10,000 steps a day is HARD

[PLS]

I don't have a desk job so getting my steps in is easier. I work in physical therapy and have to walk with patients and I do a lot of walking to and from. I always park at the back of the parking lot anytime I go to the store, this is a point of contention for DH and myself. He works at home and quit wearing his pedometer because some days he didn't even get 2,000 steps! But he always takes the entrance closest to the store and parks in the first parking space! During the fall and spring I can usually get 22,000 including my workout as long as the weather is nice. At work I always take the stairs up, but it would not be good to make my geriatric patients come down 4 flights of stairs. The weekends I am lucky to get 7,000. I have an Omron pedometer so no free steps!

[toaster]

Wow, PLS, 22,000--that is amazing! And you are right, the Omron definitely doesn't give away any freebies.

On the Every Step Counts Checkin (please join us there!), I mentioned that I no longer get upset about not being able to find a parking spot close--just means more steps! I do have an sedentary job though, so like PLS's hubby, it can be frustrating when some days I barely reach a 2k minimum. However, my goal for wearing the pedometer was simply being more conscious of being active during non-workout times, and I definitely think I've acheived that.

[donnadc]

The only time I ever got in 10000 steps was at Disneyland

I read recently that a good general goal is to try to get in 3000 steps in 30 minutes.
A 30 minute session on my rebounder is about that and a 2 mile Leslie workout is about that much.

[Dobby]

Originally Posted by sheepla

I have worn a pedometer for the last six weeks now and can't believe how hard it is to get in 10,000 steps a day! I exercise a lot, especially hiking, and with a 60-90 minute hike, I average about 9000 steps a day. On days I don't exercise, I average 2500-3000 steps a day. I have a desk job and no kids, so I do a lot less running around during the day than others might. It's funny, I consider myself fairly active but even with my activity, the 10,000 steps a day eludes me!

Terrain makes such a difference, I wouldnt think *regular* steps would be anywhere equal to *hiking* steps. Seems like you should get time and a half or something for your hiking, unless you are on pretty level ground!

Pam

[toaster]

I would think the Omron would make 10k difficult even at Disneyworld--all those stops and starts!

[Laura S.]

Yesterday, I really tried to get 10,000. I ended up with 9544. It was close enough to be pleased, but reinforced that it IS hard to get 10,000!

[toaster]

Great job, Laura!

[SharonNYC]

I get an easy 10,000 a day, but I live in New York City -- and most of this city really does live on its feet. Even when I had a desk job, I registered at least 10,000 when I wore a pedometer (of course the building I worked in is 2 blocks long, with marble staircases). We're in Buenos Aires for July/August and I get over 10,000 here too but it's an urban area much like NYC. Relying on foot travel and public transportation makes a big difference I think.

The car/desk job combo can really restrict physical activity.

[CarlaShanti]

I have no trouble getting in 10,000 steps and I rely on foot travel, as SharonNYC does. But the main thing that helps me is encroaching senility. Here are some examples:

Walk half way to work. Realise you forgot your lunch (or watch, or purse, or the DVD you borrowed the night before...), turn around and go get it.

Make several trips where one would usually do. For example when I get to work, I take my lunch upstairs, go back down, take my coat upstairs, go back down, then go back up to use the loo. You could also do this when photocopying something. Take one page at a time to the machine.

Get up and go to someone's desk, forget what you were going to say, return to your desk. Remember and go back to tell them.

Walk to the grocery store after work. When you're there, don't be efficient about it. Get the bread, go all the way across the store and get some apples, return to the bread aisle to get some tortillas, etc. Criss-cross that thing several times! Heck you could even arrange your shopping list to make sure you are trotting back and forth a lot. Use a stream-of-consciousness listing technique. Then leave the list on the kitchen counter. If you're lucky, you'll forget something essential and have to walk all the way back to the shops to get it. (Like when you get home only to find you're on the last roll of toilet paper).

My favourite: at night while watching TV, keep getting up to go look forlornly into the refrigerator hoping that a chocolate cake has magically appeared there. Repeat as needed to complete the day's step quota.

[Debbie S.]

Originally Posted by CarlaShanti

I have no trouble getting in 10,000 steps and I rely on foot travel, as SharonNYC does. But the main thing that helps me is encroaching senility. Here are some examples:

Walk half way to work. Realise you forgot your lunch (or watch, or purse, or the DVD you borrowed the night before...), turn around and go get it.

Make several trips where one would usually do. For example when I get to work, I take my lunch upstairs, go back down, take my coat upstairs, go back down, then go back up to use the loo. You could also do this when photocopying something. Take one page at a time to the machine.

Get up and go to someone's desk, forget what you were going to say, return to your desk. Remember and go back to tell them.

Walk to the grocery store after work. When you're there, don't be efficient about it. Get the bread, go all the way across the store and get some apples, return to the bread aisle to get some tortillas, etc. Criss-cross that thing several times! Heck you could even arrange your shopping list to make sure you are trotting back and forth a lot. Use a stream-of-consciousness listing technique. Then leave the list on the kitchen counter. If you're lucky, you'll forget something essential and have to walk all the way back to the shops to get it. (Like when you get home only to find you're on the last roll of toilet paper).

My favourite: at night while watching TV, keep getting up to go look forlornly into the refrigerator hoping that a chocolate cake has magically appeared there. Repeat as needed to complete the day's step quota.

Okay, this definitely cracked me up! So much of what I read is so true for me, too. That darn senility thing is a pain in the rear.

Even though I don't look in the fridge repeatedly hoping that a chocolate cake will magically appear, I'll look in the pantry numerous for an item that I need to complete a meal hoping that it will magically appear.

The weather dictates how many steps I get in a day. When the weather is nice, I spend most of my time outdoors working in the yard. My daily step count is so much higher when I'm more active outdoors. When I'm stuck indoors it is definitely much harder to reach even 10,0000.