5,000 steps a day insufficient?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve heard two hours of exercise a day is ideal. Obviously if you only have time for one hour, there’s better than nothing.

Over the course of the week your routine should include high intensity training (high heart rate), zone training (moderately high heart rate), weight lifting, and stretching.

God, we are so crazy as Americans. All or nothing. No, you don't need 2 hours of exercise. If people watched what they ate and walked 5000 steps, we'd be a lot healthier of a country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That does seem low to me, but at the same time, all steps are not the same. 5,000 steps of stairs is not the same as 5,000 steps running, which is not the same as 5k steps walked.

If you're in good health, then you do you. Personally, I generate 3-4k just around the house (a pretty small house). Overall, I get 15-20k steps daily.

I get 3-4 around the house and have never gotten close to over 12k with dedicated effort. What r u doing for 20k- nurse? Waitress?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I read an article about the 10,000 step myth and the article said that based on research, 7,500 was a good number to aim for daily.

I was just coming on to say this.

Ok, but OP doesn't do 7500 steps. She’s pretty sedentary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not just the number of steps you take, but rather your fitness goals. If your goal is weight loss or cardiovascular, then it's a sustained period of elevated heart rate. For me, 30 minutes of fast walking on an incline will rack up 4,200+, with the incline helping keep my heart rate in the fat burning zone.

A leisurely stroll of a couple miles through a level park isn't going to do that much for your waistline....

If you control your eating, then walking is much better than hard cardio which increases your appetite.

No, hard cardio decreases appetite. There was just an article in the Times about this.

[Anonymous]

Americans average 4,000 steps/day

Japanese average 7,000 steps/day

Aussies and Kiwis average 10,000 steps/day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Americans average 4,000 steps/day

Japanese average 7,000 steps/day

Aussies and Kiwis average 10,000 steps/day.

Seriously?! 4k a day?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Americans average 4,000 steps/day

Japanese average 7,000 steps/day

Aussies and Kiwis average 10,000 steps/day.

Seriously?! 4k a day?!

Mostly between the sofa and the fridge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Americans average 4,000 steps/day

Japanese average 7,000 steps/day

Aussies and Kiwis average 10,000 steps/day.

Seriously?! 4k a day?!

hell 4K doesn't surprise me one bit! I actually thought it would be lower.

[Anonymous]

It's not about how many steps. You can be active and have a low step count if the workouts you do are not related to you covering a long distance with walking or running. I work out 6-7 days a week. On 4 of the 7 days my workout is not about my feet leaving the floor and covering any distance if that makes sense. I do HIIT and trust me my heart rate gets up there, but my feet aren't leaving the ground and I'm not covering any distance. I also occasionally row. That's a heck of a workout too. On those days I'm lucky if I get 4K steps because I work as well, where I'm at a desk. On the other 2 days I go on serious walks where I cover between 4-5 miles and I'm huffing and puffing. So sure on those days by 1pm I've got 13K steps. Point is, don't get too caught up in the step count. You should be more concerned about getting your heart rate up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The 10,000 steps thing is a myth. It was made up as part of an ad campaign for a 1960s Japanese pedometer and had no basis in science. Look it up. Actual studies show that an optimal number is much, much lower. You’re doing great!

Does anyone know what that # is?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That does seem low to me, but at the same time, all steps are not the same. 5,000 steps of stairs is not the same as 5,000 steps running, which is not the same as 5k steps walked.

If you're in good health, then you do you. Personally, I generate 3-4k just around the house (a pretty small house). Overall, I get 15-20k steps daily.

How do you get 3-4K steps just walking around a small house? What are you doing to get those steps and also how are you getting 15-20K a day? Are you a waitress? How are you generating these steps. Unless I pace around my tiny living room I can't imagine getting that amount of steps in and I walk about 30-45 min everyday outside.

[Anonymous]

My neighbor is chief of cardiology at our local research hospital. She said the step thing is less important than increasing your heart rate through exercise. 30 minutes a day of increased heart rate is the goal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not just the number of steps you take, but rather your fitness goals. If your goal is weight loss or cardiovascular, then it's a sustained period of elevated heart rate. For me, 30 minutes of fast walking on an incline will rack up 4,200+, with the incline helping keep my heart rate in the fat burning zone.

A leisurely stroll of a couple miles through a level park isn't going to do that much for your waistline....

If you control your eating, then walking is much better than hard cardio which increases your appetite.

No, hard cardio decreases appetite. There was just an article in the Times about this.

Link?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The 10,000 steps thing is a myth. It was made up as part of an ad campaign for a 1960s Japanese pedometer and had no basis in science. Look it up. Actual studies show that an optimal number is much, much lower. You’re doing great!

Does anyone know what that # is?

7000 steps.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks everyone for responses. With the move to WFH, I have been walking less overall and then go straight from work to making dinner and the evening routine. (My mileage is from my phone app only, so perhaps I'm getting more in from general household stuff but probably negligible.) I'm going to make an effort to leave the house for lunch or at least get in a short 15-20 minute walk at that time to get in a few more steps.