AIBU to think that many people over count their daily steps?

[SteppingMum]

I have a very sedentary job. I’m at my desk pretty much 9-5 with an hour lunch break, then 45 minute drive there and back each morning.

I struggle to naturally get in 3,000 steps a day without purposely trying to. I can get up to maybe 8-9K if i go on a walk after dinner for an hour.

My colleague has a very similar lifestyle to me and often expresses her shock at how little I move and she easily accumulates 10-15k a day. She doesn’t go to the gym or have small children or a dog that needs walking (neither do I).

So yesterday i did an experiment. Let’s compare steps from the moment we clock in at 8.45 until we go for lunch at 12.30.

My step count was 484 and hers was something like just under 3K.

The difference? She wears her counter on her wrist whereas I wear mine on my bra strap (I have an old fashioned clip on pedometer that only starts counting after three consecutive steps).

She drinks countless cups of tea in the morning (not getting up and making it herself - delivered by colleagues to the desk), has more phone calls to answer and typing to do than I do, and in general talks with her hands a lot.

I think a lot of people who wear their step counters on their wrist are having their daily steps over counted.

I want to challenge people today to try and move their smart watch to their trouser pocket or fasten to their waistband somehow to see if my theory is correct!

So AIBU to think that people are being lied to by their step counters when worn on their wrists? I know that I tend to use my hands more than my feet and will be wearing a wrist strap with my counter today as an experiment. Can’t wait to clock in and get 3K steps without even moving from my desk!

Also this isn’t a request for advice about how to get more steps in. I know I can get a desk stepper exercise thing or walk at lunch etc. I know what I should be doing. I’m a healthy weight and otherwise seemingly in good health etc so not too motivated just now to increase fitness but I know what I can do to increase steps when I want to.

My slight irritation is with my colleague thinking she’s so much more active than I am just because she moves her hands more than I do. 😁

Mine is an app on this phone. Unfortunately most of my clothes don't have pockets, because I do a lot more steps which aren't counted. I do 300 just walking down to my greenhouse,veg plots, have 2 border collies,one is only a puppy.

I switched from a Samsung watch to a Garmin and wore both for a few days to compare the readings - the Garmin was recording about 2000 less steps per day, and feels more accurate.

Not all step counters are equal. My Garmin one is pretty accurate.

My old Fitbit used to sometimes count driving as steps (!) and when I went horse riding it went mental and 1 hour horse riding was like 20,000 steps (just an easy plod so I was doing basically nothing!)

I've got a Garmin and I've just tried drinking coffee, putting my hand up and down, waving my arm back and forth, clapping, and it's not registered anything!

the 10,000 number is ENTIRELY MADE UP - just to be very clear. it has no scientific basis other than "walking is good for you"

https://www.nuffieldhealth.com/article/walking-10k-steps-a-day-fact-fiction

"The idea of walking 10,000 steps a day comes from a hugely successful marketing campaign launched ahead of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. The number was chosen because the Japanese character for 10,000 resembles a person walking, and the idea caught on."

Old fashioned clip on pedometers are notoriously shit at collecting accurate data though! It sounds like yours is under reporting as well as hers over-reporting.

Newer fitbits, Garmain etc will vary. My fitbit doesn't record most arm movements, but it does think that clapping is step count. I'm not alone, on a special 24 hour theatre day last year so many of us got our step count achievement alerts and then some by sitting in a theatre and clapping quite a lot 😅

Yep, it's two decent walks a day. Almost 2 hours of walking for me to get 10k steps.

I used to have a cheap Fitbit and could easily clock up 10k not moving when I worked in veg prep - a 100kg of fine diced onion :)

Now I have a Garmin, non Dom wrist, and its close to the mark - I compare to my phone which is in my arse pocket usually

Both Garmin and phone have been calibrated for my stride

I have very short legs so I do clock up more steps then most doing the same distance. My walking buddy always clocks up less steps on the same milage

I do think some people do over estimate what they are doing, I know there was a thread few months ago and someone posted that were doing 30 to 40k a day spending 30 mins on a walking pad whilst working from home. In a marathon I only clocked 63k. But if they want to kid themselves, fair play to them. I know Im out there pounding the pavement

Just off out now for a 5k with the dog :)

You would need two of the same step counter then wear one on your wrist, the other one on your bra strap so you can compare the same days step count.

I agree, I've wondered how accurate they are too.

Can you convince your friend to wear yours for a day or move hers? I'd love to see the results.

My Garmin won’t sync to my phone so they count my steps separately. The Garmin gets put on first thing when I get up and counts 1000 or so a day more than the phone so I reckon both are accurate.

My Apple Watch seems pretty accurate. I am usually between 10-15k steps a day but I have a standing desk and walking pad that I usually do 5k+ of those on a day, plus I do the school run there and back which is about 5k and then walk the dog etc. It's always consistent with what I've done. On days where I do basically nothing, it reflects that!

It's nothing new OP - if you just read any thread on here about step count to know some people are full on deluded about how active they are.

I've never forgotten the thread which someone started about how to manage to get time to increase her step count (She rarely went over 5,000)

The thread obviously attracted the usual condescending "it's so easy, i get 10,000,000 steps a day without trying" crowd without actually giving the OP some ideas. But my favourite was the poor deluded poster who was convinced she was an natural Olympian, because she got over 3,000 steps "just making breakfast" (and it was definitely not measuring any movement.)

You didn't need to click on the thread, it was quite clear what it was about.
It has garnered a conversation. That's what MN does.

Talking of steps, in a recent Michael Mosley TV prog. (screened after he died) he said that if everybody would walk for just 15 minutes a day it’d make a significant difference.

I was surprised, but it occurred to me that the very idea of 10,000 steps may well be putting people off. If they don’t have the time or the inclination to do 10,000, maybe they think it’s not worth bothering at all.

I suspect they're both inaccurate. I have a fitbit and it's useless when I go to my dance class - only records about 50 steps in 2hrs! My friend's Oura ring on her finger isn't accurate for jogging. I know someone else who's gadget doesn't work for rowing.

Basically I have a poor opinion of most of these gadgets.

I do find it helpful. It tracks sleep, heart rate and all the things an apple watch might do but is more discrete. The only downside is a monthly charge to stay connected to the app but I’ve invested now so will continue paying.

My Garmin doesn't register arm movements, i cant cheat it unfortunately 😂

Its possible its the weight shift being counted even though you aren't actually picking your feet up.

The only times I do over 30,000 steps are at festivals, where you spend all day/night either walking or dancing.

I’d say if your steps are raising your heart rate

not just a slow dog walk

I have a garmin that I wear on my wrist and have an office job. It’s rare for me to have less than 10k steps, often more like 15k. I don’t accumulate them during the day when I’m sitting. It’s mornings and evenings. I also don’t ‘exercise’ as in go to the gym or go for a run. I’m just never sitting down except at work. On days I do actually exercise, it’s easy to get 22k steps or more. I think she’s simply more active than you, sorry!

I really wish this was spoken about more because it is so true. 10k is completely unrealistic for a lot of people (and made up!) and 15-30 mins a day doing something purposefully active raising your heart rate is very good for you

I agree as well. Like 5 portions of fruit and veg these are made up numbers designed to motivate us but 10000 is high. I only hit this on the days I walk for an hour. 15 to 20 mins is a realistic target for most people.

I used to rack up a lot of steps while working in a library - back and forth, back and forth, shelving the books, etc.