To think I CAN do this walking challenge in 2026... 7 million steps

[HippopotamusForChristmas]

I'm a pretty regular walker, I did 4.5 million this year. So I'm challenging myself to 7 million for 2026 and there's a £50 bet on this! Just under 135k steps per week.

No more slobby non wash TV Sundays
Walking pad ordered for home... can even use it when I'm in my dressing gown waiting for my hash browns to cook
Going for a 15 minute stroll on lunch breaks
10/15 mile walks on non working days (Fridays and Saturdays. This isn't unusual for me).

This isn't out of reach is it?!

Merry Christmas ❤️

You're a proper little raincloud of doom aren't you 😃

Realistic.

Why not set yourself a challenge that doesn’t involve you increased your current daily step count by many more thousands of steps! And as another poster said - you could do it but it would almost certainly limit other important stuff like…. Friends? Dating? Family?

Dating 🤣 you're married aren't you? 🤣

divorced

oh don’t be silly…. Online “dating”…. You saying that’s an unusual expression 😂

No mate I'm saying it's pointless. A bit like going for a lovely juicy protein filled carvery.

But... at 9pm when they're about to close because all you'll see is a couple of peas, no gravy and a crusty spud. There's fuck all left 😎

Bloody hell…. Thankfully not my experience!

Hang on to him. Merry Christmas xx

I’ve done 5 million this year, that an average of about 13000 a day. Do you have a dog? I know for a fact that I would not get that much if I didn’t have to go out, I like walking but there are definitely days where I have only gone out because of walking the dog.

Wow, I think this does sound like a tall task.....but not impossible!
If you are already a big walker you could do it. Investing in a walking pad would Def help though, you could easily knock out a couple of hours in front of the telly in the evening!

He is pretty lucky to have me!

How did step count go today?

It's a really good point about strength training. If you're already feeling weak then strength training is vital otherwise it will get worse and worse which is really not good for your independence as you age.

Absolutely fuck all! As I say, it all starts in January

I mean... Why? What's the point?
Don't say to get fit or lose weight. A bit of walking is good of course but it's not proper aerobic exercise or lifting weights. And it makes bugger all difference to weight.
I have too many hobbies, interests and other goals to spend hours every day walking. Id rather do an hour of intensive exercise. Do you need a hobby op?!

I've done 6.5m this year (garmin), definitely wouldn't have time to fit in any more and next year I would like to do more cycling, swimming and strength, so will be very happy if I end up with a lower step count.

If walking is the only exercise you enjoy and you have time to do it, upping steps is probably a sensible goal. Better than doing nothing!

You did say weekends are the times you always get your weekly step count up, so what happened yesterday?!

Walking can be proper aerobic exercise- walking fast enough to raise the heart rate is all that matters - and if it’s pushing uphill it does also strengthen leg muscles. And over rough ground strengthens/ improves balance muscles - please don’t denigrate the benefits of cheap and actively exercise and if more people walked more we would have more healthy people

if it’s loitering around the shops - no that isn’t exercise

I managed 12000 during an enraged phone call lasting an hour. I was sitting all the time. Steps from a fitbit, oura or other trackers are not the same steps taken in a long walk.
Even knitting watching bake off added steps, so those challenges don’t mean much unless you have the strava app that shows walking and not motion,

Good luck @HippopotamusForChristmas! Sounds like a great challenge. Let us know how you get on!

how's it going?

Currently smashing 18k per day but it's winter so I'm hoping it'll be fuck all by Spring

Good on you @HippopotamusForChristmas

How is it going?

Would you really want to spend so much time on this, though? It wouldn't leave much time for other types of exercise.

It is easy to do 20k or even much more on days when you are out for a hike or wandering around a city sightseeing. But there are bound to be times when the only way you can meet the necessary quota is by doing something joyless like using a walking pad, and sacrificing other activities that might promote other aspects of fitness like getting out of breath or working on flexibility or strength.

So, I'd say it is possible, but a bit grim and pointless