10,000 steps a day seems impossible??

[Walkwalkinthelight]

Just started a 'healthy living ' programme (weight loss, well being, fitness etc).
One of the goals is 1000 steps a day??

I work from home, mad busy and sit at desk all day then gym at night. I've only done 1300 steps by teatime.

How the hell does anyone with a desk job do 10000 steps a day!!

My teenager walks to school and back and round a massive school all day and he only does 7500!!

Whilst you boil a kettle, step in the kitchen, little things like that all add up. Watch TV in the evening.... Get up and step through the adverts...

Exactly @Jules912

I have a desk job, and it can be a struggle if you dont make a concerted effort. That saud, I went fir a 6 Mile walk yesterday and ended up doing over 20k over the day. Today I've been hon with the dc and have gone just over 7.

I manage 1500 before I leave the house though, getting myself abd 2 primary dc ready.

I have a desk job, I drive to work and I have young kids so not much free time. That said, I average 15k steps a day in my down time; 20k plus when I'm in marathon training.

An average work day would involve a run before work, before everyone else is up. If it's 6 miles or more then that's 10k steps before the day has really started. I always walk whenever I can at work - ie walking meetings with colleagues who also want to keep moving. And that's it for through the week.

But at a weekend I up my average with a long run (often 30k plus steps) and long walks with the kids. Sometimes jogging if they're on their bikes. It just all adds up over the week. I never consciously count my steps or aim to get them up, but because I'm active I get a lot in.

I also never drive where I can walk - I know friends who will drive half a mile to buy milk, which seems nuts.

It’s hard when WFH.

Easy on an office day, walking between home / station / office at each end (10 mins each so 40 mins just commuting) combined with walking around the office is 10k for me. Easily more if go out for lunch!

WFH have to make effort to go on one or more walks which is why I don’t like WFH in the winter, forcing myself to go out to walk nowhere when it’s dark doesn’t work for me!

Always had walking as part of office job though so doesn’t make any difference to my shape or fitness.

Also, you must be adding some steps at tge gym?

I know it's an obvious point but you get them in quicker if you run! A 45 minute run before work = job done ✅

Not possible for me. I'm a slow walker so I'm looking at 2hrs+. I just can't fit that in, even in chunks.

I also hate "going for a walk". I'm fine walking to do something or go somewhere but just walking for the sake of it, nope. Mind numbing and not in a good way.

I went from 70kg to 63kg once just walking every day for 6 months. I was doing 15-18k steps a day though. And actually I think that the 90 minutes in the evening I was out of the house walking and not snacking had more to do with weightloss than the exercise iyswim.

I WFH too OP and getting enough movement can be a challenge.
Remember that the goal (if you're below 60) is 8000-10,000 to gain health benefits, and that is based on a brisk walk. If you're moving faster or doing more vigorous exercise, you can get away with fewer steps. I try to run 5K three times per week and walk the dog a few times. Brushing down the yard for an hour gives me more steps than running 5k.

I work a job in retail where I’m on my feet all day long and my steps range from 6000. To 15000. I was just saying to a girl in work recently that 10000 is a lot for the average person who hasn’t a physical job. Dh just hit 105000 from roughly seven an a half k walking today

Even for working from home 1300 is very low by tea time.

I'm desk based and drive to work and even with a few short walks to other areas/loo breaks/a check on staff I should be on 4000 by lunchtime.

I'd I'm on less I actively make sure I get some extra steps in and then try to get out for a walk once home or I stop on the way home and get a 15 minute walk in before nursery pick up.

In answer to your second question. Yes, you will benefit immeasurably from at least doubling your steps. Sitting is generally very poor for us, we should be moving....most of us get nowhere near enough movement/steps....and that doesn't mean hard-core exercise just making sure our body is moving.

Kitchen closed on 550 - have made my breakfast for tomorrow too 😂
How has everyone else got on ?

I used to barely walk any, but now I average around 12/13000 every day.
I walk my DD to school every day (3000) and two days a week I pick her up too (so 6000 each of those days)
The way I've upped it though is to totally change my mindset. I now walk to the shop if I can. Walk to the gym. Once you get into the habit of it, it becomes more natural to go for a walk in the morning/evening to get them up.
I am desk based in the office and sometimes walk in my lunch break if I've not got many steps in that day.
What do you do at the gym? On days I have a cardio class my steps can be massive (although I do think I'm double counting if I count the steps as well as the class as exercise, as technically they're the same thing!)

If you don't want to go out get a treadmill and watch tv :) I don't do 10,000 steps a day but I do 30 minutes of cardio minimum and some strength exercise like Pilates.

I do about 14,000 a day on weekdays, which is walking to school with my 5 year old, walking back home if WFH or walking & public transport to the office, then the same in reverse at the end of the day. Maybe a walk to the shop at lunchtime but not often.

In lockdown I started doing a pointless walk at the beginning and end of the working day as a “commute” as I needed it to help get my head out of home and into work and vice versa, I’d definitely recommend it as good for both your physical and mental health.

10000 steps is about 3.5 miles. When I was working walking to and from park and ride about 1.5 miles out of tow. Used to do it. If you wfh I would try and squeeze in 2 walks a day before and after work or go for a walk lunchtime.

I always get them if I do both school drop off and pick up, otherwise I would have to plan them in (but if I have the time to do that then I’m better off doing some actual exercise — I think 20 minutes weights is better than 20 minutes walk).

What do you do in the evenings and at the weekends?

What are you doing at the gym? If you're doing 30 mins on a static bike that obviously won't count as steps but it's a good cardio workout so it balances out.

I have a desk job. I'm on 2903 steps today, and that includes a little stop off at Tesco while getting my click and collect groceries.
I am going to circuits in an hour and depending on how many stations have a cardio bit I might get up to about 7000.

Pottering around the house will likely get it to 8500 so I'll prob go for a little walk later. I actually really enjoy a walk around the fields in the dark with an audio book.

I don't need to set myself 10,000 steps because I do a lot of sport - so might go for a bike ride (no steps) or a swim (no steps), which is obviously good for my physical health. But, I entered a 10,000 step challenge so now I have to do it!

It's nigh on impossible if you are in an office job. Plus not all step counters are accurate.

If it makes you feel better there is bugger all evidence to support 10k steps. That figure came from advertising for one of the early step counters.

However, around 4000 active steps does have good evidence compared with 2000 steps a day.

Do what you can and celebrate every active step.

It’s really not that far op! How do you get to the shops? Walk before work, walk at lunch? That’s it

1000 steps is about 10 mins walking for me. Can you do running on the spot or star jumps or something while waiting for the kettle to boil?

I measured my stride length, and then checked several walks against Strava to make sure that the step count correlates to distance covered.

Wow. I feel very inadequate now! :(

I swim 3x a week and gym 3x a week doing weights. Also cycle at weekends but don't walk.

Right I best try and find a love for walking zzzzz

I always struggle as well especially now I wfh. It’s easier to fit steps in when it’s part of your day eg school run, commute than having to make time to walk around aimlessly just to rack them up! I used to do 4000 just walking to the office and back from the station but no longer.