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. 

[GershonSurge]

@Greeneyez1434,

Most bodies can't sustain 80,000 steps a day. Some can. For instance, both Scott Jurek and Jennifer Pharr Davis hiked the Appalachian Trail (2187 miles) in 46 days and some hours averaging over 48 miles/day. Jennifer Pharr Davis walked about 18 hours a day and Scott Jurek alternated running and walking. Scott Jurek is one of the top ultra-marathoners in the world. 

Marshall Ulrich crossed the United States averaging 75 miles/day. Didn't sound like much fun to me, but I guess he enjoyed it.

Admittedly, most of the people who claim to average 80,000 steps a day aren't doing it. They seldom make their data public. If you can see the data, it's easy to tell who is not telling the truth. The calories burned, active minutes and steps don't make sense.

[Billyx77]

Yeah the most I got in oone day is 60,000. That's is with no sleep and
jogging a while... The next day I was burnt out

[davy.franko84]

WTF would you ask that question for. Most of those people are probably drummers, whose wrists are doing paradiddles, and single stroke rolls all day long, and the fitbit can't distinguish between the movement of stepping, and drumming. No, seriously though, don't even try to compare yourself to them. They may be athletes, marathon runners, personal trainers, and others that do nothing but move all day long. They rub their narcissism in other peoples faces because they love challenges, and don't realize that most of us have careers, work for a living, and have families that demand our attention. As long as your doing something, and making progress, and it is a slow process, you'll be better then you were before. 

[Greeneyez1434]

Yea I was asking it sarcastically like how it that even possible, cuz it's
not... not something I am personally trying to achieve

[Corney]

MermaidKisses: I totally agree with you. I'm a retired Physical Therapist
who has studied Anatomy, Physiology, Kinesiology and Exercise Physiology.
I specialized in Orthopedics and Rehabilitation. I've posted many times
the adverse affects of walking 50K, 80K, 100K step per day, but I've been
preaching to deaf ears. I truly doubt anyone walks 50K steps everyday, day
after day, week after week, month after month, but if they do their body
will rebel and they will have to pay the price. I have stopped commenting
on their foolishness because it seems to make them more determined to prove
me wrong. In my capacity as a Physical Therapist I showed empathy,
compassion and professionalism with all my clients, but with these fools I
will have no empathy or compassion. To paraphrase "There is no one so deaf
as those who refuse to listen."

[SunsetRunner]

I can and have done 80K steps per day and even exceed 100K. While not
walking, power walking, etc. just running. When you run 50+ miles per day
(yes) you will hit those types of steps. I run trail ultra marathons, so
my training workout for my long runs will exceed the 80K steps per day. So
it's a reachable goal, but would be difficult to hit just by walking.

[GershonSurge]

@Corney, 

First, let's correct a couple errors you made. Nobody has said they have run/walked 50,000 steps or more day after day or month after month. @BruceBu has averaged over 50,000 a day for a month and more and has provided the documentation to prove it. He has been working up to this level for 40 years. I've also provided a list of people who have done it for many miles while setting records for hiking the Appalachian Trail or across the country. Those hiking the Appalachian Trail would have had to get close to 100,000 steps a day for 46 days. They suffered no permanent ill effects. Neither did those setting records for walking across the country averaging 75 miles a day.

Now, let's look at the record of one of your patients -- yourself. You said you got plantar fasciitis while running only six miles a day. As a physical therapist, didn't you know to take time off the moment you started to feel any pain? Or did you recommend running through the pain so it spread to your knees?

In my opinion, you would be totally unqualified to comment in a topic named "How to Run Safely," because you never discovered the secret. Those of us in our 60's who are doing it would be far more qualified. My bit of advice would be to run without fatigue and without pain. If either of these start to appear, take time off. I'm doing that now.

[brunoray]

Amen.

Sent from my iPhone

[Corney]

For your information the Plantar Fasciitis occured only after 25 years of
running daily along with countless races. I tried to accomodate for the
problem by first only running against traffic since my left leg was
slightly longer that my right leg, than I bought OTC Orthotics due to my
problem of over pronation and bought shoes with a firm heel counter to
provide more rear foot control, but the years finally took it's toll. Just
taking a day off now and then would not make up for my bio-mechanic
faults. I was wise enough to realize that when my running was beginning to
affect my knee, I QUIT! If you know anything about Plantar Fasciitis it
never hurts when you are running, because once the Plantar Fascia is
stretched out it no longer causes pain. I went by one of my hard and fast
rules, NEVER TRAIN THROUGH PAIN. As you well know just because a person is
a Health care Professional doesn't mean they are wise about their own
health. How many over weight Dr.'s and Nurses have you seen or know, how
many Dr.'s smoke? But I was smart enough to recognize my symptoms and knew
the long term consequences if I had continued running. I still exercise
daily using a stationary bike, rower and an elliptical. I no longer have
Plantar Fasciitis and no knee problems. No one that I know is immune to
the many Orthopedic problems that come with aging, the key is to recognize
the onset and do something about it. I did. I have stopped my rants about
50-80K steps per day because the more I talk about it, the more it seems
people disregard what I say and are more determined to prove me wrong.
Mark my words, their day will come and they will ask themselves, " How and
why did this ever happen"?

[GershonSurge]

@Corney 

Personally, I've never heard of a person with plantar fasciitis who got cured by doctors or physical therapists. They keep getting expensive inserts, etc., and are allowed to keep walking or running. 

It's easy to cure. At the first indication, don't run or walk more than necessary. Continue this treatment until it goes away. Same for most other running or walking injuries. I don't need all the fancy medical terms for all the potential injuries.

As for joints deteriorating with age, there is actually nothing to suggest this. They are more likely to deteriorate when a person eats animal  products or is obese. Perhaps you haven't kept up with the research. Of course, you never got to examine healthy people.

[Corney]

GershonSurge. Plantar Fasciitis is usually caused by 3 bio-mechanical
faults, all of which lead to Hyper Pronation. 1. One leg longer than the
other, normally more than 1/2 inch, but runners are different because when
they land, they land with 3 times body weight which will magnify and leg
length difference of less than 1/2 inch. The body tries to be symmetrical,
so the longer leg pronates more which in effect shortens that leg. 2.
Tight calf muscles causes increased strain on the longitudinal arch which
is supported by the Plantar fascia. 3. Decreased flexibility of the Great
toe Flexors. When we walk or runner our heels strike at the lateral aspect
of our heel and roll over the foot medially till we push off the Great
toe. If the Great toe lack significant flexibility then we tend to avoid
it and runner runs more on the lateral aspect of our foot and at midstance
we compensate by over Pronation. I cured my Plantar Fasciitis by doing
research and obtaining Orthotics and shoes with a firm heel counter. The
Orthotics gave my Plantar Fascia the support it was lacking, The shoes with
a firm heel counter gave my foot more rear foot stability which lessened
Hyper Pronation. These solutions allowed me to keep running 10 years
longer. Your first statement is FALSE, I cured my Plantar Fasciitis and
now no longer have it, granted I had to quit 10 years later but it gave me
10 more years on the road. If you would like to educate yourself about
runner's injuries I suggest you read " The Runner's Repair Manual" by Dr.
Murray F. Weisenfeld. Your second statement is totally ABSURD, that eating
animal products causes joint destruction. Show me your research, that
shows all non-vegans have joint destruction and vegans have no joint
destruction. Statements like that show just how out of touch you are to
reality. Who financed that research, and what Recognized Medical Journal
published said article. Have you ever heard the adage that Form follows
Function. Humans have Incisors and Molars, which mean we are Omnivors,
those that eat both meat and vegetables.

GershonSurge: Etiology of OA is unknown. Contributing factors include:
congenital joint abnormalities, genetic defects, infections, metabolic,
endocrine, and neuropathic diseases, any disease process that alter the
normal structure and function of the hyaline cartilage, acute or chronic
trauma, to the hyaline cartilage or tissue surrounding it (eg. prolonged
overuse of a joint or groups of joints, as in certain occupations. First
appears asymptomatically in the 2nd to 3rd decades and becomes universal by
age 70. Almost all persons by age 40 have some pathologic changes in
weight bearing joints. Men and women are equally affected, but onset is
earlier in men. Onset is found in all climates. Then there is Psoriatic
Arthritis and arthritis caused by Gout. Rheumatoid Arthritis is an
Autoimmune Disease. So by all means quit eating meat, avoid milk and take
in alot of Omega 3 oils and live happily ever after!

Moderator edit: merged reply

[GershonSurge]

@Corney, 

Not trying to be a grammar nazi or anything. Just a suggestion that paragraph breaks are helpful.

First of all, the statement that I've never heard of anyone with plantar fasciitis who got cured by a doctor or physical therapist is absolutely true. 

Don't waste your time spouting dozens of causes. The root cause is the same. Trying to work through pain. You stated this was the case for yourself. When you rested, you were cured after some time.

As for diet being the cause of most degenerative diseases, I suggest you study the works of Dr. McDougall and Dr. T. Colin Campbell. There are others pursuing the same lines of research. You have a lot of misconceptions I don't feel the need to correct. I'm not going to play research study ping pong with you.

[Bobbyhill2009]

Some people I work with AVERAGE steps per day are over 45,000 steps. They tend to average like17-20 MILES per day. But it depends on the job and the need of the walking.

[Bobbyhill2009]

It can depend on the job. I work in phlebotomy at a hospital, mainly in outpatient - but work inpatient some. From 0300-2130, I have achieved 16,734 steps. I worked from 0330-1300 and then just managed picking my son up, napping 2 hrs and taking care of stuff around the house. Today was an inpatient work day. But outpatient days I can manage anywhere from 8,000-17,000 per day. 

[Melleigh]

I just got to this thread because I added someone to be my friend, but when they appeared on my community list they had over 650,000 weekly steps. More than 88,000 daily step average. I deleted them. Maybe she wasn't lying. Maybe she was an ultra runner despite no mention of it. Either way, I don't need her on my list making me feel **ahem**ty lol. I dedicate a minimum of six hours a day to walking and running and my current weekly average is around 26K (due to an 8K rest day) and my usual daily is right around 37K. 37,375 being my step goal. I bust my **ahem** to get those goals and while I'm completely happy for this woman if she is being honest, it's just not the kind of friends I need on my list. Those numbers can only be discouraging to me. Admittedly, I'm quite doubtful of her honestly simply because of some other details in her life that don't fit with the kind of dedication she would need to meet those goals. 

[Corney]

I totally agree with you! 50-80K steps per day is absurd. No one can
average that many steps everyday, week after week, month after month. I've
stopped commenting on this because no one seems to listen!

[Corney]

I totally agree with you! 50-80K steps per day is absurd. No one can
average that many steps everyday, week after week, month after month. I've
stopped commenting on this because no one seems to listen!

[mr.o.u.s]

My thoughts exactly. I know how you get an honest 20 to 50k a day and how
you can do an ultra and get 100k plus. I also know how ppl cheat and have
no place for that in my circle of friends. Thanks,

Mike

[uberwench]

OR: be an over-exercising anorexic.  not to say everyone with a high step count is, but i know someone who paced constantly and walked on a treadmill 12 hours and did speed to stay up and hit 100k.

i can barely hit 54k while doing other things so i'm not going to stress over not being able to hit that high.

plus, some people are cheating, so . . .but not everyone who gets that high does.

[mr.o.u.s]

To be clear, I'm not talking about one exceptional day where you get up at
3am and then do an ultra marathon until midnight. That is easy to
comprehend. 100k is totally attainable that way. Averaging 80k over a multi
month period unless you are an elete ultra athlete with no job or one that
requires 8 hours of constant walking (park ranger, postman, walking tour
guide, roving security guard, what else?) is more difficult to
understand,IMHO.

Mike