How do people average 50000 steps per day?

[Emmeli]

Who has the time to average 50,000 steps a day!? How can this be possible?

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity

[Hypnopickle]

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wrote:

People are concerned because it is unbelievable and is highly unlikely without cheating. As for a treadmill desk, 30,000 steps in a day is about the most one could get in an 8 hour day in a working environment. The research has shown that one cannot work effectively walking at more than a 2.5 mile pace and in a working environment one cannot be on the treadmill all eight hours. 

When Bill Rogers and top female finishers questioned Rosie Ruiz’s 1980 performance at Boston did you feel an urge to chastise them? Should they have only worried about themselfs and not others?

May I direct you to Matthew 7:3, “And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own?” and Mathew 7:5 “Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye..”

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Ugh. Stop with the preaching.

[GershonSurge]

@BruceBu

I'm over halfway to 50,000 for the 15th day in a row. 😉

[LongRunNick]

I never paid much attention to the number steps I have amassed over the last 42 years of running, but I can tell you I am currently at 88,374 miles running and counting- closing in on 75.

[BruceBu]

@GershonSurge Well done, keep up the good work as long as you are comfortable and happy. As you know, I am a bit more erratic believing in hard/easy periods on time scales ranging from daily to seasonal. Long term, over the last few years, I have averaged about 37k steps and 19.5 miles/day. Most of it is vigorous walking on mountain trails and byways, but perhaps a couple of miles are running mixed in in short segments of 1 - 10 min. My primary metric is monthly numbers and the best I've done is as a little over 2 millions steps (65k/day, a little over 1000 miles for the month), somewhat less than half that is more typical.

@LongRunNick as a long-term average that is about 5.75 miles per day and probably somewhere around 10k steps. if real running (stride longer than walking) and not jogging (shorter) which might get around 12k, plus of course the incidental steps that aren't included in your running logs. But, comparing running and walking steps is like apples and kumquats.

[LongRunNick]

Just so members put this in perspective. I started logging running miles on 4/22/76. Way before step counting became a fad. I run usually 6 days a week 40-50 miles a week. In my 30’s, 40’s, 50’s normally right around 50 miles a week. In my 60’s and 70’s I am pretty consistent with 40-45 miles a week. I have competed in over 500 races from 1 mile to over 55 miles(19 marathons/27 ultramarathons). When Nike hit the streets with their Fuel Bamd I would average around 20,000 steps a day. With my Garmin running watches and my only Fitbit- the Ionic I still get around 20,000 steps. I usually get 14-16 miles of walking our dog aweek. I use her for warming up and cooling down walks before/after my runs as well as walking her in the evening.

My running PR’s( all in my early 40’s, after 10years of running: 5K- 17:44, 10K- 36:34, 10 miler- 61:22; 1/2 Marathon 1:23:41, Marathon 3:16, 50 mile Ultra 8:07). So you can see those aren’t jogging paces. Have slowed to now where my 5K’s are in the 26-27 minute range. My last 50K was 3 years ago and finished in 6:01.

I list this to advise I have never been interested in steps, more in running miles and competing. I also use to ride my bike around 50-100 miles a week. No steps there.

When I have been forced to walk due to injury I find it more difficult walking than running- so my hat is off to walkers. My goal is to run the rest of my life. I have been so fortunate to be able to continue running and being healthy. A gift. Thanks for letting me share. Keep moving folks, it works. Maybe what I presented may motivate some folks to do more than they think they can. For me, there is no finish line, well the cemetery I guess:) Nick

[MattSron]

I work construction I hit 18-24k steps as well as 50-70 floors regularly in an 8hour day. So 30k is definitely possible in a 10hour work day.

[stridermax]

Your math is wrong. Now I have a job where I don’t do that much. It’s AV work for a  conference center in Colorado.  Now for the last two month I have been paid shiny myself, I walk as of today on avarage 35k steps. I try to do 40k every day. To be honest ever day I wake up at around 7pm. It takes 30min to get cleaned and dressed. Then pace while reading my bible, then I walk two hours. Or go climbing. I walk to Indoor rock climbing (an hour walk away) after two

hours of pacing in my house/rock climbing/ or hiking in the hills behind my house I rest until maybe 2pm. Then I walk or hike for another two hours or more. The most steps I have gotten in an hour is 7,200, but that’s pushing it. It’s usually between 5,100 and 6,800 steps. Now just do the math. I can and do spend six to 8 hours every day walking. Maybe not consecutively strain 6 to 8 hours but I get 40k steps every day if I’m not in shooting a film (I’m a filmmaker) or have a deadline. When I’m at my other AV job I pace around on the grounds or in my office, it boss do any tell me to knock it off because he hates me pacing. My point is. There is a tone of things you can cut out in your day to be at 40k a day. Now what I have found doing this for three months is that I have flat feet and have injured myself (my feet) in doing this and I might need to slow down, but anything is possible. My highest steps in a day were 60,120steps in a day. After my foot heals I’m going for 70k in a day. I have never cheated all my steps are real. Is it sustainable, I hope, most likely when I change jobs or get married or get a dog I won’t have as much time. These steps are dependent on time! That’s all. If I sleep for 8 hours I have 14 hours in my day. How do you spend it? For me, it’s spending time with God, friends, film, a little Netflix, and a lot of getting in steps. Cheers. 

[Daves_Not_Here]

I get less than 50,000 steps every day without fail.  It takes a commitment, but I'm willing to do what it takes to not walk 50,000 steps per day.  I find it helps to break up the day in phases:

• First half of day - do not walk 25,000 steps
• Second half of day - do not walk 25,000 steps

At the end of the day, I keep it going by not avoiding a double martini.

@LongRunNick - Wow!  I'm exhausted just reading your story.  But inspired, for sure.  I hope to sustain my somewhat lower level of activity indefinitely as you have.

[Baltoscott]

It is really hard to believe how you can not walk 50,000 steps every day @Daves_Not_Here.  But by breaking up your not walking into bite sized chunks throughout the day I think you stumbled across the secret.  Well done.  Enjoy those martinis!

[londonrunner88]

I just can't seem to buy people getting 50,000+ steps daily. Once a twice a week I'll buy that, but week in and week and week out. Nope.  

That's 23.6 miles.  

You have to be walking for 8 hours daily. 

So yes it's unbelievable. Post about how you do it all day. But I don't know why people aren't just honest with their steps.  

FitBit is about exercise and keeping fit, not pacing up and down to run up the step meter. That's not fitness.  

[Running777]

Well stated in my opinion! I am 63 yrs old had hip replacement surgery heart attack and am just gratful to have been fit to survive! I have always  been a runner who never could do marathons but was in great cardio vascular shape with my consistency and 5 ks to each his own but 10,000 is challenging enough for me .keep stepping and stay fit

[stridermax]

To be honest I think 50k everyday is super hard. I struggle to get close to 40k every day and its not even. Some

days I get 40k in a row and others I 25k and kick myself. I think to get 50k a day you have to have a job that allows it and or no life. I try to get one day a week with 50k plus to make up for a day where I don’t get that many. But I get you. Why do people feel like they need to cheat? 

[Daves_Not_Here]

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@stridermax wrote:

Why do people feel like they need to cheat? 

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For the step groupies.

[Christopher-S]

It’s takes you5.5 hours to walk 20 Miles? I’ve done forced marches of 25 Miles in less time and that’s loaded with 40-60 pounds of gear.thr standard run is 5 mIke’s at a pad of an 8 minute mile. Thats roughly 14000 steps +\/- 1000 depending on physiology and in only 45 minutes. This didn’t inclidd actual physical fitness training or combat drills and any other work. Or anything that might be done off duty. There are professions where 100,000 steps in a day isn’t lie. I don’t see 100k being average for anyone but getting it isn’t hard if you’re in the right job and able to endure the tolll that takes on the body meaning prod health. In my previous account my average was as high as 40,000 steps per days but since losing the first one I bought a new one a year later and mostly exercise in ways that will help e keep my joints a bit longer.  Unfortunately my favorite activity is swimming and I’m not buying multiple Fitbit’s over petty arguments that stem from the egotistic belief if you can’t achieve it then no one can.

[brunoray]

who really cares


Speedy

[Christopher-S]

Your first mistake is just assuminh that anyone who can type is correct. I’m not looking for that posted comment. But I would question anything that seems absurd. Request references and then see if those references are up to date and acknowledged by having a high number of citations. But if you believe my that a mere 50 steps on average is impossible then you are denying the existence of  plenty of professions. It’s easy to do in the Army. And that’s being weighted down with gear a lot of the time. It does eventually take a toll on the body but you’re talking about going from a young 18 year old to 22 year old and it takes 10 years for the weakest constitutions to start to break. Eventually almost everyone does but in a man’s 50s is when ill medical effects begin anyway. I am not excluding women I just don’t know there physiology as well since they’ve only recently been allowed in  combat and have hormones that cause decreases bone density quicker.

[checking]

@Christopher-S I think you should check your numbers. 14,000 in 45 minutes is 311 steps/min. Olympic class male sprinters (200 M) only turn about 220 (women, e.g. Gail Devers, turn max about 250), and for only ~20 sec, not 45 minutes at moderate pace. Typical for most longer distance runners is about 165/min with some elite class training up into the 180's. Cadence doesn't change all that much and higher speeds are obtained with increased stride length.

@brunoray I think that folks that actually average 50k real steps/day for extended periods (there are plenty) care a lot less about step number (distance and elevation gain are more meaningful parameters) than folks here that believe, based largely on personal circumstance and bias, that  it is impossible. The nay sayers are trying to prove a negative - difficult under any circumstances, and impossible when something has already been done (consider the ~15,000 people that have completed the Appalachian or Pacific Crest Trails in a single hiking season). OTOH, I expect those that cheat for a 50k average (I'm sure there are plenty of those too, but not so well documented) care a lot more than those that actually do it - as you say, for themselves - the step groupies.

[Daves_Not_Here]

I find that if I practice the Cha-Cha while walking, I double my step count

[Phillymama129]

I also think it depends on what Fitbit you are using. I did an experiment bc I have a Fitbit one, Fitbit charge 2, Fitbit Alta & Fitbit ZIP. At the end of the day before I synced them all, they all showed didn’t step amounts. The zip & one seemed to give me more than the charge 2 & Alta all bc they calculate steps differently. I believe I got more with the zip & one bc the counted everytime I moved like my arm where as the charge & Alta only measured when my body moved 

[Bionicwoman71]

there are benefits to reading books at home. It relaxes you and gives your brain exercise (although the body isn't moving) I will never hit 50000 steps a day nor would I want to. I usually do about 20k five days a week with rest on the weekends and light activity. I am a normal weight.