To ask you how the hell I'm meant to walk 10,000 steps a day?

[Nombrechanger]

I am a very overweight (14 stone 6 Ibs) mother of two young boys.
I have lost just over a stone in weight but need to start exercising more as well as eating better.

I've just taken he kids out for the last 3.5 hours and walking around the entire time. I am home now and we are all tired.

I have walked around 7,000 steps - and can't physically walk the other 3,000 steps between now and bedtime.

AIBU to ask you healthy specimens how the buggering hell you do it?

[lolaflores]

Not on the first go round nombre. though just thought of a bit of a cheat.
do the wee wee dance for about half an hour.
jigging on the spot with knees crossed. should wrack up about another 1 or 2

[EstherRancid]

is your pedometer one that clips onto your belt? a 'step' is quite hard to register

more walking, not just moving about, will clock it up

run up and down the stairs a few times more than you have you, and instead of stretching, walk over to what you want

it can be done

[diddl]

Walk everywhere!

It´s about 5miles, isn´t it-so quite a way?

Get a dog?

I walk about 4kms a day with the dog.

But that´s about it.

If I shop or go out anywhere it´s usually by bike.

[Nombrechanger]

I keep mine in my pocket, Esther.

[coffeeinbed]

Are you wearing the pedometer round the house?
It adds up as well.
I have no idea how many steps I do, but on a busy day I can be out walking three or four or more hours a day.

[ratbagcatbag]

One night a bottle of wine and crappy reminiscent music channel got me dancing alone in the living room, I clocked up 18k of steps - obviously getting wasted every night probably won't help though.

Walk to the shop, walk onth spot whilst watching tv, :)

[EstherRancid]

clip it as close to your hips as possible, if it's in your pocket it won't pick up everything you do

[5madthings]

Where it all day and it adds up. My school walk is half hour each way, so two hours of walking a day and i go running jogging/walkinh three times a week.

[ClayDavis]

If you're not used to walking that distance or being on your feet all day, then you will get tired initially. The more active you become, the more stamina you will build up. Have you been wearing the pedometer all day or just for the 3hrs you were out. Things like doing the housework or shopping will also count.

Try and find simple ways to build more exercise into your day. For example, if you normally drive somewhere think about whether you really need to drive or whether it's actually in walking distance or take the stairs instead of lift.

[MusicalEndorphins]

Your body will get used to the walking and if you keep it up, you won't even be tired after your 5 mile walk by the summertime.
Good idea about the pedometer btw, maybe it will motivate me if I get one.

[Nombrechanger]

I have only been wearing it out but don't imagine I would be racking up much indoors.

I don't have the time to walk for 5 hours a day, or is the idea to run the steps?

[zoflora]

I have never had a pedometer but if 10,000 steps is really 5 miles then I'd say it is fuck all. I am a non driver and the round trip for school run is 1.5-2 miles every day. Unless the weather is foul I then walk to work and back 1 mile each way - so that is 3.5- 4 miles without noticing. The I do a job which involves being on my feet a lot.
I am not a healthy specimen at all and I am not nearly as fit as I used to be. I guess I am totally accustomed to walking as I have never relied on a car and never done other than walk miles every day.I realise that is not very helpful - just saying it can be done. I guess I'd echo what others say - build in up and if you use a car ditch it as much as possible.

[MurderOfProse]

Sounds like it's not picking up steps. 7000 steps in 3.5 hours suggests a speed of under a mile an hour. Most people, even dithering children or an amble around the supermarket, should do more than that.

Try clipping it to your bra?

The school run is good for building up steps, especially with diversions.

Love my Fitbit - the stats online make it very motivational!

[KobayashiMaru]

its not hard. Just walk instead of driving, take stairs instead of elevators, bring kids out to play or park. Just get on with daily life.

[NoelHeadbands]

Wear it from as soon as you get up, until you go to bed at night.

Honestly, I work a desk job and can manage to get 15,000 easily (admittedly with lunchtime and early evening walks).

[specialsubject]

you're tired - means you are pushing yourself. Good! You are carrying a lot of weight so you get more tired, but the more you move, the fitter you get. And you'll use up the weight with healthy eating.

build it up, you'll get there. Good luck! Eating properly and moving more is the only way that works. It's not quick and it doesn't make anyone any money. :-)

[GoingGoingGoth]

Wear it all the time, you'll be amazed how the steps add up during the day.

Also check it occasionally, my first pedometer was a bit dodgy, and would sometime stop counting. I'd walk into town and back and it would say 70 steps!

[zoflora]

Just a thought - is there any possibility of you getting out for a walk without the kids? You may have been "walking around" for 3.5 hours - but if you had been walking with purpose at an adult's pace you should have actually exceeded your quota in that time.
I know a proper wakl is not always easy when your kids are young...

[thezebrawearspurple]

Clip it onto your hip and go for a brisk walk, are your kids young enough for a buggy? I get 10000 steps in about an hour of walking, then just carry on with my day.

[erowid]

I used to work in a busy pub and I wanted to find out how far I was walking in a normal 12 hour shift so I borrowed a friend's pedometer and I'd clocked up 22,000 steps

Probably nowhere near that figure now since I left that job, but it would be interesting to see how much it has dropped.

[MrsSnow]

The only times I've managed the 10,000 steps is when I've been on my feet the whole day hence friends who work in hospitals or jobs in their feet regularly hit the 10,000.

[ouryve]

I can notch up 3000 steps without even leaving the house. You'll probably have done your 10K by bedtime.

[BoringSchoolChoiceNickname]

Wear it all day and make sure it's clipped somewhere where it really is picking up every step, then keep going further each week. If your DCs are young and dawdly then it can be a problem to get value out of a walk, a mate of mine put on half a stone in six months once her DS stopped using his pushchair because she was walking half her normal distancd at a quarter of her normal speed.

But whatever the machine says, if you're properly physically knackered at the end of the day then that's a good sign - you'll only get fitter by pushing yourself to the edge of your limits.

[Latara]

At work i'm on my feet walking round a ward for at least 7 hours a day, also i have restless legs so tend to walk round the house too. I would be interested to know how many steps i walk.

Good luck with the weight loss; 7000 steps is a good start x