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 did 15k today and my legs hurt so bad. Involved a roughly 10km walk plus walking the toddler around the library quite a bit. There really is no way I can do 10k every day in my current fitness state.

I know a startup company that makes pedometers/activity monitors for primary schools and they say that the absolute number of steps is pretty meaningless.

It’s about how many active minutes you do compared to sedentary periods and making sure you do vigorous activity for 60 mins per day.

A bit like HIIT for adults.

As everyone says, 10k is a bit of a myth but if by doing 10k steps you’re more active than you previously were then keep it up, you’re doing great things

Isn't the better guideline to do 30mins a day exercise 5 days a week better overall? My device also measures the exercise intensity minutes as I can easily potter about and get the steps in but not exert myself at all. Yes it's better than zero exercise but pushing a little bit is far better

My watch gives me a goal of 17000 steps - but like YoYo, I run, and I've a dog who normally wants a walk although he refused today. I've still done 17400 steps - but they won't be strides - 14.8km.

I average out at well over 10,000 because my job involves a lot of walking. A lazy day, or one spent mostly in the car, would put me at between 3,000-5,000, and I always try to make up for it the following day.

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

People work, most usually in the part of the day where there is day light.
People also need to travel to work. Most people don't work in walking distance to their work place. Many people can't really use public transport to get to and from work, so don't have the walk to and from the bus stop.

For example:
I leave the house at 7:45am and arrive home normally between 5 and 6pm. I can't walk to work. I drive and have free parking close to work.
Before work I get up, shower and go. I put my watch (with counter) on just before I leave.
At lunch time I have 30 minutes and need to be able to eat during this time.
After work, when I get home, I need to sort dinner and do any odd chores that need sorting.
I sit down to relax, chat with family, catch up on some school work, etc. from around 7:45pm. I do often take my watch off around this time too, so it doesn't count anything after that.
My work involves a fair bit of standing and some walking, though often the steps in my classroom are too short to count due to the layout - something I can't really change.

So today I have done:
4500 steps
3km
12 flights of stairs
17 minutes worth of 'exercise' - so brisker walking

I have to go and get dd from an activity later so will do a little more steps, but not much really and I will drive most of the way there anyway.

I think this kind of timing is quite usual for many working people. Hence there is far less time and opportunity to go and walk and get fresh air in their normal daily life. I did a lot more walking when DD was smaller and it was in school holidays.

Also, we have noticed that DD's step count has gone down since she replaced her FitBit with an Apple Watch. The FitBits do seem to be more generous in our experience.

I aim for 10,000 steps but usually do a few more. My Fitbit tells me I have done14,907 so far today. I aim to do a proper walk for at least 40 minutes a day.

I only do 10k when I’m at work - I am a teacher. On my days off I struggle unless I take the kids out for the day. That’s not always possible. I’ve also noticed the kids hardly do any at school compared to weekends. They are very inactive at school. 5-6k at the best. They have fitness watches too, primary aged, and get annoyed when they have to take them off for PE!!

It does have a tendency to occasionally count driving as exercise though (it thinks I'm doing 'outdoor bike').

Mine never does this in my own car, but has both times I've been in a hire car - must be a different driving position.

@YoYoYumYum not having a car makes a huge difference. I live in London and don’t need one. I’ve also started a job where I go from site to site a lot. I clock up 10000 steps most days without thinking about it.
Sometimes I’m a bit annoyed about not having a car at hand but I suspect the benefits outweigh the occasional hassles.

I do over 10k before the kids get home from school and that’s just around the house.

I average about 15,000 per day (less at the weekend!) but it helps that I walk the dog for an hour and a half every day.

I feel a bit gross and lazy if I slip below 6,000 at the weekend’s.

It is quite a lot. I today I have walked 18k but my children's school is 2 miles away so I typically walk 8-10 miles per day.

I would consider 2000 quite low. That's only about a mile. I have a pedometer on my phone I get up at 6.30 ish for work and leave the house around 7.20. I have clocked up over 1000 before I leave the house. When I get moment walk my dogs for 80 mins that's how long 10000 takes me. AND I'm still overweight.

I'm in an active job and park 10 mins away to get extra steps. I exercise too, at least 20 mins per day and try to walk to pick kids up from school and I get just over 10k. Mine is accurate as I count every now and then to calibrate (I entered a stride length and ifter walk with gps).

I mostly make my 10k daily but it involves being intentional and adding at least 2 short walks to make up the steps (added to my short walk to and from train to work.)

Last Sunday I knitted some large portion of my 18,243 steps. I almost fainted when I checked where I was before my afternoon walk :)

Yes yabu. I can’t imagine doing so few unless you go everywhere by car or bicycle. Usually do 10-15k per day but I do have a dog and I do enjoy running

10,000 steps was invented in a Japan marketing campaign in1960s!
www.bbc.com/news/health-42864061

Where did you get 2000 from????

Quite easily if I don’t sit around all day! Try parking a bit further from the office and walking or leaving the car at home and walking to the local shop for milk/bread little things make a huge difference with getting there!

I’m quite (very) overweight. I don’t have the most active job and I do not exercise apart from walking from a to b and I average 9,000 a day.

I do over 10k before the kids get home from school and that’s just around the house.

You do around 4 miles walking round your house?! How big is it!!

My average daily step count is 9,650 but it varies considerably depending on whether I’ve spent the day at the office or whether I’ve made the effort to go out for a walk at some point during the day.

In work I do at least 15k but normally just 6k on a lazy day at home or 11k when I'm busy.

Where did you get 2000 from????

I was wondering that too! It seems very low as a recommendation.