10,000 steps?

[*here's the exercise post I promised from my slump buster post]

 

Anyone know the concept and/or try it?  

 

Since I started working evenings back in January, my treadmill use went from minutes 4-6 times a week to NONE.  I lost 20 pounds in the two months after, so I wasn't totally worried.  I'm on my feet for 4-6 hours straight at the job.  But I'm not really getting any aerobic exercise in, and I think my body misses the endorphins.  Not sure how I can fit it in, though, so I read about the 10000 steps to fitness thing and put on my pedometer.  Turns out I do about 11000 steps just during the time I am at work.  Good, right?  But is it ENOUGH?  I got these targets from http://www.pbs.org/americaswalking/health/health20percentboo st.html:

Here are some rough targets:

For long term health and reduced chronic disease risk: 10,000 steps a day For successful, sustained weight loss: 12,000 - 15,000 steps a day To build aerobic fitness: Make 3,000 or more of your daily steps fast

Opinions?  Do you think this is ENOUGH EXERCISE?  I have about 8-10 pounds to my before plastics goal and WANT to do the right thing(s), exercise being one thing I just haven't quite gotten right.

I have had the absolute worst luck with them dang ped things, I have bought 3 so far.  Well I will admit one was from Mcdonalds when the salads first came out,,anyway they always malfunction on me!!!!!  I think it is because I have too many minerals inmy body,,watches go dead on me,,coke machines don't work for me.  I have lost lots of money trying to snag a diet coke....anyhow,,hubby never takes me to slot machines,,so I am on the hunt for an old timey ped that just clicks,,,,,lol,,good luck with it!!

LOL at the coke machines and slots.  Mine never used to work because when I clipped it to my stretchy waist pants it counted 4-6 extra steps for each belly jiggle.  Now that I can wear jeans it seems to be doing better.  I got it for a bargain on eBay.

Of course, I really only wear jeans to work [I still wear my 5x stretchy pants at home and just roll the waist because I'm too cheap to buy clothes I plan to grow out of].  So I haven't figured out the best way to count my steps during the times I'm NOT at work.  Of course, I spend so much time on the computer, I don't really get too many steps anyway!

Thanks for the response!

Bumping for advice from the weekday folks.

I just wanted to write a quick "thank-you" post.  I am a VIP host in a large casino and I spend 8 hours a day practically running back and forth and up and down stairs.  I have only been in this job for a month, after having been in Surveillance in the same casino and sitting 8 hours a day.  I have 10 more lbs to lose, and your post made it dawn on me that I need to be keeping track of my steps and make that part of an exercise program.  I just ordered my pedometer off the web and will get started!  I went to the web site you posted, and clicked on "pedometers".  The third site listed offers free USPS shipping. Maybe you can make those 11,000 steps you do burn a little more by going a little faster, working them a little harder?  Then just add some weight training to keep upper body muscles toned.  That's my plan (although some days I don't know HOW I could possibly move faster...) Anyway thanks! Barb

You're welcome, Barb!  Sounds like you have an interesting job.  On the days I don't work my steps go WAAAY down, so right now I am concentrating on increasing them.  I read that the AVERAGE person walks 3000-5000 steps a day, and my average when I'm not working is only 4000.  2000 steps is equal to a mile, so if I increase to 10000 steps EVERY DAY, I will be adding a 3 mile walk daily!  Once I can get that consistent, I will probably work on making the steps aerobic, and hopefully adding weight training which I desperately want to do, but haven't had time for.

Good luck with your pedometer, let me know how it goes - I bet you walk A LOT!

xosm

10,000 is what we are suppose to get a day.  I don't know much about exercise but I do know walking....Its part of my job as a lifestyle counselor.....I normally tell ladies that it doesn't count when it is at work because your body is use to walking at work.  But if your putting on that many miles it can't be hurting, you walk more than I do!  And I get paid to walk a few times a week with ladies.  But normally they (exercise guru's) want you to do more than what you do everyday day in and day out.  If you get a good pedometer they work well, I have one that you had to set to your step length, the key for me is remembering to wear it!  From experience they don't work well with depends(large undergarments),  with large bellies, and if they are not placed in the right spot on your pants.  They are just a gauge, a guessamate of steps.  But the are good when you don't have any idea how much you walk. If you can add an extra 3 miles a week I say for it!!!!  Good luck and I think your doing AWESOME! KEEP IT UP!

Thanks for your response.  ".....I normally tell ladies that it doesn't count when it is at work because your body is use to walking at work."  I guess it WILL count for me since I this is the first job I've had in over four years.  My body isn't used to walking AT ALL.  Before WLS when I was sick, I walked from the couch to the bed, with a detour to the computer chair.  I was lucky to get in 1000 steps, let alone 10 times that.

My pedometer is OK, it didn't work when I was 300+ pounds [the fat jiggle thing], and now, with my fat apron, I still have to set it to be a little less sensitive and it only works when I wear it with my jeans, not stretchy waist pants.  I know it's just a guesstimate, but either way, I have increased my daily steps over and above what I started with it, so I am happy.

I know, too, that this isn't the most aggressive approach to exercise and aerobic fitness.  Right now, with a family and a new job, and truth be told, just being out of shape to begin with, this is something that fits into my life and I feel like AT LEAST IT'S SOMETHING.  I dunno, sometimes I'm AFRAID this is all I CAN do, even though I've lost so much weight and am physically so much healthier, I'm out of shape and I have been for most of my life, I am not sure I know how to, or am capable of being good at fitness.  Meh, I am probably too hard on myself.

Again, thanks for the encouragement, like I said, I feel like at least I'm doing something better than nothing.  Does that make any sense?

xoxo

I'm with Grouchetta.  I was in a job where I sat 8 hours a day for the last six years, so I think that now that my job entails constant running from one end of a huge building to another, that the walking I do during work certainly counts for something, at least for awhile, or until I get that last 10 lbs off.  So those exercise gurus can just be glad that I am moving a gazillion times more than I have for years!!! :-) Barb