If you regularly do 20K+ steps per day… how?

[Mojitofairy]

Just that really. Since March I’ve been focusing on exercise and health rather than weight loss because it feels much more in my control - the scales would show whatever number regardless of how much effort I felt I’d put in that week. By changing my focus to steps daily I could satisfy my need to ‘achieve’ something and the scales lost their power over my mood. I’ve lost a stone and completely changed my mindset, which is what I needed. Now about half a stone to go.

However, trying to increase the daily steps is proving so hard! I’ve done minimum of 10k every day since I started in March. My daily average is about 13k. One day I really wanted to push myself and did 30k but I literally did nothing except exercise, walk, move about all day. It’s not sustainable. I did a week of going over 15k daily and it was a real effort to make sure it happened. My work days (3 days a week) I get about 7000 steps at work and I’m on my feet the whole day, though perhaps not walking about much. Non work days if the kids are in school I get about 4000 taking them to and from school, then I make sure I do a workout at home if I’m not out in town.

I’m in a few groups on Facebook and through my smart watch app where people are doing 20k steps and higher every single day without fail. I can only presume they are in very active jobs. If you manage that sort of step total, how do you do it? I would love to try and up the numbers but if it becomes clear that this isn’t really feasible for my life then at least I will know! Thank you.

@HuntingoftheSnark

I average about 15k steps a day, all of them done in my kitchen, at odd points during the day (I work from home). By jogging on the spot I do around 130 steps per minute.

wow!

@Whinginadeville

My sister works in a bank sitting down for large parts of the day and drives everywhere she averages 20k a day if not more. Fairly sure its just the way she's set her fit it up tbh. I am retired very active do a long dog walk every day and average 9,000 to 10,000. I don't compare it to others now as I just think they are cheating.

You can be certain she racks up that total typing ferociously. Happens to dh, sometimes, depending which keyboard he's using.

My average is 18-20k a day. On days when I push it to a long walk it’s 35k, on selected days when really push myself it’s 60-65k. I’m not cheating or waving my arm or setting it to extra sensitive- it’s backed up by the genuine mileage.

To start with, I have an active job and on days when I don’t have enough steps loaded on my Fitbit I simply go out for a walk until I do. I often work whilst I walk, dictate, compose emails, read reports, listen to music or podcasts. If I haven’t got enough time to get the steps by walking, I run instead. Can’t work when running though so sometimes it falls by the wayside.

Not unusual for me to go for a walk or run at 10-10.30pm if I haven’t been active enough.

I do 20k+ steps most days. I work in a supermarket as a picker so I’m walking all shift. I walk to work and back. I go for a walk most days with my husband as he likes to get out in daylight (does permanent night shifts) and run several times a week. Plus I tend to be dancing round the kitchen when I wash up I’m always active. A low day for me is 15k steps tbh.

I’ve always been really active. I get grouchy when I’ve not been out and about.

The only thing that works for me is hitting 10k by noon. Then anything extra is a bonus. However it is normally 20k as I work in community care

@whosaidtha

My husband averages 20,000 a day. He walks to work and back. Around 6 miles. Sometimes also goes for an evening walk once the kids are in bed.

How though? A mile is around 2000 steps.

@Bluntness100 I tend to do between 4K and 7K first thing in the morning, generally while on MN, around 6.30am. Half an hour at lunchtime and half an hour after work. I've got addictive tendencies so it's become a habit. Seeing it written down does make it seem a bit strange.

The only time I have ever done 20k and over was waking around Butlins in Skegness. I also do at least 15k at the craft show at the NEC

I tend to do over 10,000 steps in the morning well before lunch. I’ve got three active dogs and we do long morning dog walks every day. (Usually at least three hours). I tend to garden in the afternoon in summer and although I’m not racing around it’s quite a big garden so I get extra steps. I then do an hours dog walk in the evening. On my Fitbit today it says I’ve done 19,720 steps.

If I hadn’t got dogs I think I’d probably do about 3000 or so steps a day. I don’t go out to work now so I have all day to walk as I please.

@SwedishEdith that would sound about right then? 6mi = 12000 steps, then a further 4 miles of “incidental” walking throughout the day. I easily do 8k steps just walking to and from lunch, meetings, getting a drink, then doing stuff at home after work. If her DH also does an evening walk on some days he is probably well over 20k.

I average 20k a day some days more. I’m a dog walker so it’s literally all I do six days a week.

Today I've done 20,595, so far. I walked ds to school, walked home, went to the local shops and home, then to pick up ds and we've just got in. Non-school days I'm lucky to reach 10,000 unless we go out somewhere.

I've had a day off today and currently my step total is 17,392. I walked the dog first thing, walked DS to school (1.2 miles round trip) walked the dog at lunchtime and then collected DS from school. I have one more dog walk to do this evening. I've been doing housework but also far too much sitting on my bottom Mumsnetting.

On a work day my steps are higher as I still do the dog walks and walks to and from school but I also walk to and from work and I'm on my feet and never sit down at work.

You need to work a 13-14hr day in hospitality, I easily achieve 20k on a weekend shift.

I think people are likely to be running to hit 20k steps consistently- To me jogging and running seem separate from ‘steps’ as they are periods of deliberate ‘exercise’ that hit a different aim soI’d always want to measure runs in a different way from steps but I suppose it’s all movement!

I think walking 20k steps a day takes a lot of effort for most people - I walk for at least an hour every day (to work) and it’s about 8000. Yesterday I walked around town for about 3 hrs as well and I was only at 18000 (just looked) realistically you could get a bigger health boost form 30-45 mins of more intense exercise.

@HuntingoftheSnark

I average about 15k steps a day, all of them done in my kitchen, at odd points during the day (I work from home). By jogging on the spot I do around 130 steps per minute.

You average 6.5 miles a day, in your kitchen?

@Changechangychange I do wonder how accurate pedometers are across different formats/brands because I’ve done 8100 steps today which is apparently 3.2 miles (according to phone) and that is me walking at pace for 1hr 10 mins I don’t have my phone on me for the incidental steps I do so I don’t know how many I do in a day but I don’t find it particularly easy to get near 20k steps.

Good for you OP, something enjoyable and sustainable and a stone weight loss is great ( if that is your desire!)

I go for a morning and evening brisk walk (not long 20 minutes each) and I have two small children so I barely sit down all day!

Average 18000 a day.

I always make sure I get over 10,000 steps per day
On average it’s normally between 15,000-18,000 steps
I’m at my desk for 6 hrs per day however I do an hours walk in the morning and an hour in the evening
Just doing general housework after work etc racks up the steps

@FlatteredFool

Today I've done 20,595, so far. I walked ds to school, walked home, went to the local shops and home, then to pick up ds and we've just got in. Non-school days I'm lucky to reach 10,000 unless we go out somewhere.

How far are the school and shops from your house?

Walking as part of my commute was 30 to 35 minutes each way (train in the middle) and then out for lunch - 15/20 minutes. Bit of walking around the office. I just got 10k doing that.

I do wonder about the counting of various pedometers, a friend at work and I were discussing (nicely) another work colleague as she often posts online that she has done 20k plus again where as in New York sightseeing I only managed that and was very tired the next day. Do you think some might have better sensitivity or count higher with arm movements. I use an Apple Watch and the high step person uses a Fitbit I think.

@NaturalBlondeYeahRight

I do wonder about the counting of various pedometers, a friend at work and I were discussing (nicely) another work colleague as she often posts online that she has done 20k plus again where as in New York sightseeing I only managed that and was very tired the next day. Do you think some might have better sensitivity or count higher with arm movements. I use an Apple Watch and the high step person uses a Fitbit I think.

I've had the opposite experience! I think Apple watches measure more steps than a Fitbit. My Fitbit's broken now but I often wish I could wear both at the same time and see the difference recorded.

There are definitely discrepancies, when I got my fitbit I noticed I was racking a lot more vs my phone, I'd wake up & had done steps or driven. I changed the settings & put it on my non dominant hand which works better.

If I walk to & from work (40 mins each way) & then steps in house/around work (desk job) is 13-14k.