10,000+ steps a day (on average) - who's with me? :D

[lifejoy]

So I just bought the Misfit Flash, thanks to the suggestions from this thread: http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/ask-a-mustachian/cheapest-accurate-pedometer/msg1002195/#msg1002195

I've been doing about 3000-17,000 steps a day. I'd like my average to be 20,000 steps a day for 2016. Who's with me? Let's do this!

Updated: 10,000+ steps/day on average. Woohoo, let's do this!

[lifejoy]

What is the single best thing we can do for our health? Great video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUaInS6HIGo

[bobechs]

No thanks.

I'd rather Kondo-ize my closet, kitchen cabinets and all the sticks and rocks in the yard than keep a competitive tally of daily steps.

And I'd rather have my university initials ground in and enameled on my front teeth than any of the above.

[marty998]

20,000 is a lot of steps... I try and do my 10,000 most days, even after going for a good long run I might get up to 17-18k.

Good luck, you'll be super fit if you can do it!

[lifejoy]

No thanks.

I'd rather Kondo-ize my closet, kitchen cabinets and all the sticks and rocks in the yard than keep a competitive tally of daily steps.

And I'd rather have my university initials ground in and enameled on my front teeth than any of the above.

Lol! Well, thanks for stopping by!

[lifejoy]

20,000 is a lot of steps... I try and do my 10,000 most days, even after going for a good long run I might get up to 17-18k.

Good luck, you'll be super fit if you can do it!

Thanks!

Walking is often the only exercise I get, and most days I am walking while at work... and I commute by walking, so this is a doable goal for me. A stretch, but that's good.

[Secretly Saving]

 I like to get between 15,000 and 25,000 in a day, but lately I haven't.  Challenge accepted.

[lifejoy]

I like to get between 15,000 and 25,000 in a day, but lately I haven't.  Challenge accepted.

Woohoo! Way to go! I think an average of 20,000 steps for 2016 is totally within reach for you! I'm up to around 8,000 steps for today. I'm trying to figure out how to put a specific goal on my Misfit Flash so that I'll be striving to reach 20,000 steps a day, instead of the default 10,000.

[boy_bye]

I'm averaging about 7,000 a day now ... which I think is not bad considering I work from home ... But I'm going to step up my efforts to average 10,000 a day going forward. Maybe 20,000 in a few more months!

[Secretly Saving]

I like to get between 15,000 and 25,000 in a day, but lately I haven't.  Challenge accepted.

Woohoo! Way to go! I think an average of 20,000 steps for 2016 is totally within reach for you! I'm up to around 8,000 steps for today. I'm trying to figure out how to put a specific goal on my Misfit Flash so that I'll be striving to reach 20,000 steps a day, instead of the default 10,000.

One thing that helps me with Fitbit is that you can join various challenges among friends -- workweek hustle, weekend warrior etc.   Knowing the types of numbers others are pulling in on a daily basis can help motivate, especially if you're really close to hitting a magic number!

[lifejoy]

I like to get between 15,000 and 25,000 in a day, but lately I haven't.  Challenge accepted.

Woohoo! Way to go! I think an average of 20,000 steps for 2016 is totally within reach for you! I'm up to around 8,000 steps for today. I'm trying to figure out how to put a specific goal on my Misfit Flash so that I'll be striving to reach 20,000 steps a day, instead of the default 10,000.

One thing that helps me with Fitbit is that you can join various challenges among friends -- workweek hustle, weekend warrior etc.   Knowing the types of numbers others are pulling in on a daily basis can help motivate, especially if you're really close to hitting a magic number!

That's really cool! I didn't want to shell out for a Fitbit just yet. But that is cool!

[lifejoy]

I'm averaging about 7,000 a day now ... which I think is not bad considering I work from home ... But I'm going to step up my efforts to average 10,000 a day going forward. Maybe 20,000 in a few more months!

I did 16,000 steps today (so far) and my feet are sore. I'm going to focus on 20,000 steps as a goal for the YEARLY AVERAGE, and not necessarily a daily thing. Shoot for the moon, and maybe you'll land amongst the stars, amiright? ;)

[HappierAtHome]

I'll cheer you on with your 20,000 goal if you'll cheer me on with my 10,000* goal? 20,000 is way too much for my body to cope with, but I'd love to be part of the challenge if lower goals are acceptable!

*By which I actually mean 70,000 a week, because that way I can get more steps on good days and let my body rest on bad days :-)

[lifejoy]

I'll cheer you on with your 20,000 goal if you'll cheer me on with my 10,000* goal? 20,000 is way too much for my body to cope with, but I'd love to be part of the challenge if lower goals are acceptable!

*By which I actually mean 70,000 a week, because that way I can get more steps on good days and let my body rest on bad days :-)

I love it! Let's call this thread the 10,000+ steps challenge :)

Also, I'm trying not to be annoyed but my iphone health app and my misfit flash tracker don't agree :/
My iphone says I've done 19,000 steps and my misfit app says I've done 16,000... which one to believe? Maybe I will return my Misfit Flash and get something more accurate. Hmm. Given that extreme walking is the only sport I participate in, perhaps a little money in this direction would be warranted.

[HappierAtHome]

I'll cheer you on with your 20,000 goal if you'll cheer me on with my 10,000* goal? 20,000 is way too much for my body to cope with, but I'd love to be part of the challenge if lower goals are acceptable!

*By which I actually mean 70,000 a week, because that way I can get more steps on good days and let my body rest on bad days :-)

I love it! Let's call this thread the 10,000+ steps challenge :)

Also, I'm trying not to be annoyed but my iphone health app and my misfit flash tracker don't agree :/
My iphone says I've done 19,000 steps and my misfit app says I've done 16,000... which one to believe? Maybe I will return my Misfit Flash and get something more accurate. Hmm. Given that extreme walking is the only sport I participate in, perhaps a little money in this direction would be warranted.

No pedometer is perfectly accurate (my fitbit sure isn't!) but I think the iphone does seriously overcount. A friend of mine mentioned that hers counts steps on bumpy car rides...

[ender]

I should really do this.

It's probably depressing how few steps I take each day right now...

[Trip]

Now that you've dropped it down to 10,000 steps I'm in. My own personal goal is 12,000 steps per day.

[goldensam]

I got a FitBit last summer and was shocked to see how few steps I take on weekdays when I work at the office and the only real steps I was taking were when I was walking the dogs in the evenings. I started with a goal of 8k per day and now my goal is 9k per day. My eventual goal is 10k per day. I was worried this thing was going to be gimmicky but it is my second favorite purchase of 2015 (first was YNAB).

[Duchess of Stratosphear]

I'm in! I get 10,000 most weekdays, but apparently I'm quite lazy on the weekends. Who would have thought that walking to the bathroom and the break room at work and running little errands around town would add up to so much? I need to step it up on the weekends, though.

I have a Fitbit Zip which annoys the crap out of me (battery issues). I'll be interested to hear how you like the Misfit. I don't think I would buy another Zip.

[lifejoy]

I'll cheer you on with your 20,000 goal if you'll cheer me on with my 10,000* goal? 20,000 is way too much for my body to cope with, but I'd love to be part of the challenge if lower goals are acceptable!

*By which I actually mean 70,000 a week, because that way I can get more steps on good days and let my body rest on bad days :-)

I love it! Let's call this thread the 10,000+ steps challenge :)

Also, I'm trying not to be annoyed but my iphone health app and my misfit flash tracker don't agree :/
My iphone says I've done 19,000 steps and my misfit app says I've done 16,000... which one to believe? Maybe I will return my Misfit Flash and get something more accurate. Hmm. Given that extreme walking is the only sport I participate in, perhaps a little money in this direction would be warranted.

No pedometer is perfectly accurate (my fitbit sure isn't!) but I think the iphone does seriously overcount. A friend of mine mentioned that hers counts steps on bumpy car rides...

I read some good advice that said, whatever you're using, keep it consistent, and use that. So yeah. So long as I'm consistently using the same tool, that ought to mark progress. Or my sore feet will tell me ;)

[lifejoy]

Now that you've dropped it down to 10,000 steps I'm in. My own personal goal is 12,000 steps per day.

That's a great goal!

I should really do this.

It's probably depressing how few steps I take each day right now...

You should totally do this! :) You'd be amazed what a difference it makes. Watch this video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUaInS6HIGo

[lifejoy]

I got a FitBit last summer and was shocked to see how few steps I take on weekdays when I work at the office and the only real steps I was taking were when I was walking the dogs in the evenings. I started with a goal of 8k per day and now my goal is 9k per day. My eventual goal is 10k per day. I was worried this thing was going to be gimmicky but it is my second favorite purchase of 2015 (first was YNAB).

Measuring progress can be great, wouldn't you say? :)

I'm in! I get 10,000 most weekdays, but apparently I'm quite lazy on the weekends. Who would have thought that walking to the bathroom and the break room at work and running little errands around town would add up to so much? I need to step it up on the weekends, though.

I have a Fitbit Zip which annoys the crap out of me (battery issues). I'll be interested to hear how you like the Misfit. I don't think I would buy another Zip.

This misfit is ok so far. I'm liking it for the price point (online $20USD or in-store in Canada at Best Buy for $35CAD). I don't keep my cell phone on me all the time, so a wearable tracker is great.

[Secretly Saving]

I'll cheer you on with your 20,000 goal if you'll cheer me on with my 10,000* goal? 20,000 is way too much for my body to cope with, but I'd love to be part of the challenge if lower goals are acceptable!

*By which I actually mean 70,000 a week, because that way I can get more steps on good days and let my body rest on bad days :-)

I love it! Let's call this thread the 10,000+ steps challenge :)

Also, I'm trying not to be annoyed but my iphone health app and my misfit flash tracker don't agree :/
My iphone says I've done 19,000 steps and my misfit app says I've done 16,000... which one to believe? Maybe I will return my Misfit Flash and get something more accurate. Hmm. Given that extreme walking is the only sport I participate in, perhaps a little money in this direction would be warranted.

I laughed out loud about the iphone and the app not matching.  That drives me crazy too, but considering I never have my phone on me, my numbers are always reversed, with my iphone thinking I did nothing!

[lifejoy]

I'll cheer you on with your 20,000 goal if you'll cheer me on with my 10,000* goal? 20,000 is way too much for my body to cope with, but I'd love to be part of the challenge if lower goals are acceptable!

*By which I actually mean 70,000 a week, because that way I can get more steps on good days and let my body rest on bad days :-)

I love it! Let's call this thread the 10,000+ steps challenge :)

Also, I'm trying not to be annoyed but my iphone health app and my misfit flash tracker don't agree :/
My iphone says I've done 19,000 steps and my misfit app says I've done 16,000... which one to believe? Maybe I will return my Misfit Flash and get something more accurate. Hmm. Given that extreme walking is the only sport I participate in, perhaps a little money in this direction would be warranted.

I laughed out loud about the iphone and the app not matching.  That drives me crazy too, but considering I never have my phone on me, my numbers are always reversed, with my iphone thinking I did nothing!

Lol, what do iPhones know, anyways? ;)

I'm going to focus on consistency and strive to improve based upon what my Misfit Flash says.

[Ottoford]

I recently bought a Fitbit and have been trying to hit 10,000 daily steps but failing. Perhaps accepting your challenge will keep me accountable. Since I work from home I have a hard time hitting 10k most days. But weather is improving so my excuses are running out.

I'm in. I like the idea of 70,000 per week.

Syncing my Fitbit now. Thanks.

[crazy jane]

Started today with 13500. I love the 70,000/week idea. Sign me up.

[Lski'stash]

I'm in. I started re-wearing my old Fitbit this week, and need some accountability.

[ender]

I should really do this.

It's probably depressing how few steps I take each day right now...

You should totally do this! :) You'd be amazed what a difference it makes. Watch this video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUaInS6HIGo

Is a fitbit a good thing for this?

I have no idea what a good thing to track would be. I suspect it'd be horrible how little I walk, maybe it's better to not know ;-)

[stephQ]

Count me in :) Last xmas I received a new Up band since the last one finally broke after a couple years and was not covered under warranty. I actually use the app more for tracking my sleep rather than steps, but I'll be more mindful now since my goal is 10k+ steps/day... as much as possible! My daily average right now is pretty pathetic since I also sit at a desk for most of the day. Gotta get that number up.

[Secretly Saving]

I should really do this.

It's probably depressing how few steps I take each day right now...

You should totally do this! :) You'd be amazed what a difference it makes. Watch this video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUaInS6HIGo

Is a fitbit a good thing for this?

I have no idea what a good thing to track would be. I suspect it'd be horrible how little I walk, maybe it's better to not know ;-)

Ender,  recommended number for steps is 10,000 steps per day.  There are tons of great products on the market that will help you track activity.  Some are just apps on your phone, others are pedometers, wristbands etc.  I use the Fitbit Charge HR.  My spouse uses the Garmin Vivoactive because it can even be submerged in water (swimming).  I also use the following apps on my phone:  ihealth, MyFitnessPal, FitStar, and FitYoga.

Check out:
Expresso
Fitbug
Fitbit
Garmin
iHealth
LifeFitness
Misfit
Moves
RunDouble
Runkeeper
Strave
Up (by Jawbone)
Withings

Among others!

[lifejoy]

This thread is really motivating me!

14,000 steps today.

[Anatidae V]

Hey Lifejoy, are you still happy with your choice of Misfit Flash? It seems cheaper than the fitbit to me, and super handy that it seems to tell the time to some degree as well. Also that I can get it wet. So, product review - how is it?

I want to join the challenge but have no pedometer...

[UnleashHell]

I'm in. I've been tracking since the end of November with the goal of getting my average steps up.
I also track a 4 week rolling average to smooth out any ups and downs.

Week ending    steps per week     4 week average
1/2/2016           56,343    
1/9/2016           31,136    
1/16/2016    23,296    
1/23/2016    80,031                   47,702
1/30/2016    44,002                   44,616
2/6/2016          55,174                   50,626
2/13/2016    58,583                   59,448
2/20/2016    75,467                   58,307
2/27/2016    61,257                   62,620
3/5/2016          84,882                   70,047
3/12/2016    66,507                   72,028
3/19/2016    76,454                   72,275


(dont think it's quite lining up correctly)
its pretty clear that as I've become more aware that the 70,000 steps per week is an achievable goal then I've been making myself get out and walk more. Still trying to keep this up but a couple of days this week were pretty damn lazy!!! Once you get into the habit of finding time to get off your arse then its not difficult to maintain it. good luck all.

[lifejoy]

Hey Lifejoy, are you still happy with your choice of Misfit Flash? It seems cheaper than the fitbit to me, and super handy that it seems to tell the time to some degree as well. Also that I can get it wet. So, product review - how is it?

I want to join the challenge but have no pedometer...

I bought it because an MMM'er recommended it. For the price point, I'd say it's aces! And when you reach 10,000 steps, it lights up with dots all around in celebration kinda like. So you have a visual cue that shows you when you've reached 10,000. You do need a smart phone to sync it with, so if you're good on that score, I'd say go for it!


That pic shows it's the morning and I've only done two dots worth of progress. When it has dots all around, I've met my goal! :)

[lifejoy]

I'm in. I've been tracking since the end of November with the goal of getting my average steps up.
I also track a 4 week rolling average to smooth out any ups and downs.

Week ending steps per week  4 week average
1/2/2016        56,343
1/9/2016        31,136
1/16/2016 23,296
1/23/2016 80,031                47,702
1/30/2016 44,002                44,616
2/6/2016          55,174                50,626
2/13/2016 58,583                59,448
2/20/2016 75,467                58,307
2/27/2016 61,257                62,620
3/5/2016          84,882                70,047
3/12/2016 66,507                   72,028
3/19/2016 76,454                72,275


(dont think it's quite lining up correctly)
its pretty clear that as I've become more aware that the 70,000 steps per week is an achievable goal then I've been making myself get out and walk more. Still trying to keep this up but a couple of days this week were pretty damn lazy!!! Once you get into the habit of finding time to get off your arse then its not difficult to maintain it. good luck all.

Way to go! And I have to agree with you - tracking a goal makes improving seem more possible!

[The_Dude]

I started one of these type challenges back in 2012.  I still wear a cheap Omron pedometer to this today and log all my steps and log my daily amounts in a spreadsheet.

My stride is about 2.5 feet so 10k steps a day is 5 miles of walking.

I will try to step it up and get back to 10k a day average.

[Duchess of Stratosphear]

If anybody is interested in tracking what they eat, I'd recommend cronometer.com. It can sync with your fitbit and include an estimate of the calories worked off during your fitbit activity. Tracking what I eat seems to be the only way I can actually lose weight.

[Secretly Saving]

If anybody is interested in tracking what they eat, I'd recommend cronometer.com. It can sync with your fitbit and include an estimate of the calories worked off during your fitbit activity. Tracking what I eat seems to be the only way I can actually lose weight.

Does Cronometer have an app?

[afuera]

I got a fitbit for Christmas.  On weekends I get +25K since I have time and freedom to exercise, hike, be active.  Most weekdays its a stretch to get 10K.  Hopefully this thread will motivate me.
P.S. I don't really have much experience with the fitbit challenges but it would be a cool idea if we started a Mustache challenge for those with fitbits.

[lifejoy]

That's a good idea! Great way to be motivated by other peoples' progress!

Does anyone else have a Misfit Flash? I think we can add each other, or something.

[Ynari]

My step count has been incredibly varied over the past few months, mostly due to a move/change of habitat. I used to get consistently 10,000-15,000 steps per day, then it dropped to where I was fortunate to hit 5000. I've since found some nice walking paths in the area, and the weather has gotten nicer, so I'm aiming for a 10,000 step average. If anyone has a Jawbone, I'd love to duel. :)

I also do strength and flexibility exercises during the week, which aggravatingly don't count towards steps very well, so I have to deal with some level of inconsistency.

BTW, to posts upthread - I use CRONOmeter to track food occasionally (like, once a month or so) to make sure I'm eating enough and getting a good nutrient balance (the circus diet: EAT) and I really like it. I get frustrated with other food trackers because often they don't have as large of a food list, don't offer comprehensive enough nutrient analysis (and are frequently just wrong), and tend to have oversimplified formulae for determining your ratios or how "healthy" your food choices are. I like to do all that analysis myself, and the CRONometer is fantastic for that, but is also pretty intuitive for people who wish to keep it simple. I believe they do have an app (there are links at the bottom of the page https://cronometer.com) though since I use it as an infrequent check-up, I haven't used it.

[RetirementDreaming]

I'm joining in.  I just purchased by Misfit Flash this morning. 

[Duchess of Stratosphear]

If anybody is interested in tracking what they eat, I'd recommend cronometer.com. It can sync with your fitbit and include an estimate of the calories worked off during your fitbit activity. Tracking what I eat seems to be the only way I can actually lose weight.

Does Cronometer have an app?

Yes, I believe it does. I have an android phone, but I just prefer to use cronometer on my computer. I did pay for the 6 month upgrade ($20) because I thought if I spent money on it I would do it everyday (so far, pretty good), but I used the free version for a long time and it's fine. I can't remember if the app is free.

[ponyespresso]

I'm in! I get 10,000 most weekdays, but apparently I'm quite lazy on the weekends. Who would have thought that walking to the bathroom and the break room at work and running little errands around town would add up to so much? I need to step it up on the weekends, though.

I have a Fitbit Zip which annoys the crap out of me (battery issues). I'll be interested to hear how you like the Misfit. I don't think I would buy another Zip.

The Zip is really annoying, I have had two and they both don't work anymore because the battery is finicky. I upgraded to the Fitbit One and am so much happier! It's worth the extra money, I think.

[lifejoy]

I'm joining in.  I just purchased by Misfit Flash this morning.

Woohoo! I bet we could add each other on their somehow. Let me look into this.

[lifejoy]

Misfit flash users should be able to add me as "lifejoy" :)

[Primm]

Well today was a fail.

I'm a nurse, so usually I hit my 12,000 steps just in an ordinary work shift. Last night was a night shift, so my Garmin only counted from midnight. And I was looking after a kid who was seriously ill, 1:1 and I couldn't move from her cot all night unless there was someone else to cover me. And then I slept all day...

Less than 2,000 steps. For a whole day (because I'm about to go to bed).

Tomorrow will be better.

[Duchess of Stratosphear]

I'm in! I get 10,000 most weekdays, but apparently I'm quite lazy on the weekends. Who would have thought that walking to the bathroom and the break room at work and running little errands around town would add up to so much? I need to step it up on the weekends, though.

I have a Fitbit Zip which annoys the crap out of me (battery issues). I'll be interested to hear how you like the Misfit. I don't think I would buy another Zip.

That one can track sleep, right? So do you find that helpful at all?

The Zip is really annoying, I have had two and they both don't work anymore because the battery is finicky. I upgraded to the Fitbit One and am so much happier! It's worth the extra money, I think.

[CCCA]

Joining in and I already put in my goal of 3.65 million steps for 2016 in the Strength and Fitness thread.

http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/throw-down-the-gauntlet/strength-fitness-2016/

[momcpa]

"The_Dude" you sound like me......I started tracking a couple years ago.  I use the cheap Sportline pedometer.  I like it because it has a clip that I can use on clothing that don't have pockets, or it registers in a pocket also.   I list my steps on a sheet of paper each night before I get into bed.  Then once a month enter them on a spreadsheet.  The last couple years I've averaged 10,000+/day for the year.

I think that's good as I have a desk job and when you account for days traveling (sitting in a car!) or sick days, or a day when sitting reading/watch a movie didn't generate many steps......then an annual average is a good measure.

I'm afraid I've gotten kinda 'addicted' to having a good number.  But that's not a bad thing, I don't think.