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!!

Just do as many as you can and do proper walks on Weekends

It is hard and takes effort. I would need to walk non-stop for 45 minutes to hit 10k. If you have a full time desk job, you would have to do this after work and let's face it, who has the motivation to do a 90 minute walk everyday after working for 8 hours.

Until a few months ago I was walking 10k everyday. If I hadn't hit it, I would walk around the house until I'd done it. But do you know what I found? It make me hungry with crazy cravings. So I ate more than I normally would.

I now go for a walk at lunch time, and sometimes a short walk after work, but I don't obsess about 10k. I'm less hungry and eat much more normally this way.

It definitely takes a lot of effort if you don't walk as part of your commute. I'm averaging between 8k-9k steps on the days I go to the office without much effort at all.

I do think the quality matters more than the quantity - a 30 minute brisk walk in exercise clothes is a lot better for me than lots of slower walking along train platforms or around the office.

You have a good activity level and the 10,000 was invented arbitrarily without any good evidence. It’s good for people who are otherwise inactive to have a goal but in your case I wouldn’t give it another thought.

It’s hard isn’t it! I don’t have a spare hour in my day to go for a walk either. Other people have advised me that being active is more important so I try and do a HIIT you tube video when the kids have gone to bed regularly

Get a walking pad!

Like a treadmill but designed to be used while working at a desk.

there was a thread last night about them on AIBU.

I’m seriously tempted by one.

www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4741329-to-think-that-desk-treadmills-are-a-dangerous-con?page=2&reply=123854527

It’s much easier if you walk as transport than artificially going for a walk. If you drive maybe challenge your thinking on whether you actually need to drive that short journey or if you’re just driving out of habit/laziness. Sounds like you get a fair amount of exercise anyway though.

You surely don't need to do as many steps on days you're swimming and cycling! If you've got some sort of fitness tracker, you can probably work out what the equivalents for exercise/active minutes/calories burned are.

Step machine

www.decathlon.co.uk/p/stepper-ms100-ivory-black//R-p-151811?mc=8580158&utm_term=8580158-4002351&&iv=iv_p_1_g_123442802136_c_525604954267_w_aud-1291573007729:pla-329016726863_n_g_d_m_v__l__t__r_x_pla_y_15177021_f_online_o_8580158-4002351_z_GB_i_en_j_329016726863_s__e__h_9045909_ii__vi&gclid=CjwKCAiA3KefBhByEiwAi2LDHMytycjibwhwtM-AXCocP9lUzhAQnfoPVTBScrOqqYlX124tAvvb-BoCVsUQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

I'm on Mat leave atm and do at least 10k a day every day. Some days that's just general pottering round the house. The effort has to be put in though.

If you're going to the gym every night, don't worry about it.

Podcasts are your friend. I’ve listened to so many interesting podcasts since I discovered BBC Sounds.

Step back, think about what the step challenge is meant to achieve, then look at what you're doing.
You're fine.

I did the RNLI 10000 steps a day challenge in Nov. My 75 year old mother was saying how easy it was and how she clocks up over 15000 steps a day. Through all of that I found that Fitbits measure differently and you'll clock up their equiv fast! On an Apple Watch it takes real effort. I do normally, 2 dog walks a day (very old dog) and have an office based job. In order to get the 10k done on a weekday I had to go for a solo very brisk walk each lunchtime of about 30 mins.

I think intensity is as important as quantity. I can work up a sweat doing a brisk hours walk for 12000 or I can clock up 12000 sauntering around a shopping centre for a few hours. Im sure they're not equal.

My dad has walked 10000 steps minimum a day for over 23 years since he stopped smoking cigarets. He still works and is the fittest 71 years old I know.

I’ve done 25k a day but that’s because my job was anything but a desk one. Could you run on the spot a few times a day to add to it, I’m sure that counts as well. Walk up and down the stairs several times a day etc.

Really? I can walk to the station and bacl (20 min round trip) as well as from waterloo up to Central London (1.5 hour round trip) and still only have done 8k steps sometimes. I find it hard too, OP. I love walking but an hour's walk in our local countryside is only recorded as about 6k steps for me. Hard to find time.

I like a PP's idea of going for an evening walk but that depends on th eage of your children. Hard if you can't leave them yet.

I eat at my desk whilst working so I can go for a walk on my break- I manage about 6000 steps in that hour, good way to clear my head for the rest of my shift too!
I'm not currently working from home but when I did I would go for a quick walk round the block before I started too, and get up and walk around for a leg stretch whenever I could.

Now I'm in the office I park in the furthest space away, always take the stairs instead of the lift, and use the furthest away toilet - none of this seems like much bynitself but it all adds up and it's rare I don't get 10000!

I also walk to the shop instead of drive whenever I can. I run 10km 3 time a a week too so I'm good for those days - that gets me 11000 steps straight away!

don't feel inadequate!

now you know you can do something about it. which is great.

I definitely feel better, less stressed, when I get my walks in. I don't thinkit does much for my weight/wobble, running and other exercise is more effective for that.

I've been trying to do 10-15k steps a day. I recently switched from FitBit to Apple Watch and the difference is huge and not in a good way! There's probably a 2000 step difference between the 2

I've read that about six would be about alrogjt for exercise. The 10k came from a Japanese physician who said it sounded good, tidy round number. It sounds like in the same territory as you must drink 2 litres daily. Most of our liquid comes from digesting food; so a pop, water, tea on top, it's all good, it's all water in the end.

Best thing I ever did this year was get a walking pad (treadmill) and a standing desk - I walk during the work day now for 80% of my calls. My daily goal is 12k steps but I can easily hit 15k some days.

I usually get 5 done just pottering around the house. A half hour walk is another 5.

Get out of bed an hour earlier and make sure you're at 5k before breakfast?

I used to do Team RH and that was 15k a day, every day. It's about making changes that lead to a more active lifestyle.