Counting Steps! What is the goal per day?

[FatGirlGone]

Hi Everyone.

I am looking to have a mini-challenge with myself, and want to aim to walk so many steps per day.

Question is, what should I aim for?

I'm fairly inactive throughout the day working in an office, so what is reasonable?

Any ideas?

 

[IanH]

i assume you're going to be wearing some kind of pedometer? If so - i'd simply measure what you do on an average kind of day and then set yourself a target of doing at least that + some percent - that percantage can increase as you get more and more used to doing it.


.

 

[Sally_Cinnamon]

I heard that for weight loss you should aim for between 8,000 and 10,000 steps per day.

I got this pedometer a few weeks ago from amazon and it's great. It's really basic--all it tells you is how many steps, although it does keep a record of the last week's step total which is useful, but the real beauty of it is that it has a clip that will fasten to any waistband, and it's really small and unobtrusive. I clip it to the waistband of my knickers and even if I'm wearing a dress it doesn't show through. I'd recommend it to anyone. Plus, it was really inexpensive.

Now, I'm fairly sedentary at the moment (no classes until August...) so I only manage about 3,000 steps a day which is shockingly bad. But I was surprised to note that when I've been shopping I can really up the number of steps without even realising it. It's been fabulous for really giving me a handle on just how inactive I am, but likewise for discovering just what hidden exercise I do. Today, for example, despite the fact that I've done all the housework (including vaccuuming the whole house) I've only done 800 steps (it's lunchtime here). But I've still got to go out and do the weekly shopping and I know that as innocent as that sounds, it will really up my activity level.

Thanks for posting this thread--my aim when I got the pedometer was to increase my steps by 500 per day until I got to a weight loss level. I'd dropped off the wagon with it and this thread has been a reminder to get back on

 

[MandyX]

I have one and have only been once over 10,000 steps and this was by walking from town 3 miles, going shopping and a mile walk around the park later in the day. It is impossible most days to do 10,000 steps. From town which is 3 miles average about 7-8000 steps. Hope this gives you some idea of much walking you need to do. Good luck.

 

[Jennyonaplate]

I have heard from a number of sources that you should aim for 10,000 for a normal healthy lifestyle.

I used one once and walked about 12,000 steps a day, but I don't drive and used to walk to and from work, which worked out at about 8km a day. Sadly when i moved and didn't do this walk every day, i didn't adjust my scoffing patterns, so i'm back to needing to shed loads of lard!

In hindsight, it was amazing how much a purposeful activity would contribute towards my weekly exercise.

 

[maypole]

Just wanted to thank you for posting this as my pedometer does nothing at the moment as it sits on my bedside table :8855:

i am going to put it on tomorrow & use it When I was wearing it I tried to do 10,000 steps a day & went for a walk in my lunch break (i work in an office too) I got really obessed with it & if I wasn't happy with my steps at the end of the day I would pace up & down the house or go on free step on the Wii just to hit that 10,000. I stopped when we had all that snow & the pavements were really icey & never started again. Wow that was 4 months ago