Confession of a Failed Steps Addict

There are still a few of us oddballs out here. I have never wore a fitbit and I stopped wearing a watch when I fired in 2016, so I have no idea how many steps I take daily.

However, I'm still a nerd and track DW and my hiking miles within a spreadsheet (sidewalks in town don't count, which annoys DW). Periodically, I will use a phone app, but the vast majority of our distances are taken from maps (hard copy and on-line). So far this year, we have hiked 183 days for a total of 1,092 miles. Many miles are across the street in the CO Monument, although, we did go down to Bears Ears and the Needles District last week for some great hiking (Kane Gulch and Joint Trails, respectively). FYI, for those familiar with the Needles District, when we arrived at Elephant Hill trailhead packing lot at ~9:30, there was a total of 4 cars!! It's so nice to plan a trip the day before you leave based on the favorable weather.
 
I am a spreadsheet geek and "steps" are one of my daily postings. Been doing that for a couple years. It keeps me moving and motivated. Yes, sometimes it feels like I'm a little over the top keeping daily track......but it works for me. I'm over 70 and feel like my daily walking is just part of my routine. Brush my teeth, comb my hair, take a shower, and one or two daily walks.........It all fits into my retirement life. I don't talk about it to others, I don't tell others that they should be doing the same. It's just my thing and I'll keep on keeping track as long as I can.
 
Whatever happened to old people walking around malls? Did that die down?
 
I've never counted steps. I also have a bad meniscus so I'm limited to how much walking I can do anyway.

Exercise bike 20 - 30 minutes 3 times a week for cardio. I also do squats, deadlifts, and other leg exercises for strength which is just as important as cardio...and it's even more important if you need to use your arms to get out of a chair or struggle to get off the floor.
 
We have nice weather and park trails here. My goal is 4 miles per day. So far this year I am near that goal.

What I try not get obsessed about is fast walking and am regularly passed up by ladies talking a mile a minute. DW has a faster pace then me too and is an inspiration.

Lately I've taken to listening to podcasts after the 1st mile. Learning a lot :)
 
Don’t care for enclosed malls much anyway, but the floors are so hard!
 
aja8888 said:
Our mall is doing well and there are several walkers there daily. One of them is a good friend of mine who walks 15,000+ steps daily. I have tried to walk in our mall but hate walking indoors.
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My local Menards has a group of walkers in the aisles at 6 am. No way could I get my steps in at a store or mall.

Prefer to be outdoors, preferably on a hike in a desolate area. Alternate 1 is walking around our neighborhood. Alternate 2 is on my treadmill parked in front of the TV.
 
I have walked for exercise since my teens. I just like to walk. Anything which turns my enjoyment into a duty or competition will spoil my fun. I'm that way about pretty much everything.
 
This issue has reared its ugly head in my very own household.

I use my stats primarily to track what I am already doing. If I'm honest, it's mainly so I can prove to my wife that I'm not turning into a couch potato. While I do enjoy 'beating' a previous record, I recognize that sometimes I will walk less than others and try not to obsess about it.

The wife, on the other hand :facepalm:

I often notice her sitting on the couch and swinging her watch arm up and down, just so the watch will record that she stood at least once for that hour. She does this because it doesn't recognize her standing and moving around unless it happens inside a certain 5-minute period. Or something like that. She really worries about hitting step targets. I feel like, by getting her that watch, I created a monster...
 
I track my steps. Don't mind that or walking.
 
There was a time when I counted steps but not so much anymore. I wear a fitbit mostly to track overall level of activity as well as sleep. I walk three miles every morning (with rare exceptions) so that pretty much covers the "steps" issue. We live in Michigan so sometimes I have to wear ice cleats if it's slippery. Rain is one thing that pretty much keeps me inside - don't like getting wet.
 
It's a mixed bag for my significant other and I. We both have devices that count our steps, physical activity, etc. but it's more for the health insurance discounts through our employers than anything else. It's fun to see when you've hit some new achievement in the application, but I don't think either of us are actively tracking our steps to the point where we're adding activities on top of what we're already doing.
 
audreyh1 said:
Don’t care for enclosed malls much anyway, but the floors are so hard!
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Yeah, I totally understand, but some people mentioned weather (I live in Canada, so I also understand snow and ice conditions in the winter months).
 
Sure, I understand the appeal in areas with serious winter weather.

However here we are surrounded by snowbirds who have the best solution for enjoying exercise in the winter months, outside too.
 
I'm a nerd.... but don't have an apple anything. My android phone has google fit... which tells me I do between 6k-10k steps when I have my phone on my body... but it doesn't capture all the moving around the house, up/down steps, etc.

but I play Pokemon Go (like I said, I'm a nerd), and I pretty much always get the buddy hearts for walking 6km or more. Usually around 3miles per google fit. That's with my phone in my hand. Usually when I walk the dog at the beach in the morning.

When I travel I typically hit 10 miles/day. It's pretty similar between trips to national parks and trips to urban locations... When I was in Zion NP a few weeks ago it was about 10 miles total... mostly doing hikes. I'm heading to Italy to visit the son studying abroad. I know I'll climb 460ish steps when I go to the top of the Duomo next monday... and I'll hit a similar number when we climb the tower at San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice the following weekend.. I'd climb the Giotto belltower in Florence but it's closed for maintenance next week. Travelling, whether camping or touring Europe, always seems to involve a lot of walking.

But I don't track with a fitbit or watch... and only check google fit when I think I've walked more than normal... Normal is a few miles/day... the dog requires that.
 
I will admit to one occasional obsession regarding steps :). If, after 11pm, I notice I have over 9,000 steps, I may try to put in the effort to see it cross 10,000 before midnight.

It can be silly, such noticing on the way to bed at 11:58 that the step count is 9,700... quick, time to get those 300 steps in before midnight :).
 
I'd be a lot better at getting steps in if I did not suffer from plantar fasciitis. . . I've tried the stretches and ice and rest and all that but it never really clears up completely - well so far. . .
 
jollystomper said:
I will admit to one occasional obsession regarding steps :). If, after 11pm, I notice I have over 9,000 steps, I may try to put in the effort to see it cross 10,000 before midnight.

It can be silly, such noticing on the way to bed at 11:58 that the step count is 9,700... quick, time to get those 300 steps in before midnight :).
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I do the same. Maybe we need a support group.

I enjoy walking, but tracking the numbers keeps me honest & motivated to make sure I'm really getting the exercise I need. I wear an old-fashioned Omron pedometer all the time & it keeps me moving, starting with a long walk every morning. If I don't make an effort every day, it would be too easy to start making excuses & become a sloth.
 
lucky penny said:
If I don't make an effort every day, it would be too easy to start making excuses & become a sloth.
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Yeah, I've got an Apple Watch that nags me and it's OK. Otherwise I could spend a lot of time playing on the computer. The goals are 11 Stand hours out of 24 (getting up, standing for a few minutes), 60 minutes of exercise and 440 active calories (defined as calories burned beyond what you'd bun if you were sedentary all day). The last is the hardest but I almost always make it- I did break an "active" streak the day I came home from South America after 2 days of living on water and yogurt after a bad digestive issue. I just couldn't- decided it would be worse if I tried to get there.

And now I've been issued a "November Challenge" to do 13 more days of 640+ Active Calories in November. I must have done a couple already but when I checked today's tally after an hour of cardio in the AM, running some errands and an 8-mile bike ride in the PM, I'm at 549. Nope. Not gonna happen.
 
I'm with those that don't like walking indoors. I also don't like walking in town, but I do sometimes. I can walk for miles and miles when out in the open and time gets away from me than too.
 
lucky penny said:
I do the same. Maybe we need a support group.

I enjoy walking, but tracking the numbers keeps me honest & motivated to make sure I'm really getting the exercise I need. I wear an old-fashioned Omron pedometer all the time & it keeps me moving, starting with a long walk every morning. If I don't make an effort every day, it would be too easy to start making excuses & become a sloth.
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......you can catch me a couple nights a week pacing around the house to get those final steps in for the day. I've worn out or lost a couple Omron pedometers and have recently started using an Ozo Fitness pedometer......only because I couldn't find the exact Omron I've used in the past. Yup, I like to challenge myself, but I might be a little anal about getting a certain number of steps per day. Guess I could have worse habits !:cool:
 
On another forum, I just saw an ad for Brooks running shoes. It says something like "turn your 9.99k steps into 10k." And then it shows a man running around his kitchen table !!!
 
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