Step It Up

Ok, let’s face it, walking really is that good for you.  It’s easy, you don’t need any special equipment, and it is super effective.

Some of the benefits of walking (according to me):

  • Slimming for your thighs
  • Toning for your calves
  • Strengthening for your back/core
  • Good for your posture
  • Easy on your joints
  • Fat-burning cardio – moderately elevated heartrate
  • Fresh air is good for your mood
  • If you can find a walking buddy, it’s a great time to catch up

It’s a no brainer, right? But somehow, I manage to not get enough steps in anyway.  What is enough step and how do I know?  Well, I use an app on my phone of course!  My app tells me that my target should be 6,000 steps or 60 minutes per day.  That is way less than that 10k number that everyone tries to hit so it shouldn’t be that hard, right?  And yet, I still manage to not make my target most days.

Caveat: I don’t count my gym workouts as part of my step goal.

Plus-or-minus a few minutes depending on how fast/slow I’m going 6,000 steps is right around one hour of walking.  How hard would it be for me to just get up and go for a one-hour walk?  Just bang it all out at once and not have to worry about trying to count trips out back to the laundry room or whatever other puttering around the house I’m doing.  The answer is not very hard.  But somehow it can turn into a mental hurdle really easily.

I’ve tried breaking my walking up into quick 10-minute laps around the block.  I don’t bother with sneakers, I just head out in my flip flops. It becomes a little treat – finish one hour of writing and then I get a break. I can sometimes swing two or three mini walks.  This tactic is not going to get me to 6,000 steps on its own.

Some days I walk to the gym which is right around 20 minutes each way.  It’s a good warm-up for Mondays with Adam and the walk home helps everything from tightening up.  Even on those days I still can manage to not hit my target if I don’t pay attention.

Sure, I could invest in a Fitbit (the new Versa is pretty cute) or some other wearable that would track ALL my steps without my having to worry about carrying my phone around everywhere.  If I did that, I feel like I would have no excuse not to set a 10k target. Since I know that I’m not getting enough steps as it is, counting all the little bits of walking (back and forth from the couch to the refrigerator) doesn’t seem like a real solution.  I need to create some sort of gimmick for myself to make my step target a natural part of my day.  I’m not sure what that is…

Last week I managed to hit my step goal on four days (I missed one day by under 100 steps!).  This week I will shoot for five days and see if I can’t work my way up to seven days and maintain it until the end of the year.  Its probably do-able, don’t you think?

So, my questions for you are:

  • What is your daily step goal?
  • What tricks or tips do you use to help you get your steps in every day?

8 Replies to “Step It Up”

  1. Hmm. My daily target is 10,000 but I managed to hit 85,000 steps over a 27-hour period this weekend without running a single mile during my volunteer stint as “Jackie O – Master of Shenanigans” at the Javelina Jundred. Maybe volunteering at ultramarathons is the ultimate way to get steps in without even thinking about it?

  2. 10,000 steps is my goal, though I don’t know why. It’s not uncommon for me to make 6,000 plus steps without leaving the house, it’s a benefit to my consistent discombobulation, old brain memory issues and need for a tidy household.

  3. I do have days of substantial puttering, I just usually don’t keep my phone with me to track it. Maybe I should put the Versa on my Christmas list…

  4. Yes, get a wear-able. My Garmin VivoActive is overly large, but it is 2 years old and the newer ones are more sleek. There are some good third-party apps for hiking, to track elevation gain and such, and I can also use it for my bike rides. My step goal is around 8,000 to 10,000 — its a moving target based on recent averages.

    1. Oh, that’s clever! Yes, I think this is definitely the direction that I’m heading. I will look into the Garmin, thanks!

  5. I am addicted to my fitbit, therefore, it acts as my target in both exercise and sleep. Mine does not count gym time, T’ai Chi Chuh, floor exercises, or stationary bike! I may ask Santa for a new and better model because it really keeps me going.

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