To think that 10,000 steps is a lot?

[Bluebelliphant]

I have been feeling quite pleased with myself as I've been easily smashing the recommended step amount of 2,000.

However I've just found out it's in fact 10,000. That seems a lot?

Do others manage that every day?

I don’t understand why people can’t just get out the house and in the fresh air and walk?

Because they cba.

I don’t understand why people can’t just get out the house and in the fresh air and walk?

Maybe they don't enjoy it?

I've got a friend who is a hairdresser and says she does 8000 steps per day, the reality is that she shuffles around people's heads all day. Exercise it certainly ain't!

Why are people said to be 'boasting' if they say they do lots of steps a day?

Because replies like "oh i do 2k just getting ready for work how can you possibly not manage 10k?" are boasting, not to mention bullshit.

It is a bit odd that OP asked if 2k is a lot but when people say actually no, and put it into context by stating the amount they do, it’s deemed boasting. People are just answering the question.

“I've got a friend who is a hairdresser and says she does 8000 steps per day, the reality is that she shuffles around people's heads all day. Exercise it certainly ain't!”
Because dashing up and down a shop all day isn’r exercise t all

“It is a bit odd that OP asked if 2k is a lot but when people say actually no, and put it into context by stating the amount they do, it’s deemed boasting. ”
That’s not boasting. What’s boasting-and bullshit- is the 2000k just making breakfast. And the 100 steps a minute walkers. And the “on a lazy day I do about 20k” people. And the “I just don’t understand how you can be so sedentary- 10k is a baseline” brigade. Boasting, bullshit and lacking in empathy.

2k round the house isn't bullshit - you won't capture it on a phone unless you literally carry it everywhere, but with a wearable tracker you would

I easily do 2-3k round the house and if I go for a walk at lunchtime I easily hit 10k.

Have desk based office job and drive to work.

OP, you're probably doing more than you think - try a Fitbit or similar if you're interested to track more (and aren't doing so already)

What do you do to get 2k round the house? On Saturday I didn't leave the house except to put rubbish in the bins several times. I didn't stop all day cleaning, doing the washing etc. By the end of the day I had less than 1k steps on my Fitbit. I don't think it's an accuracy issue as it seems fine when I am out and about.

I don’t understand why people can’t just get out the house and in the fresh air and walk?

If you like gale force winds and freezing cold temperatures all well and good but most people don't. Oh and add rain in there. Some of us have crap weather a good part of the year.

@BertrandRussell, totally agree. Some people are obsessed by the number of steps they do. I couldn't care less. Yes I like to walk (in decent weather) but if it's for proper heart pumping, sweaty exercise then I do a short intense walk which is nowhere near 10K.

To be fair I have a toddler so am constantly going from room to room, up and down stairs etc

The thing is no one really know how much of a difference any of this actually makes to someone’s life. A year of living longer? A few more? Better long term health? Potentially but we don’t know, there’s a whole list of variables. Potentially - if you’re not someone who enjoys pushing yourself to walk more - you could spend (over the course of your life) many years endlessly walking about when you could have sat on the sofa doing whatever you like and lost / gained the same amount in years. I don’t know if that makes sense, it’s just something I think sometimes.

I think when it gets to the point of being obsessed about steps / trying to reach the magic number etc etc just for the sake of it it’s all gone a bit too far.

Betrand she doesn't 'dash' anywhere, she's a mobile hairdresser, I've watched her, she literally just moves very slightly around the person's head whose hair she's cutting.

My step count is set at 16,000 steps but I manage to do around 23,000 a day. I've noticed phones are pretty crappy at keeping step count properly so I bought a Fitbit.

I don’t understand why people can’t just get out the house and in the fresh air and walk?

it's not as easy as that for a lot of people. In winter I drive to work in the dark and come home in the dark. We live rurally with no pavements so it would be risky to go for a walk when I get home. And I very rarely get a lunch break, I am usually having to eat at my desk whilst typing. Work is 12 miles away so I cant walk there even if there was a safe route.

In summer I try to cycle to work a few times a week but this doesn't count towards steps. I also cycle 50 miles or so each weekend. So its not a case of not being bothered to walk in the fresh air.

I go to 7 gym classs a week, cycle when I can and very rarely reach 10000 steps. I know I'm fit and healthy though so couldn't give a monkey's about meeting the step count or other people judging me for not doing so.

Sedentary lifestyle is a major risk factor for dementia though fairylea. And even if you don’t get dementia it’s very likely to restrict your choices and independence in old age. 10,000 steps is a proxy for “don’t just sit there”, although there are many other ways to achieve that: PP’s hairdresser mate may not be racking up the steps but she’s not just sitting there.

As I said, yesterday I was only round the house and garden and a trip to Sainsbury’s. Less than 3000 steps between 5.30 and 11.30.

I’m one of the people doing 30 mins brisk walking everyday because I enjoy it so for me it’s worth it by the way.

I understand that about the dementia thing. I guess it’s just having just lost my mum to bowel cancer who was always slim, fit, healthy and watched what she ate, I do wonder about it all. I know my mum is just one of many and the statistics show its worth exercising on the whole... I just think there’s a difference between finding something you enjoy and wanting to do it because it’s beneficial to your health AND you enjoy it - and pushing yourself to do 10k plus steps when you really hate it, just for the hope that it keeps you alive longer.

I use 10k as a nudge to keep moving. I don't swim or cycle and walking outside is easy and free. Wet weather doesn't concern me at all as it's simple to wear a coat and a pair of waterproof trousers. I have dogs though so need to walk them.

I don’t understand why people can’t just get out the house and in the fresh air and walk?

It’s generally frowned upon to up and leave your job when you’re being paid to work.
And definitely frowned upon to leave a small child asleep at home alone.
And some days there’s no gaps between getting the child up and getting to work and doing the reverse at the end of the day.

If it’s dark at night I walk a loop round the housing estate in street lights. It’s about making the effort rather than lying on the sofa watching Corrie.

Good for you

You do know some people don't come home and park their arses on the sofa, right? It's not "Watch Corrie or go for a walk" it's having to get home from a long commute, feed/bathe the children, sort laundry, uniform, lunchboxes and get yourself sorted for work. If you're a single parent or your OH works long hours it often isn't possible to "just go for a walk".

Or maybe when they've been out of the house for 12 hours, they're shattered and don't want to go out in the dark, wind and pissing rain to go for a walk?

Or maybe it's just not your business?

It’s generally frowned upon to up and leave your job when you’re being paid to work.
And definitely frowned upon to leave a small child asleep

You could walk to work, and you can take your child with you for a walk, in a buggy or let them walk too.

It’s not always easy, but it is possible.

When I have been out recently I have noticed a weird lack of other people out walking. Roads are busy, city centres are busy but residential streets/parks/path to local shops are mostly deserted. I can walk for 2 miles and meet maybe 1 or 2 other pedestrians. It seems that either I walk at weird times of the day or there aren’t many people doing it.

“You could walk to work, and you can take your child with you for a walk, in a buggy or let them walk too. ”

I can just imagine the derision on here for anyone who said they walked with a toddler! “Shuffling along- exercise it ain’t!”........

I don’t think anyone would dispute that too many people are sedentary and most people could probably make more effort to change little things to improve that. However it is impossible to say “you should do x y and z” because life doesn’t work like that and what works for one doesn’t work for all.

I do think workplaces could do a lot to help people have chance to at least get out of the building during daylight hours with a bit of sensible thinking about the wellbeing of their workforce