How do you get those extra steps in?

[zapleahy]

I live about four miles from my workplace and although I haven't yet walked all four miles to or from work, there are a few games I play during the week to increase my stepcount.

Some days I'll take the hillier, windier, unnecessarily long route to BART (San Francisco's heavy-rail rapid transit system). Almost always, I forgo the escalator for the stairs. Today, that act alone added 5 flights of stairs and over 250 steps to my morning journey.

My other favorite "cheat" is high stepping in place. Sure, I may look a little odd bouncing up and down while typing at my makeshift standing desk, but it feels good to keep the blood flowing and the legs moving! 

What do you do to get your extra steps in?

[AndyDandyPandy]

I was just being sarcastic because I was questioned if I was concerned about health and fitness when I am meeting the standard 10k steps a day and not only just by walking. I know many people can easily achieve 10k steps a day by just doing daily things but there's also many of us who has to plan activities/exercise to reach 10k steps a day. I went from 3-4k to 10k a day for the past 12 weeks so it works for me.

FYI, I do intense(on my level) Aerobic and Anaerobic exercise almost everyday. And meeting 10k step a day is just part of my routine. 

But at the end of the day when I don't meet my 10k step goal I'll just do things like jogging in place, jumping jacks, and moving inside the home to get my 10k step goal since this thread is about how to get those extra step in but i guess I have to explain my full routine to state that I'm concerned about health and fitness.

[nkotblove]

I walked for 7,178 steps on the theadmill

awesome job everyone keep it up have a great day

[nkotblove]

update I am at 10k steps in one day..

[shipo]

@nkotblove, well done!  🙂

[saxplayermom]

I WALK BOTH MY DOGS EVERY NIGHT WEATHER PERMITTING.

[MyLabAmber]

---

@MKO96 wrote:

Go swimming! its a great way to burn off those extra calories! 

---

---

If only our Fitbit's would work in the water!  I probably get 10,000+ steps in a day because I'm in the pool every night for at least an hour and 45 minutes, but at least I know I'm burning calories, so I don't worry about the step goal so much.  

[pbackma]

Do they have such a Fitbit for swiming?  Have you checked out their webisite to see if they have one? That would be awersome!

[Auntm001]

I am constantly asking them for a waterproof FitBit for swimming. They don't have one. The last time I talked to them they said they probably won't be making one anytime soon. I tried Garmin becasue they do make swimming watches but FitBit is so much better that I switched back to FitBit. Everyone please beg FitBit for waterproof!! Maybe if enough people ask for it they will make one!!

[PeachUK]

Can you buy waterproof cases that would work from other things to slip your fitbit inside?  I was swimming on Sunday and thinking the same thing - that a waterproof case might be worthwhile.

You can add swimming in the exercise part and it gives you the active minutes.. not the steps.. but then you're not really doing steps I suppose.   i do a lot of ballet/yoga and I work really hard but there are no steps involved either.

[Auntm001]

I have the FItBIt Surge and the only way it works is on your wrist becasue of the Heart Rate Monitor. If it's not on your wrist it thinks you're not wearing it at all. So no way to put anything waterproof around it. The Surge is the best tracker I've ever had. When I tell it what kind of exercise I'm doing it records pretty spot on. It always knows when I'm exercising even if I don't tell it what I'm doing. I started with the One, then the Flex then the Charge HR and the Surge is by far the best one of all of them. They tried to explain why they can't make a waterproof FitBit but it was all foreign to me and I didn't understand anything they were saying. If they ever make a waterproof one I will be the first one to buy one!! 

[shirley123]

Is your fitbit the flex like mine? If so I am surprised, but pleased that the flex registered treadmill ‘steps’. How long were you on the treadmill to attain 7,000 steps? //Shirley

[A_Lurker]

The Flex 2 is waterproof.  I'm not sure that it would capture steps though.  I wear a 3rd party (not a spported vendor) waterproofed Charge HR when I swim.  It sometimes picks up steps but I wear it for the heart rate monitoring.  I do have to tighten it to make sure the monitoring is constant. 

[Auntm001]

I just checked out the Flex 2. I didn't even know they had that one! It is swimproof !! That's great but it's lacking in GPS Tracking and multi sport & Continuous heart rate & Caller Id from phone.I can also read all my texts messages on the Surge. The Surge has everything I need except it's not waterproof. I use every function of the Surge and don't think I could live without it anymore.  I guess I could buy the Flex 2 and just wear it while swimming. That's what I'm currently doing with my Garmin. I'll have to check out the Flex 2 and see what it actually tracks when swimming. Thanks A_Lurker for the heads up about the Flex 2!

[Auntm001]

Hi shirley123  -- I'm currently using the Surge and not the Flex but with the Surge it records all steps regardless of if I am on the treadmill or not. I usually get 7000 Steps on the treadmill in 30 - 40 minutes depending on my speed on the treadmill.

[dragonpupps]

I like to do what my family calls my "manic step taking/walking". Basically I just get up and start walking at usually a fast pace to get as many steps as possible in a couple minutes. It's usually back and forth through the kitchen, and everyone says in a joking matter "oh no, there he goes with his manic steps". And my family as well as myself have a little joke where I chant "more steps, more steps, more steps..." over and over again. It's a fun way to get some steps in. It's great to get other people in the know of your fitness interests. Helps keep the motivation going.

[MMV12]

I ride my bike to and from work and it's the best way to start my day and decompress at the end of the day! I love getting up and moving throughout the day to move! Going for walks during meeting breaks is great, too! Participating in weekly Work Week Challenges is a great motivator with colleagues!

[Planetjo]

I don't find it dfficult to get my 10K a day in and usually end up somewhere between 11500 and 14000. However, I'm in the habit of going on my Airwalker for 20-30 minutes  a day while I'm watching the tv and this is in addition to the 4000 average steps I get by taking the dog for a daily walk. I like walking so it works for me. 🙂

[nkotblove]

Today is my low today on my Dashboard says its 5k steps Ooch.... sorry my friends I was sick and I was working on the halloween treats bags for Halloween time.

[marfar]

Generally those who go easily are lighter! Well, the rest of us, people with extra weight we have a problem ... or more! It was not easy to do 3k steps. Once or twice a week! But I must say that on 26 June, when I bought Blaze, I have soles magic! I started going 3k every day. Calf muscle fever, sore ankles, feet burning, but yet I continued ! After 3-4 days I went easier! After 10 days I surpassed 10k per day! After two weeks, I exceeded 20k per day !! Well, I got about 40k per day after three and a half months !!! But I made a tight schedule! At 4:30am. I go to walk every day! In this way I walk 12-15k before I go to work! Then during a days walk a few times! But I do not read, I do not watch TV and I lost 11 kg! In three and a half months! It's a little? Is much ? It's good ! As long as I'm welcome to go again!

[marfar]

Walking is ,,the closest thing to a wonder drug that we have access" , says Thomas R. Frieden, Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Interesting motivation for daily exercise ! And the other says : ,,Physical movement performed morning enhance metabolism, making the body to burn calories at a rate almost double during the next six hours!" NATURAL MEDICINE book, written by Jerry Lee Hoover