10,000 steps seem too easy

[missnotsofit]

My goals were set for 10,000 steps daily and I made and actually exceeded that by nearly 3,000 on first full day. I did consciously try to walk more, getting up each hour to walk, deliberately walking more to put up dishes, laundry etc., and also took the dog for a short walk, but, it still seemed a bit too easy to reach 10,000 steps. I am later middle aged woman with some joint issues and don't want to overdue it, but I do want to walk enough to lose weight, not just maintain. Should I keep my goal at 10,000 for a while and see if it continues to be too easy for me, or should I up it to 12000 or 15000? Thanks in advance for any assistance.

[MarciM · Accepted solution]

Hi @missnotsofit I'd suggest sticking to the 10K goal for the first month and then evaluating how you did. If at the end of 30 days, you were able to make 10K each day, which too much effort and your body feels good, then up it to 12K. The important thing is to listen to your body. Right now you are ultra focused on the new Fitbit and making an effort to get those steps in, after a week or two you will likely start to revert back to old habits and that is when tracking your steps becomes more interesting. Also joints can take the increase in movement, for a period of time without issue, but over a long periods, you might start to feel stiffness or discomfort, thus my comment about listen to your body. Good luck and have fun stepping!

[missnotsofit]

Thank you. That is what I was thinking , that it seems easy at first because I am new and excited about using my Fitbit. So, I guess it is ok to just overreach the goal for a while, if that is what feels comfortable. Right now I am not feeling any joint discomfort, but you are right, I might feel it later. So, I will stick to 10,000 for a while to see how I do. Thanks 🙂

[essieL]

Hi! Most people get around 5,000 steps or a little less in an average day, so at 10,000 you are making bit of an effort. That’s something to be proud of! Just keep stepping and see how you feel at the end of a month, if you really feel it’s not enough incentive mark it up to 12 or even 15, but keep it reachable with a little stretch. 😊

[missnotsofit]

Thank you, unfortunately I got a stomache Virus and missed my 10,000 goal by 400 steps on Wednesday and plummeted to less than 1000 on Thursday! But, Feeling better now and I am trying to get my 10,000 today. My graph looks like I died on Thursday LOL