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

[WendyB]

It possible. Why concern your self?

Theadmil desk for one.

Worry about you and not others

[Jrdubyakc]

50k is a ton of steps! Some people get that many at work - meter readers, mail carriers, nurses, construction workers, etc. They are walking for 8-10 hours for their job. I have a desk job and rarely get 20k steps in a day, so 50k seems impossible for me.

[Negduke]

When I am in work I can do that, working 12 hrs in a warehouse helps. Feet hurt a bit from it though 

[oldrunner]

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..”

[oldrunner]

While meter readers, mail carriers, nurses, construction workers, etc. may do a lot of walking, they are not walking the full shift and it is not continuous walking. They spend more time standing still or sitting than one would think. I was a mail carrier and had the longest walking route in my state. My pedometer only showed less than 10 miles for an 8 - 10 hour day. That is only 20,000 steps. Meter readers also do a lot of driving, opening gates, and stopping to read the meter, etc. Construction workers are also still (measuring, cutting, hammering, and communication) more than they are walking.

[Jrdubyakc]

I don't think @WendyB was insinuating not to ever worry about anyone else in life. She was simply stating that when it comes to your health and health goals, it doesn't really matter what others are doing. If someone cheats to get 80,000 steps, it really doesn't affect you or your goals, so why worry about what they are doing.

I also don't think you can accuse everyone getting 50k steps of cheating. You simply can't know everyone's situation.

[WendyB]

No I was not insinuating not to worry about Others. Thanks @Jrdubyakc 

I see many people doing that amount of steps and more and they are not cheating. I just choose not to concern myself with them. Everybody does what they can do. Some just choose to do more

[SunsetRunner]

@oldrunner I've taken a look at your 9 posts in the various threads. You seem to be overly fixated on accusing others of cheating. This is supposed to be a friendly place for people to ask for help and discuss Fitbit and their desires for a healthier lifestyle. Maybe this isn't the place for you if you feel the need to to question the integrity of others.

Just my opinion. Yours may differ........

[prc1977]

Wendy B:

If we take your advice and 'not worry about others' what am I to make of the entire right hand side of the dashboard that lists friends and their step counts that is ranked by step count? It seems that the competitive side of fitbit is part of the fun for some people even if not for you.

You took the time twice to tell someone to not worry about anyone but his/her self but that seems kind of smug. Your disinterest in other people's step counts is fine but if some guy likes to compete and has questions about step counts and wants to discuss the matter, maybe it is you that ought to worry about something else. You're not right about this, you just see it differently.

Personally, I think it is interesting to consider how I might be able to crank out 50,000 steps a day and keep it going for awhile. If I put more time and energy into focusing on step counts, I might be back to where I was a few months ago. Discussions like this help get me moving again.

[oldrunner]

It was clear she was not talking about life in general. That was why I brought up the 1980 Boston Marathon scandal. Moreover, why would anyone join a competitive group and not be concerned with fair competition? Furthermore, do you really believe “It (is) possible. Why concern your self? Worry about you and not others” sounds like friendly advise? It sounds like a condescending chastisement to me. If it is wrong be concerned with what others are doing, why is it not wrong to be concerned about what others are saying?

I was not accusing everyone that gets 50,000 or more steps a day of cheating. It is such a difficult accomplishment, it is not wrong to question those who do it day after consecutive day and month after month.

[oldrunner]

Patruns, In my 9 posts who have I accused of cheating? Some (not all) people claiming to average 50,000 steps a day for a month or more? Most of my post are defending a person’s right to question what they feel are unbelievable accomplishments. Why didn't you think “It possible. Why concern your self? Worry about you and not others” was unfriendly? When would you give me permission to question someone’s unbelievable claims?

You checked my 9 posts? Why are you fixated on me?

[Gershon]

Touche, OldRunner.

Many people do like to compete fairly in whatever level they are at. I'd hate to think I was chasing the pendulum on a Grandfather clock during months I get extra miles to claim first place.

[SunsetRunner]

@oldrunner I am not fixated on you. After noticing a couple of your posts I clicked on your profile and looked at the others. (I do that a lot to see if someone is posting the same question in multiple threads so that I can consolidate them into a single thread to make it easier to receive help.) In many there was an inference that people with extremely high step counts may be cheating. It was not a direct challenge to anyone in particular, just an inference that some are less than forthcoming with their accomplishments. I am not really sure why anyone is questioning anyone's accomplishments. They certainly shouldn't be doing it in an open forum like this and I am directing that comment to the others reading this as well, not just you. This is supposed to be a friendly place where people can discuss things or ask for help. If you are in a challenge with others and you suspect foul play, you should discuss it directly with that person. Let's keep these discussions a little more upbeat and positive.  🙂

[oldrunner]

A person would (and should) question someone’s alleged accomplishments when it is extra-ordinary or beyond belief making it not an accomplishment. I don’t understand how anyone thinks otherwise. Many people think this is the only place to discuss the cheating or lying that goes on in the group leaderboards. I know of no other place. The notion of contacting the person directly is absurd. If he is a cheater and a liar, then what? People who are struggling to make 10 to 20 thousand steps a day honestly have a right to know that the astronomical numbers on the boards may not be honest. Also, you should speak to your fellow council member about this being a friendly place. I was not the only one who felt she was curt and condescending.

[oldrunner]

Patruns, 

 I went over my 10 prior posts and only saw two where I implied some of those who had extremely high step count may be cheating.

I never implied and never meant for anyone to infer that everyone who gets 1,500,000 steps in a month or 100,000 in a day is a cheater; but, it is very, very hard to get those numbers honestly. What is a person expected to comment on “How can a person average 80,000 step in a week?”? The implication of the title is people may be cheating. If you have a problem with that discussion delete the tread.

Have a good night.

[Jrdubyakc]

The challenges are meant to provide fitbit users with a platform to support each other's goals and enjoy some friendly competition. If at any point you are finding the successes of other challengers discouraging to your fitness goals, you should exit the challenge. If there were rewards or money up for grabs, I could see the need for a place to report those you believe are cheating, but since all the winner gets is a digital trophy and a little boost to their pride, I think we are all better off focusing on more positive productive topics.

The original poster asked how people can get 50k steps per day and if it is possible. Since nothing was mentioned about challenges, let's try to get this back on track and give her some advice or share your personal stories of how you reach higher step counts.

[oldrunner]

I assumed the first poster wrote the title. "Who has the time to average 50,000 steps a day!? How can this be possible?" Seems to fit what I answered. If she was not speaking of challenges or group leaderboards, what was she speaking of? If the no rewards comment was to address my Boston Marathon analogy. Are you saying we all should ignore blatant cheating in some instances and not others? Is the reason you did not address Wendy Bs curt and condescending comment because it fits your intolerant form of political correctness?

Why do you feel pointing out cheating is worse than the cheating?

Who are you to tell me what to do?

I won't get any answers will I?

[WendyB]

@oldrunnerI was not trying to be condesending.

There are many people that do 50K steps a day and More. I just choose not to worry about them.

But lumping them in a group and calling them cheating is not right. Sure there are cheaters here. But not all.

You can not cheat on a challenge either with the app. It only pulls across true fitbit stats.

That is all I have to say. You seem to want to pick a fight. and I will not go there.

Have a great day!

[Jrdubyakc]

Well I can't speak for everyone else, but you will not get answers from me because I don't understand the intent of your questioning and cannot relate to your fixation on cheating. I do not not believe this conversation is answering the original posters question of "who has time to get 50k steps? How is it possible?". I am not "telling you what to do" but it just seems like if you want to have a real conversation about alleged cheating on challenges then perhaps you should start your own separate post so that others who read this one can actually get the information they are seeking.