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Original poster

Do you do 10,000 steps a day?

239 replies

Fantina · 04/02/2023 17:52

As the thread says. I’ve been trying to do this and I have massively upped my activity levels this year but I’m finding it so hard to find the time to do this many walks.

I am a single parent who works full time in a sedentary job but even by making all the changes I can, such as going for a walk during their extracurricular activities instead of watching them, I’m not often hitting 10,000 steps.

do you manage it? If so, how?!

OP posts:
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6
TheOrigRights · 04/02/2023 23:10

Not every day, no. But it's daft for me.
I've been on a 10 mile bike ride. I've pushed a wheelchair up hill for hours 10 mins. I am on 9349 steps.

Tomorrow I am going for a 10 or 11 mile run so obv will do way over 10,000 steps. Monday I do circuits and always struggle to get my steps because I have a sedentary job and WFH. But it's ok - it's a rest day and I do plenty of exercise in a week.

But I am also stupid as I've entered a 10,000 daily challenge so now I HAVE to do them every day!

SkankingWombat · 04/02/2023 23:39

Mon-Fri I do 11-12k according to my watch. I walk the DCs to and from school (0.3 miles each way, so 1.2 miles in total for me), which adds nicely to the total. I have a skilled manual job, but in reality it doesn't add a huge amount of steps as although it often involves a lot of physical effort, it's effort that is pretty much 'on the spot'. My fitbit definitely counts movements such as sanding/planing by hand as steps, but these both require a similar amount of effort as walking, so I don't mind them being counted (it isn't just waving your arms around, it involves really putting your weight behind it and engaging core muscles etc). Quite a lot of the steps come from being on the go at home, plus I often have music on whilst I cook, so am dancing up my step count that way too.
At the weekends, it will drop to 6-8k unless we go for a walk or a now twice-annual rave . That is clocked up mostly at home plus a trip to the supermarket.
On top of the steps, I swim 3-4.5k a week which obviously doesn't get added in to my step total, but is definitely tougher than the steps in terms of exertion.

BiasedBinding · 05/02/2023 03:18

tinfoilk · 04/02/2023 22:55

Exercise. More than a brisk walk for a guide. More important than step numbers.

Show quote history

Oh right. That’s the up-to-date terminology I guess. These things come full circle

PlugUgly1980 · 05/02/2023 06:05

Over the last 12 months my average daily steps is just over 22,000. I work full time in a desk job, some days from home and some in the office. On my days at home I walk the kids to school and back which is a couple of miles, go for a walk on a lunch time regardless of home or office - aim for 3 miles but depends whether I have 30 mins or a hour for lunch, but also run every day. At weekends, I do loner runs and we have family walks. Other than when I'm working I barely sit down!

PuttingDownRoots · 05/02/2023 06:09

With a concentrated effort... yes.

I'm not sure its the pedometers/watches being inaccurate, its different people moving differently which gives high numbers. MIL and I have swapped fitbits before... she still constantly records double what I do for tasks like gardening and housework, and a third higher on walks. I often record no steps while cleaning when I've been up and down steps. She does. Maybe I'm just particularly smooth at walking.

Averaging 17000 a day this week with a proper walk each day.

Daisychainsandglitter · 05/02/2023 06:14

Yes but I as I have a desk based job I have to put the effort in. I walk whenever I can but do an hour's brisk walk on weekday mornings after dropping the kids off at breakfast club, another hour at lunchtime and just a quick 15 mins doing pick up from after school. I average between 16-19k a day. I am short though so 5 miles for me averages at around 12,500 steps.

Ricco12 · 05/02/2023 06:39

Honestly I have never thought about it but I wear a Garmin which has steps on it so I just looked my average for last year is just under 14,000 a day.

Do you do 10,000 steps a day?
Ricco12 · 05/02/2023 06:40

My most in one day last year was 65,373

I did run 50k that day though Wink

JMAngel1 · 05/02/2023 06:55

I only have my iphone counter and don't carry it all the time around the house, up and down at work etc so it doesn't include everything.
It usually registers around 6000 steps and I think I've had a busy day.
30 minute walk (fast) every day to and from car to work, whizzing around hospital all day, 2 school run drops where again we have to park the car around 10 min walk from school in a park and walk.
Supermarket maybe, whizzing around the house fetching, cleaning.
I do a weights workout everyday which also isn't included.

Think I need to get a proper pedometer that I attach to myse lf to capture full picture

I'm sur prised with people who hit 20,000 - on Sundays we go for a moderate pace 2 1/2 hour walk and that only clocks up around 9000 steps.

validusername2 · 05/02/2023 07:03

No probably half that.

Sedentary job.

howaboutchocolate · 05/02/2023 07:38

No I don't, but I only count steps where I'm actually walking. My phone is my pedometer and I don't have it on me in the house so anything I do indoors or in the garden isn't counted.

Some days I reach 10000 walking, but most days it's more like 5000 from walking the nursery/school run.

SapphosRock · 05/02/2023 07:46

Yes. Walk doing the school run (approx 2000) Walk to work another (2000) walk at lunch time (3000) school run again (2000) back home (2000).

Even if I don't have a walk at lunch time and just have a look around the shops I usually hit 10k.

SapphosRock · 05/02/2023 07:53

Typical week day. It definitely helps that work / school are within walking distance.

I'm not really one for exercising on purpose, just try and walk as much as possible.

Do you do 10,000 steps a day?
Rodentsrock · 05/02/2023 08:03

No, I do a job where I could up my steps. I manage about 5,500 ish, a day.
I should do more!

lanbro · 05/02/2023 08:03

Yes but I'm on my feet for 12 hours at work, I literally only sit down in the car when I leave. If I've not done a full shift at work I'll walk to the shops instead of driving. It's a rare day I don't hit 10000

Alwaysworryingoversomething · 05/02/2023 08:05

LindorDoubleChoc · 04/02/2023 17:56

Nowhere near. I wfh and detest "going out for a walk". I've lived in my house since 2004, "going out for a walk" holds 0 novelty for me.

Yes I have this problem too. It was better when we had a dog, but I never feel I want to walk around the village.

I wfh 2 days & 2 days in the office. On office days I do at least 10,000, on home days it's a couple of hundred!

Vermin · 05/02/2023 08:12

Well all this thread has shown is the surprising fact that those who have the luxury of endless time or do physical work are at a massive advantage over those who are desk jockeys. The faux surprise that people who sit down 10 hours: day to work don’t get more than 3k steps is annoying.

EarringsandLipstick · 05/02/2023 08:13

Vermin · 05/02/2023 08:12

Well all this thread has shown is the surprising fact that those who have the luxury of endless time or do physical work are at a massive advantage over those who are desk jockeys. The faux surprise that people who sit down 10 hours: day to work don’t get more than 3k steps is annoying.

You clearly haven't RTFT then!

Many of us have desk based jobs and still manage 10k steps, through a variety of means. No need to be passive about it!

Vermin · 05/02/2023 08:17

I have, and the majority of those doing significant steps are doing multiple school runs by foot - on m not sure how many people with office jobs are able to do that, on the basis of eg being at their desk by 9 and beyond 3. It’s obvious that the dog walkers will do more. It’s obvious that it’s much harder to achieve when you’re contractually obliged to be indoors at a desk for 8 hours/ day and probably put in a couple more than that. Not all offices have gyms in them or jobs have an hour for lunch.

Fleabigg · 05/02/2023 08:21

Yes l do, easily, but I don’t “go for a walk”, walking is my main mode of transport. School run, to and from the train to work, popping to the shops etc.

lljkk · 05/02/2023 08:24

I have a sedentary job & get > 10k on fitbit.
Look, if people want tips on how to have a sedentary job & get > 10k steps on a Fitbit, I'm happy to contribute.
If thread wants to descend into some kind of mudslinging at people who don't get 10k, then crack on. I don't care. You're adults & as long as you fulfill your obligations to people who rely on you then you can be as sedentary as you like.

Vermin · 05/02/2023 08:34

I frequently get less than 10k/ day when working but always get at least 45 minutes active time - many forms of exercise do not register steps but still provide excellent strength and cardio. Weights will register FA on the steps but someone doing consistent weight training is going to be doing better than someone ambling slowly around for 10k/ day. It’s not the sole measure of adequate exercise so really not one to beat people up over and those who are time poor may well be fitter doing half hour HIIT than trying to snatch 10k stephe in 10 minute increments through the day.

BiasedBinding · 05/02/2023 08:42

I don’t take any notice of the “if you don’t do 10k steps a day it’s a lifestyle choice” people - it’s unachievable for me even if I did bother to measure it and I don’t need tips that I know won’t work for me, and I have no interest in justifying why that is. I don’t measure “zone minutes” or anything like that either, that kind of monitoring doesn’t work for me. I just squeeze a bit of activity in when I can.

megletthesecond · 05/02/2023 08:47

I'm always most put out that a 5k run is only approx 6k steps. Feels like it should be more.

tinfoilk · 05/02/2023 08:48

Vermin · 05/02/2023 08:34

I frequently get less than 10k/ day when working but always get at least 45 minutes active time - many forms of exercise do not register steps but still provide excellent strength and cardio. Weights will register FA on the steps but someone doing consistent weight training is going to be doing better than someone ambling slowly around for 10k/ day. It’s not the sole measure of adequate exercise so really not one to beat people up over and those who are time poor may well be fitter doing half hour HIIT than trying to snatch 10k stephe in 10 minute increments through the day.

This is what I was saying. The daily exercise which gives fa in terms of steps, is far more important for health. I couldn't give a fig about counting steps. I worry that's been overlooked by some.

Exercise, for smartwatch purposes, is more than a brisk walk- weights, running, workout etc