How can a person average 80,000 steps in a day?

[prc1977]

I don't mean to call anybody out or question somebody's integrity but there are fitbit users who average better than 75K steps a day over the course of a week. Assuming they get eight hours of sleep, that means they're walking almost 40 minutes each hour every hour of the day unless they're asleep. Every day for a week.

It is possible that they're running or training for a marathon or walking really fast or are really really into this walking thing but it seems like it is too much. Any way you do the math, it is an incredible amount of walking and it is sustained over the entire week.

What's the most anyone has ever walked in a day? How about in a week? 

I wonder what it would be like if I got up at five am and walked all day until midnight? Doing the math, it would theoretically be possible to break 100k but I don't think I could get anywhere near that. And 80k a day for a week seems too much too.

What do you think?

Moderator edit: Clarified subject. 

[Corney]

Edmosok: You are correct. In my opinion, anyone who claims to average 50K
to 100K steps per day, per week, per month needs others to notice them,
because they feel insecure with themselves. Fitbit was developed as a
means to motivate the user to get moving. There is no research that shows
improved health for walking more than 10K steps daily. The Fitbit is a
vehicle one can use SELF MOTIVATE, not for self indulgence, not for
improving one's image in the eyes of others. Bragging about something one
claims to do is abhorrent! Why else would someone friend you, except to
enhance their ego.

[Vidd]

Well, @Corney, that's quite a sweeping thing to say, isn't it?  Surely anyone can use a device like a Fitbit any way they want to and for whatever purpose suits them!  If someone shares that they've had a good day, week, month or year, couldn't it be that they are just happy about what they've done and want to share that happiness.  Others might think that they might be able to do a little better if they see what someone else has managed.

[Corney]

Well Vidd, that's one way to look at it, It seemed to me this individual
friended someone he didn't know in order to enhance his ego. As a Physical
Therapist with 38 years experience and a runner for over 28 of those years,
I know one who assumes AVERAGING 50k to 80K steps per day somehow shows
their physical prowess or gives them immunity to disease is a fool's
errand.. I ran 7 miles per day,everyday, trained for 2 marathons and
finished each in under 4 hours and never shared my accomplishments with
anyone, because I did it for MYSELF.

[Vidd]

I don't understand which person you are referring to, @Corney:. could you please enlighten me?  Thanks.

[Edmosok]

100% agree.  75,000 to 80,000 steps per day is the equivalent of approximately 34-35 miles in a day.  That translates to over 240 miles in a week.  Elite marathoners don't run that much. It would take most people 10+ hours to walk that far each day.   A fast walker might do better, but people also need time for other things.   You probably hit the nail on the head that it is attention seeking.  I certainly didn't seek the person who wanted to be a Fitbit friend with me to show that they are doing 75,000 steps per day.  Person appears to be in great shape, but I dont buy it.   

[Corney]

Edmosok: This person may believe he is in good shape, but the only
activity that 75K-80K steps prepares him to do is to walk that many steps,
which in most cases is not a functional activity. As a side issue, if a
person AVERAGES 75K steps everyday for months and the feet do not land with
perfect bio-mechanics problems will arise. Hyperpronation will lead to
Plantar fasciitis. Hyperpronation also causes the Tibia to externally
rotate in relation to the Femur moving the Patella out of the Patellar
groove formed by the Femoral Condyles, leading to Patellar- Femoral
dysfunction. In previous posts on this issue I have warned those who
believe 75k-100k steps gives them invincibility but seem to be unaware of
the structural lower extremity problems that most often occur with these
numbers. If they fail to take heed, it's no longer my problem!

[CheyLB]

Quite a bit late to this discussion, but I just saw that my average DAILY steps on my account reads at ~43k. I absolutely do not walk that much. My goal is 8k because I'm recovering from 2 years of ankle issues. I think there is a glitch. It does not say weekly, it definitely says DAILY. 

[Corney]

CheyLB: I can see where someone without a job, without family
responsibilities, could log 80k steps in a day. But, Fitbit's weekly
report tallies AVERAGE steps per week. The workable word is AVERAGE! How
can anyone average any number of steps in ONE DAY. That's like saying a
batter who goes 4 for 4 one day has a batting average of 1000, or a pitcher
wins a game where the opponent score no runs, has an ERA of Zero. Average
means a SEVEN DAY AVERAGE! This thread should have stopped years ago!!!!!

[Edmosok]

There is a person on my feed currently showing over 90,000 steps per day (over 630K in a week).  I’m talking daily and I find it all hard to believe unless the person is just running/walking (equates; running/walking over 40 miles a day).

[Skiingsin]

Put the collar on a dog.

Sent from my iPhone

[Corney]

Edmosok: As a Physical Therapist with over 38 years clinical experience and
over 28 years as a runner who ran 7 miles per day everyday every season, I
find it difficult to believe anyone averages 90K steps week after week.
How and when do they find the time? How do they avoid the numerous overuse
injuries that occur if you don't attain Mid-Stance with perfect
Bio-mechanics, namely : Plantar Fasciitis, heel spurs, PatellarFemoral
dysfunction, stress fractures. Not only did I suffer these syndromes but I
also treated runners with these.

[Jsparks71]

I am in a group and a person has almost 400,000 steps. The challenge started Monday. And the daily average on their page said 98,000. It seems they don't sleep. I just think it is crazy

[t.parker]

Wow, this old thread is still alive 😄 Well, it's still entertaining.

@Corney there are genuine athletes capable of that level of workload but these are people who pretty much won the genetic lottery and they are very unlikely to be found among the Fitbit stepping community. They have totally different goals. Quite recently I met a guy from South Africa who is an ultra runner and does crazy mileage daily. But he has nothing else to do, lives in a van, drives to the place he wants to run and just runs for hours. And his job is related to running (I think in social media or something, never asked about details). But such people are exceptional and like I said, rather not be found in the community of steppers (they don't care about the number of steps, only distance and elevation count). I guess, his very good genes, routine and running style keeps him away from getting injured (although he had injuries in the past and he's not invincible). I can assume his steps by looking at the hours he runs and his average cadence. He runs with a cadence of 190 - 210spm and usually 6-10 hours a day of running (breaks in between, some hiking, recording some footage, sometimes even a nap in the outdoors etc.). If we take 8 hours at 190spm this will give 91200 steps. For extraordinary runner possible. For some runners possible but doing it rarely (like participating in ultra events). For most runners impossible for all the reasons you gave and amateur runners won't keep a cadence that high (160, 170 at best). And walking? One may forget about sleep and any recovery. Running a marathon within 4 hours and a cadence of 190spm would generate 45k of steps and would require keeping a constant pace of 5:40/km. Now, twice as that and every day (so running with a pace of 5:40/km 8 hours a day) is impossible for 99,99999% of the population 🙂

I wrote it before but keeping such a high cadence (which makes it easier to "compress" steps in time) is harder when the runner slows down and eventually, the cadence has to drop (so hiking with 190spm probably isn't going to happen). The walking cadence can be around 100 - 120spm (120spm is already high for walking) and if we assume the highest 120spm so one hour of the walk will at best result in 7800 steps. The majority of people walk with a lower cadence. So to reach 90k steps a day for a good walker who can keep cadence fixed (maybe with a metronome) means 11 hours of continuous walking. Every day? Wish I had that much time :D. And again, there are all the health issues that would accumulate with such a workload 🙂

[RobbieDi]

I have no idea how people do this—-

--

RobbieDi

[brunoray]

That is a most awesome answer. And I do agree, I doubt they are wearing a FitBit. Dang, it would blow up!!
N


Sent from the all new AOL app for iOS

[aaronsdad52]

I am 69 years old and also have COPD and I do get up to 103,000 steps per week and I have hit 27,000 steps in one day but, that is not an everyday thing though because I have other things to do during my day, I do know some people that brag that they hit 10,000 to 15,000 and one person said they do it in their easy chair which to me that isn't helping them at all. I am proud of the amount of steps I do get and when I was first diagnosed with COPD my lung capacity during a Pulmonary Function Test was 42 percent and it 2021 when I had my last Pulmonary Function Test done my Lung capacity was up to 79 percent!

[Jsparks71]

I was in a workweek challenge 2 times with a person (same person) who won the challenge both times with over 400,000 steps. I never joined again. I felt like I could never compete. The second place person had 147,000 which to me is more realistic. I just felt like they were lying or want to show off. 

[Vidd]

I think 400,000 steps in a week is possible, but there wouldn't be a lot of time for much else each day.  That's 57,143 steps per day, so unless this person is running, that's a good eight hours each day just walking.  I've had quite a number of 300,000 + weeks, and I'm not a runner, so I'm used to walking for six hours a day.  I guess my dog wouldn't mind if I tried to add an extra couple of hours, but I think my whole body might complain!

[WeetzieCat]

Wow, what a long thread!  Actually, it addresses something I've been wondering about:  the possibility of ever earning the 100,000 step badge, and other high step count questions.  

I just got my Fitbit in October, so I don't know much about any of this.  10,000 steps seemed like a lot.  Yesterday I did over 22,000, and I am pleased with that for now.  Actually, very pleased, given that two or three months ago, I got winded walking to the mailbox.  I'm hoping eventually I will be able to do more, but I can't imagine doing it every day, not because I don't want the exercise, but because there are so many other activities I want to try (or get back to).  I would never disparage the distance walkers or the runners out there, but for me, I think trying to log an ever-increasing step count would be limiting in a way that just doesn't mesh well with my taste for variety.  It's getting to the point where I can imagine getting in my 10,000 a day (which now feels less like a goal than a sacred obligation) and still managing some other workouts, but hundreds of thousands of steps a week?  I am in awe!  

.

[josekreif]

Problem solved. They are cheating. Whether intentionally or ignorantly.

Fitbit foolishly lets users connect 3rd party devices to their service to track steps. In doing so, one can use their phone to track steps. Having a friend test it, it turns out phones greatly over estimate the number of steps one takes. Feast you eyes on our test results. The day not even over and it's at 263,635. Just doing an average walking day for most fitbiters. Trying to achieve the 10k goal and it overshoots.