I put on a fair bit of weight over 25 years ago after a change of direction in my career path led to a far more sedentary desk and latterly computer based working day.
At least 15 years ago I had a lightbulb moment and realised I was simply not walking around as much in the day as I had been for the previous decade. Bought a simple pedometer and I was down to around 6,000 steps daily.
I dropped and smashed my Apple Watch maybe 2 years ago and ever since have not thought much about steps. @HungryHalibut reminded me the other day that the iPhones monitor steps too.
Working from home a lot these days I know I do a lot less than pre-pandemic but when I checked the phone today only just over a 1,000 steps at 7pm - blimey!
Needed a few things from the supermarket and would normally have driven to Sainsburyās but as the rain had stopped I thought Iād walk to the Aldi just under a mile away.
Fairly nice walk, maybe 15 mins each way, but the phone registered around 4,000 steps.
It really isnāt hard I suppose, especially if the weather is good, to bump up your activity quite significantly.
Iāve said it before but we really need a dog!
So just out of interest what do most of you manage if you monitor such things?
I never monitor anything like that, but prompted by this I had a hunt and found my iphone has been counting my āstepsā even without being told to, and tells me that my average so far this year is 5854/day, apparently about the same as last year. Iāve no idea what it counts as steps (presumably a jolt?), nor whether or counts cycle pedalling as part of that or if cycling is too smooth and so ignored (I cycle almost every day).
Letās face it, in a very basic analysis, step counting by itself is for anyone with a health issue. Whether thatās age or weight related, recovery or building to something more energetic, etcā¦ā¦ Alone, it gives a false impression of satisfaction and can lead to complacency. You need to stress the body to get results.
The daily average is:
For 2024: 11,388
For 2023: 13,735
For 2022: 9,755
For 2021: 11,206
For 2020: 7,314
For 2919: 14,506
For 2018: 16,486
For 2017: 15,822
For 2016: 11,825
For 2015: 14,352 (Only four months I started in September 2015 of tracking steps).
I had a Triple By-pass open heart surgery in February 2015 and started tracking data in September 2015. I also had a radical prostatectomy in January 2016 which got me off to a slow start for a couple of months in 2016 and impacted yearly numbers.
Those steps include working out plus climbing stairs and jogging for a minimum of 20 minutes each day to ensure a good cardiac workout each day. For example today include an 94 minute walk which include 35 minutes of the heart rate between 109 and 122 beats per minute and climbed 104 flights of stairs.
When we went into the 1st lockdown my employer moved 3,000+ people to mostly working from home. Iād done this once before for 6 months; made all the mistakes then and this time I was prepared as much you could be in such unusual circumstances.
My public transport commute was usually a 15 minute walk to the bus stop; around 45 minutes on the bus and a further 10 to 15 minute walk. The bus journey length being on a good day.
Absent that small walk and commute, and bearing in mind those initial restrictions, I started walking around the green outside our house. Literally walked in circles for an hour instead of my commute. Some kids of a woman in work who lives on our estate were apparently taking bets on whether Iād go clockwise or anti-clockwise. As things became clearer, that extended to circling the estate and eventually that morphed into a 2 mile walk out and 2 miles back for an hour out into the country alongside our local busway. Occasionally went through the woods and made it 5 miles. Did it every morning because itās the only way to guarantee it happens. Put it off to lunch or after work and work will find a way to stop it happening. Also did it in a mask for months until realising the route was largely so deserted it really didnāt matter. Really wasnāt an issue though.
Also committed to doing it regardless of weather. Thatās really important. Waterproof shoes and 5 layers on wet days topped off with my fantastic pea coat. 3 layers on other days. You need to perspire 1 way or another. 4 years later and, despite all my recent health concerns, it still happens daily.
Additional to this I never ask anyone to bring me something from upstairs/downstairs and never try to bring stuff up/down in 1 go to avoid multiple trips. Just do the work and the little stuff begins to count for a lot within 3 months. If something needs doing I always do it now rather than later. The difference such tiny changes make is significant.
What I have never done is worry about steps. I measure in miles and use the Runkeeper app. I donāt worry about the distance either really. I know thatās 4 or 5 miles depending on my route. What I focus on is keeping above 4.1 mph. Do that and iām perspiring and losing weight. Thereās a lot of things going wrong but my heart is perfect as is my blood pressure. With exceptions when Iām too ill to walk this has helped me lose 3 stone and keep it off. At peak I have walked 4 miles at 4.87mph and that using a white cane, which admittedly bewilders a number of walkers and joggers I overtake.
FWIW I think my use of stairs etc. is worth around 1,000 steps per day. I think Mrs. H. when walking with me 1 day calculated that the walk itself was around 17,000 steps. Not bad for an hour but the speed has had far more impact in terms of weight loss.
Radio 4 Sliced Bread Thursday 29 Feb covered the use of smart watches that track things like steps. Itās worth having a listen, especially the accuracy bit.
Having a dog bumps my steps up, but since he has health issues these have dropped off.
I think the key thing is to just keep moving. Over the years Iāve seen many friends and familyās ability to do stuff diminish as theyāve stopped moving so much.
A few years ago, I decided to try and up my steps when it was all in the news, by a lot of running on the spot. Over a 2 year period I averaged over 20k a day, however I noticed that my knees suffered as a result, so for the last few years Iām nearer 10-14k, and given up running.
Sometimes this will be a result of a walk (weather permitting), but mostly just walking around the house and garden, up and down the stairs several times a day. Walking around the living room. Possibly dancing around to music. Typically I can do about 3k steps while shaving/washing/cleaning teeth, just by taking side steps. Parking the far side of a car park, then a walk around B&Q would get your numbers up. When I was working, being stuck at my desk all day was an issue, so Iād use the toilets at the far end of the building. Lots of side steps when cooking. After a while it becomes a habit.
I work on the assumption of 2000 steps per mile as each of my normal steps is just under a yard in length. (I prefer to work in metric but thatās just what my body does.)
I really need to move more. The aim was 8,000 steps per day, but most days I only manage around 4,000 or less. The humid weather (over 90% humidity) doesnāt help, but for health reasons I really need to make a much better effort.
Started looking at iOS Fitness in last few days, after establishing that free apps for monitoring walking, require logins, in other words to register.
Surprised that the app has been working the background, since the year dot, as it were, without me first using it!
Currently walking at the coast, so found how to change Fitness from km to m, since local signs are in miles.
I am not yet convinced the calculation of mileage from steps is accurate. I have yet to check, but my hunch suggests that the app doesnāt stop when travelling on a bus, which we do at the start of the journey and walk back. Recent reading is twice what maps suggest is the distance we covered.
Does anyone have any ideas? Useful to know how to suspend the app.
Last few days has averaged 24,000 steps - realistically by distance covered, I think it should be half that, based on a day when the bus wasnāt used.
I make sure I do a minimum of 4000 per day although my average is nearer 8/9000. There was a Japanese study a few years back that looked at this with regards to the 10,000 steps touted by a well known sports/clothing firm. There conclusion was as long as you do 4000+ you would get most of the health benefits and would be likely to live to a reasonable age.
I got a new phone in November so I donāt have a a history at hand. I moved from counting steps to measuring active 10ās a few years ago on the advice of ājust one thingā. This is brisk walking for a minimum of ten minutes, which is monitored by an app called Active 10.
The fitness app tells me I walk between 6,000 and 8,000 steps a day, between 3 and 8 km. So far this month Iāve walked 112 brisk minutes within a total of 342 minutes walking. Of course I have a companion on these walks across the fields or down the lane from my cottage, and as he wonāt pee in the garden, he makes sure I go out for between 3 and 5 walks a day, so the the active 10 suits our life style.
Out of curiosity, why? What is the benefit of forcing yourself to perspire (as opposed to doing the exercise that might cause you to if it is hot or you wrap up as you described, but might not if it is cold and you donāt wrap so thoroughly)?
