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.

@SwedishEdith it's 1.2 miles to school but we took the scenic route along the canal and through the woods. By the time I got home after dropping him off I was nearly at 10k. It's very hilly here too. I go the long way most of the time to get the exercise. School and back twice a day is just short of 5 miles by the shortest route. Today I've done over 9 miles. I walk a lot around the house and am rarely still.

I wear an Apple Watch but I also have a garmin in my bra as that counts steps only not waving or clapping or crochet etc 😂😂 also my job involves pushing a trolley around which the Apple Watch doesn’t track.

Today I’ve done 25k steps between work, a five mile walk and a walk into town. Yesterday I did 32k from work and a 7 mile run. Day before was 8k because I was feeling lazy.

Mon - fri I aim and usually achieve 15k steps a day. This is taking regular breaks from the desk, one or two walks with the dogs and a run. Weekend is usually in mid-20s as go longer walks with dog.

@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.

Lol, seriously?! Who could be hooped cheating 🤣 how many miles is a long dog walk?

By getting up ridiculously early and doing very long, very boring route.

I’m really lucky because I don’t do paid work. I certainly couldn’t fit it in if I did.

It does work, though. Means I can eat and drink reasonably without gaining weight. Didn’t walk through lockdown, ate the same way and the weight piled on so to me the inconvenience is worth it.

I have to say I think some people cheat or at least are happy to count dancing around waving their arms as "steps". I used to track my steps and would walk miles with the buggy with my fitbit on my ankle (wrist not so good when pushing buggy) and I calibrated it by counting steps and checking the fitbit count against that to ensure it was accurate. I'd walk for two hours at a decent pace for 8k and yet my friend would have 11k by 11am by walking "20 mins to school and back then just cleaning". How is it possible for it to be so different? Both surely can't be accurate reflections and I knew mine was, so I have to assume hers wasn't.

I regularly walk over 20k steps a day. I think it's just a lifestyle thing really. I have a job where I spend the majority of my day sat down and I also drive to work (door to door) so no steps there. Things I do to get kore activity into my day are:

At work every time I go to the toilets I walk up 4 flights of stairs to the top floor to use the toilets there.

I use my lunch break to walk around a local park - 30mins

If I need to go to another dept at work (very rare) I will go the longest way and power walk.

I'm also naturally outdoorsy and on days out will go to farms parks, country parks, forests, mazes etc rather than to a soft play etc.

I guess I'm just always on my feet. The main reason I am listing is because I manage 20k steps most days with a 'desk job' and a 'no walking' involved commute.

I also used to run (currently injured) 5-6K 3 times a week so that helps but I still hit 20K steps without doing this.

I guess the other thing to check is if the device you use to record your steps is accurate 😊

@Mummyoply but how do you fit in 3 hours of walking at work if it's mainly toilet trips & lunch break?

@muffinfaces I don't walk 3hrs during my working day, I was just showing how little lifestyle changes can really make a difference and it's enough to increase daily steps significantly. I also get lots of steps from gardening, a walk around the block before bath time. If I'm at the park with my son I will be on my feet playing and moving rather than just sitting and watching. Today for example I popped to my local town (my yearly trip!) and I parked out of town and walked in rather than using the multi-story car park with a lift straight to the shopping Centre - it's often the little things that make a difference, it doesn't have to be a 3mile walk everyday.

I just couldn't fit in a trip to the park, walk & gardening etc on a day I work.

My general steps at work are only about 3000.

I get off the train one stop early!

I ( term time) walk 20000+ most days...
I walk kids 20 min to school, then walk 20 min to work. I'm on my feet walking pretty much all day. I only sit on the loo - if I get the chance! Sorry to be crude. Then 20 min walk to get one child, then 20 min to get the other, then 20 min home. We might also after that go out, for a walk or the the park. Some days I go to the gym ( about 5000 steps there) some days I dance in the kitchen 😆
22691 today with walking to work but no extra school run as not back yet. Gym and park trip.

I dont really known if it has any impact on my weight, but I'd be scared to stop and find out 😆

@ZaraCarmichaelshighheels yes, while reading a book in the mornings, propped up on my microwave before I start work. Then bits later in the day. I do zero exercise and have no idea about the validity of the step count, and I'm definitely not trying to lose weight. This is just replacing an hour of sitting reading.

I generally do between 22,000-25,000 a day when I'm working (postwoman).
Can you guess which were my days off last week?

I usually do between 8-10,000 steps per day. That includes taking my dog for two walks plus completing my running app (I am not the best runner but working on it).

Whenever I have my grandchildren over (toddlers) DH does the dog walks yet I average 16,000 steps per day.

Answer - get yourself a grandchild, take up running and buy a dog 🤭

On my feet in house a fair bit.
Crosstrainer.
Walk about 7 miles a day.
Retired!

It's been a full on day today. I've only ever done this amount once before. I don't drive and love walking.

I agree with @GoWalkabout - your efforts would be better spent on incorporating some weight-bearing exercise as you are already walking a lot. Also, your steps will count more if you wear ankle and wrist weights.

I'd get myself some 3 and 5 kg dumbbells and start exercising 15-20 minutes a day. Look for Rebecca-Louise on YouTube; she has some great arm, leg and abs workouts. (Warning: you may want to turn down the sound after the first run-through... but her workouts are really good.)

And then look into Caroline Girvan. Her stuff may look a bit scary, but boy, it works!

I used to get close to that (18k a day) quite easily. However, it was because almost all of my walking had another purpose.

I walked from home to the tube station. Then I changed trains at one of the stations with a massive interchange. Then I got off one stop early and walked to work. Then I went for a walk (just to get out of the office) at lunch time. Then I did the journey home in reverse. And then I often went for a walk in the evening to either visit my parents (20 mins there, 20 mins back) or just to get some fresh air (I lived in a ‘naive’ area with a river, park, and some nice houses to look at enviously - would do 30-90 mins walking a couple of times a week).