Actually trying for 10,000 steps

ChelzFit
ChelzFit Posts: 292 Member
edited November 18 in Fitness and Exercise
Just curious to see how many of you out there have to actually work to hit your 10,000 steps or more. I have always considered myself active (mom of 2 toddlers, stay at home). By the end of the day I am always exhausted from laundry, cleaning, and cooking. Recently I started tracking my steps outside of exercise and was surprised I only hit around 7,000. If I include my exercise I am well over 10,000. If I want to hit 10,000 a day without my exercise included I really have to try, which means parking farther from the grocery store, running around with the kids more, walking to the park, etc. This is a good thing, but I am just surprised at home much I have to work at getting 10,000 when I assumed it was so easy being a stay at home mom.

Replies

  • alice_schmalice
    alice_schmalice Posts: 283 Member
    I sit all day at work so I have to walk Intentionally before I go to work, at lunch and after work to get 10k.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    When I go into my office to work I can pretty easily get 10,000 steps with that and a dog walk. If I work from home it takes a heck of a lot more effort to get to 10,000. It's almost 2:00 and I barely have over 1,000 steps today because I am at home.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    10,000 steps is just a rather arbitrary guideline to get you to move more...it doesn't actually have to be 10,000 steps. I don't worry about getting in steps...I make time for deliberate exercise and ride about 60 miles per week at the moment and lift 2-3x per week. I've never tracked steps.

    There's nothing scientific about 10,000 steps...it comes from a 1960s marketing for a pedometer in Japan called manpo-kei which translates to 10,000 steps.

    The idea is just to move more. There's no way I would have time to work, get crap done at the house, get kids homework help, do my exercise, and try to get in 10,000 steps (about 5 miles) everyday...just not realistic for me.
  • TheCupcakeCounter
    TheCupcakeCounter Posts: 606 Member
    Desk job so it is a battle to get them in. I always park in the farthest lot and I work on the second floor and the ice and water are on the first (the combo of that also helps me drink more water because I chug the water when my Fitbit tells me to go get the steps so I can walk downstairs). Weekends I usually don't have a problem
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    A normal day for me is 6000 steps.

    On top of that I work out 5 x a week
  • gamerbabe14
    gamerbabe14 Posts: 876 Member
    Yes, I intentionally try to get 10k+ steps every day. I honestly look forward to my long walks.
  • NewMeSM75
    NewMeSM75 Posts: 971 Member
    I also work at a desk. For me to hit a 10k step goal, I have to walk at lunch.
  • manderson27
    manderson27 Posts: 3,510 Member
    I have arthritis so struggle to make 10k but I do hit it sometimes. I am trying to walk more to keep flexible.
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
    edited April 2017
    I have an office job and i have to work hard to get my 10K. it takes me about 10 minutes to do 1K, so that means i have to walk over an hour and a half total to get that much. When i sit all day at work its hard and that means i have to take 15 minute walks as often as i can, and then walk again when i get home.
  • BlueSkyShoal
    BlueSkyShoal Posts: 325 Member
    I think I'm going to hit it today; I'm at 8,228 right now. :) I walk down the stairs and then back up at lunch (50 flights), which is where a lot of it comes from.
  • xLyric
    xLyric Posts: 840 Member
    I sit at work, so I take a walk every day to hit my goal. Yes, 10k is arbitrary, but it's a good goal for me since it means I get to eat a decent amount without working super hard for it. If I don't take a morning walk, I use my breaks and then walk after work. My morning walk is usually ~1.5 hours for 8k steps, and the rest I get at work. It's a lot at once, but I'd rather get it over with and be lazy the rest of the day.
  • ocrXfitter
    ocrXfitter Posts: 123 Member
    Steph38878 wrote: »
    I also work at a desk. For me to hit a 10k step goal, I have to walk at lunch.

    Yup, I walk at lunch every day with a 12k step goal. I lift, run, and do Crossfit, but sometimes it's still a struggle to hit. I did a 7mi run yesterday in addition to a bunch of walking and managed 24k, though.
  • janjunie
    janjunie Posts: 1,200 Member
    I'm a sahm mom too, I have one toddler with me all day, and two in school. In the winter there were days we didn't leave the house and I got only 3000 steps, so 7000 seems pretty good to me. As the weather has gotten better we walk to most errands. Grocery shopping, is about 5000 steps, coffee shop 4000 steps, walk to and around the park 3000 steps etc. As you walk more and more you'll gain energy, so it might be tiring now, but soon it'll be no big deal and you'll be going for 20 000 steps...or another goal.
  • Sweet_Heresy
    Sweet_Heresy Posts: 411 Member
    I have an active job so I hit 10k by the end of the workday lol. I usually end up with 15-20k depending on the day.
  • krushal8880
    krushal8880 Posts: 80 Member
    Desk job for me. I walk my dog in the morning and afternoon. I do most of my walking at lunch. By the end of the day, I try to have 12k but it's hard. I enjoy walking and I will be running soon to lose more weight.
  • upoffthemat
    upoffthemat Posts: 679 Member
    I include my exercise in 10k, but on exercise days I want to see more than 10k. I have a desk job too and long days. If the weather isn't good 10k is a tough goal to hit. This weekend was great, sunshine and cool, got out and hit it easy and was actually surprised how good I felt after a really confining winter.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    I actually try to get enough exercise, but steps isn't part of that for me.
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    I average 15000 steps a day but I make a conscious effort to be active.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    10k is the minimum for me. I aim for 15k. Really easy for me though except on super busy week end days when I have to cook or we're meeting friends.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,486 Member
    I don't count steps. My movements are varied and can sometimes have me close to stationary, but the rest of my body is working, so a step count would be useless.
    I did the Vancouver sun run 10k,walking, yesterday and my iphone had it at 1200~ steps. MFP gave me an extra 132 cals for a total of 19600 steps for the day. (Had to look that up as I don't Count any more) it fascinates me that people get lots of cals for steps.

    Cheers, h.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,630 Member
    ChelzFit wrote: »
    Just curious to see how many of you out there have to actually work to hit your 10,000 steps or more.

    Last October, my organisation had a fitness contest thingy where those who signed up were issued pedometers and we logged steps.

    One of the reasons I signed up was to see how many steps I was getting because I've never tracked steps. I figured that I was likely getting between 5000 and maybe 7000 steps because a lot of my exercise isn't walking ... I cycle, climb stairs, etc.

    To my surprise, I easily hit 10,000 steps every day, and ended up with an average of 15,000 steps/day.

    Turns out walking as part of my commute, walking at lunch, and walking after work ... as well as climbing stairs and walking around the office all add up! :)

  • SCoil123
    SCoil123 Posts: 2,111 Member
    I have a desk job and an hour commute each way so getting my steps takes real effort. Even with daily workouts I average 8-10k. Today I walked the dog after work and did Insanity Max 30 at home...I'm at 8263
  • FitOldMomma
    FitOldMomma Posts: 790 Member
    I strive for 100,000 steps per week. That averages out to 14,000 per day. Some weeks I've missed the mark, others I surpass my goal. Today, I'm just over 10,000....it was raining all damned day!
    I have my fitbit alarm set to nudge me if I've not moved in each hour, so I'll get up from my computer and jog in place for 10 minutes, lol!
  • lydiarut1
    lydiarut1 Posts: 1 Member
    Hoe do I log steps to my fitness pal exercise program
  • Golbat
    Golbat Posts: 276 Member
    I have to walk around the block like 7 or 8 times to reach it. Some days I have time for that, some days not so much. I'm also a mom of 2, but mine or older.
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