A Measured Year

Oddly enough, while I was writing about the new Fitbit ChargeHR, I got an email from Fitbit about my activities of the last 12 months.

According to them (and who am I to argue?) in the last twelve months I’ve walked a total of 873 miles, through 1,763,045 steps.  That’s not bad, for someone who didn’t/doesn’t get out as much as I should…

That adds up to an average of just under 2½ miles walked every day, just over 4,800 steps a day.

OK, it’s not the recommended 10,000 steps a day – but that wasn’t really my goal in the first year (or possibly even the second).  However you look at it, 10,000 steps is a lot, coming in at around 6 miles a day.  But it is better than I did the previous year (due to being more aware of it, and more determined to get out more) and I’m happy with where it’s at.  I know plenty of others will say “Is that all?”, but that’s fine too – it gives me plenty of options.

So I’m happy – and it’s also good to know those details, rather than just thinking I’ve walked more etc. And this year’s target will be to comfortably beat those totals. Maybe 1,000 miles in a year? Who knows.

 


2 Comments on “A Measured Year”

  1. Blue Witch says:

    Well done!

    I’m interested to know – on days when you don’t go out, how many steps do you do, just moving around the house?

    But – I’m sceptical about the call for 6 miles a day. If everyone did that the NHS wouldn’t be able to keep up with the demand for replacement joints.

    Looking at the many older people I know needing replacement hips and knees now, almost all were very active and sporty when they were younger, or had hard manual jobs.

    Our bodies haven’t evolved to be that active for the number of years we are now living.

  2. Lyle says:

    On days where I don’t go out, it tends to be a maximum of about 1,000 steps. Even that is if I’m doing a lot of domestic stuff: laundry, cleaning, putting stuff into the outdoor bins etc. If I’m really “not doing much”, it’ll come down to about 500.

    As for the 10,000 steps – I’m not convinced either. I think if you’re doing it anyway (i.e. working within a longer walking distance of home/transport terminus etc.) it’s not too bad, but forcing life to also take in those 10,000 steps when it simply isn’t practicable is an issue.

    I know that when I worked in Bracknell, Cambridge and London, I did a lot more walking – because I’d walk from train-station to office, and back. In Cambridge that was a couple of miles each way, plus getting lunch etc., so a lot closer to that 10,000. Add in dog-walking, and definitely over it. In London, much the same. But when I worked in Luton, I’d drive pretty much door-to-door, and was probably lucky to do 1,000 steps a day.


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