 2 years now. It's been incredibly helpful for me to see how little I actually move. I'm a grad student who spends a lot of time sitting in class, in meetings, working on my thesis, etc. Most of the time the only walking I do in a day is to/from my car & around campus, but even then I'll often take the shuttle so I'm not sweaty & gross in my next meeting. Most days I don't even reach 5,000 steps, and because of that my calorie intake for the day is decreased substantially, when before I would just eat 1500 calories everyday whether I walked 10,000 steps or 100 steps. It might seem inconsequential, but I've found it to be very accurate and have lost 1lb a week consistently when eating the calories my Fitbit (through MFP) gives or takes from me.

In short, I'm not using it for fitness, obviously. I'm using it to help keep myself honest so I can track calories-in & calories-out for weight loss.

OP,

If you don't think FitBits or any other step counter are beneficial to people, then who cares? You workout the way you want to workout.. and we will workout the way we want to workout. Sounds like whatever you're doing without a step counter is working for ya. Everyone is different. Everyone in the fitness industry has different opinions. If you don't like step counters, then okay. I happen to LOVE my fitbit, but that has zero affect on you. Just like you not like a step counter has zero affect on me.

The problem with this world is that too many people get caught up in other people's business. Everyone is allowed to have a difference of opinions. People's personal preferences have zero affect on other.. that's why it's a PERSONAL preference.

"Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine found the use of a pedometer leads to great increases in physical activity and weight loss and helps lower blood pressure. Although two-thirds of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, according to the CDC, only 45 percent of Americans get enough physical activity. However, with the use of smart pedometers, they were shown to increase physical activity by just over 2,000 steps, or about one mile of walking per day." https://www.humana.com/learning-center/health-and-wellbeing/healthy-living/walking-for-health

Wheelhouse15 wrote: »

Cherimoose wrote: »

koinflipper wrote: »

I am a big disbeliever in the idea that counting steps taken under any circumstances during the day are actually has any meaning to becoming physically fit. My physiology classes in graduate school taught me that to contribute towards fitness, there must be sustained physical activity for at least 30 minutes at cardio training level.

As you might have learned in your physiology classes, the lymphatic system is stimulated by movement, but since the effects only last a few minutes, frequent movement is essential for proper health. That's where 10,000 steps scattered throughout the day trumps 30 minutes of cardio. "Cardio" is a recent invention intended to counteract the sedentary lifestyle of the industrial age. Prior to that, people kept in shape mostly by doing low-intensity activities like walking.

Actually, they would keep in shape mostly by doing physical labour, both at work and at home, and participating in sports depending on age and circumstances. Prior to the 80's people tended to get their exercise in sports like tennis, running, hockey, football etc and not necessarily in an organized league or club. People didn't watch much TV until the 80's so they actually did activities to occupy their time otherwise and now they tend to sit around a lot more.

I think you're right on the money with this post...and I blame Full House and the Cosby show....before that, no one binge watched tv....

Wheelhouse15 wrote: »

Cherimoose wrote: »

Actually, they would keep in shape mostly by doing physical labour, both at work and at home, and participating in sports depending on age and circumstances. Prior to the 80's people tended to get their exercise in sports like tennis, running, hockey, football etc and not necessarily in an organized league or club. People didn't watch much TV until the 80's so they actually did activities to occupy their time otherwise and now they tend to sit around a lot more.

I think mostly people kept in better shape by eating appropriate amounts of food before the "low fat" fad came about. Women in particular stayed in better shape even without sports and physical labour.

It does help someone to be accountable. I know prior to my Fitbit I would veg out most days. My steps were as low as 2-3k. Now if I am sitting around I have that little band on my wrist holding me accountable. If I haven't met my goal I know I have to get off the couch and go for a walk or do something active. To each their own

So what I'm taking from this 7 pages is that no one who has responded appears to be under the delusion that counting steps has made them epically fit, but the OP is alleging that the responses bear out her doctors inference that people are deluded by their step counters, rather than admitting her OP was condescending and ill informed.

Miss anything?

Alatariel75 wrote: »

So what I'm taking from this 7 pages is that no one who has responded appears to be under the delusion that counting steps has made them epically fit, but the OP is alleging that the responses bear out her doctors inference that people are deluded by their step counters, rather than admitting her OP was condescending and ill informed.

Miss anything?

No! I think you have summed it up pretty well. For that matter, unlike the OP's claim that people are being defensive, I have not seen that either.

Alatariel75 wrote: »

So what I'm taking from this 7 pages is that no one who has responded appears to be under the delusion that counting steps has made them epically fit

Not epically fit, but epically more fit than before.

Alatariel75 wrote: »

So what I'm taking from this 7 pages is that no one who has responded appears to be under the delusion that counting steps has made them epically fit, but the OP is alleging that the responses bear out her doctors inference that people are deluded by their step counters, rather than admitting her OP was condescending and ill informed.

Miss anything?

I've seen instances that would compare fairly well to the OP's first post, and I really don't think it's all that rare. IMO step counting without differentiating when a persons HR is up to at least a low level of cardio workout is great for NEAT and really not much else. For people that really haven't worked out at all, sure it can be a great basic activity gauge. But to imply fitness from steps alone, spread through a day, and without any other measure, essentially just means the person has moved from couch potato mode. That in itself is a great thing for those it applies to, but really in terms of fitness it's only an indication that they don't have total disregard for it.

Now for users that set goals higher, and either use devices that track the actual exercise type activity or can somehow detect it, they might be making some progress on fitness. I think many of the newer devices are capable, depending on software interface. With GPS, speed of cadence, or HR monitoring, a tracker could easily set similar goals as steps, but encourage users to hit a certain speed or HR during exercise time. It seems that quite a few users like the electronic reminders, so it might work. If people use a higher goal and incorporate cardio type stuff themselves, sure a benefit exists. But the benefit of steps alone gives no power measure to speak of, nor a time length measure.

I think they could also readily incorporate some type of self testing methods similar to the way the higher end devices do, to show trends in improvement. But over time as all of them get more complex, the lower end will probably have more features.