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?

[Ali]

Doug - I had been on vacation in both July and August.  Really wanted to get back to it.  

[DCDave]

I live in Washington DC and I take the subway to and from work, as well as to get around the city. I get off one or two stops before or after my destination and walk to boost up my step count for the day.

[LewWagner]

Lately, I've been adding miles to my weekly total.  Several months ago, I would only get in about 25 miles a week, but since July I've had numerous weeks where I've been in the high 30's and well into the 40's.  I find I'm walking three times a day (when I wake up, around lunch time, and just after dinner at 6 PM).

I try to get in an extra "half mile" for two of those walks so I can add up another whole mile.  I'm not a fast race walker, more of a 3.5 mph sort of bloke.  I walk for right around an hour and usually around 3.5 miles a walk.

This last week (Sunday through today Saturday), I've done a personal best.  My total walking miles (per specific walking times on my TomTom GPS sportswatch and not the cumulative mileage for a day by FitBit) are 52.3 with still one more walk planned for today that can add to that.  Total steps with this TomTom walking only are 115,363.

Fitbit weekly tally for this same week is 137,011 steps, 56.37 miles, and 17,911 calories burned.

Since I started using this FitBit Zip Feb. 4th, 2014, I've put walked/jogged/run 2,819,862 steps for 1,406.94 miles (but some of those are just FibBit calculating BMR and no real walking). That's why I depend upon my TomTom for more specific and accurate reading of my walking times.

TomTom says I've logged 797.4 miles since that same February time frame burning 105,171 calories.  Steps involved in those miles?  1,123,528

Lew

[marsbars]

i watch a tv show[such as dancing with the stars or the biggest loser or extreme weight loss] with my 9 year old sister who likes these shows and i walk in place, witch does show up on my fitbit flex. plus, these shows are inspiring! [im 13 years old by the way]

[alex45674]

I like Biggest Loser too!  It is hard to sit still and watch while Bob and Gillian are shouting at them!  I watch it while I work out 🙂 You are doing amazingly well, congratulations! 

[Anor]

New to these forums and love these ideas. Thanks!

For those that may have limited mobility for any reason (I'm currently dealing with a stress fracture).  A way to boost your steps is marching while sitting.  

[joestencowwife]

I am a Mom... and it isn't uncommon for me to have to wait on my kids... picking them up from school, activities, etc... instead of sitting in the car and playing on my phone or reading, I get up and walk around the parking lot. I can walk and read or play on the phone and it increases my steps/activity level.

[Jodi6682]

I've got a good one that I just started doing and it's helped me a lot! When I go to the store (any store), I park as far out as I can, and then I make it a requirement to walk the perimeter of the store. Even if I'm only there for 1 item, it helps me add a few steps and it doesn't take too long. After I've walked the perimeter, then I get what I came for. This is a quick way to get a few hundred steps and it doesn't take too much time at all. I can still get in and out of Target, for example, in 10-15 minutes.

[LewWagner]

Grocery store walking is a great idea!  My wife and I weekly go to the grocery store and walk down every aisle as well as the outer perimeter (but we usually park close to the front door).

Back when I was over 300 pounds, I dreaded going to the grocery store.  Had to frequently hang onto the cart or sit down and rest.  Not to mention walk very slowly.

Now, we breeze through the store and I'm not tired at all.  Oh, I'm now 165 pounds (about 11 1/3 months after deciding to get healty, again.).

Lew

[alex45674]

Wow Lew, congratulations on your new healthy lifestyle and your weight loss, fantastic!

[Jodi6682]

Great work on your progress so far, Lew! I'm down 23 lbs myself and loving it. I figure everyone goes to the grocery store at some point, right? Why not make it a steps event?! Occassionally I'll be in a hurry and get active minutes for it. LOL I feel bad for the other customers on those days as I whip past their carts.

[penguinlally]

I walk to the market 2 or 3 times per week - about 1 mile plus....if it is a big shop I get a ride home  lol....small trips for veggies or extras I have a rolling backpack....I march/step/dance when cooking and food prep....Lately I've been watching a lot of sports on the tube - Go Giants (baseball) and Go Sharks (hockey) even if the tension doesn't call for it....I pace LOADS..... really easily make my daily goal of 16k

[Robyn100]

I have a mini-trampoline in my den that was originally purchased for my son.  I walk/jog on it while watching TV at night and can get up to a  few thousand steps this way just doing this for a 1/2 hour.

[sunshine51]

I do that everytime I go to the store and I encourage the 35 people on my
team to do the same.
I do not need to lose weight but I want to be healthy. Walking 15,000 steps
every day allows me to stay at 118 lbs.
Amazing what we can do for free when we become aware of our eating habits
and our physcial fitness activities.

[peacefuldove4]

I just got my fitbit zip.  I was able to do 15000 steps my first day!  I get up at 7am.  Start my job from home, taking care of babies and toddlers.  I turn on the music and start dancing around the house and running around the couch after the 2 year olds.  I went to my Zumba class at 6:30 p.m. and that put me over the top.  Maybe I'm overexcited about my little device!

[alex45674]

Welcome to Fitbit PeacefulDove!  Being excited about these little things is what it is all about, I love mine and would not be without it!  Keep stepping.

[RFM1975]

I purchased my Fitbit only recently but I have found that in the matter of a few weeks it has motivated me to find oppurtunities to walk in just about everything I do. I travel for a living every week so I found ways to get the most of my Fitbit. These are some of the adjustments that I have made in my daily routines: 

1. I now choose stairs instead of elevators (at hotels) and escalators (at airports).

2. At airports I choose to walk instead of using the moving sidewalks.

3. At airports, when I now walk continously while I wait for my flight to board. Sometimes I have an hour or two between flights, I now use this time to walk the entire airport as many times as time allows. Steps add up before you know it.

4. At hotels, I now take the long way up to my room and down to the first floor. Often times I will walk the entire length of each floor using the stairs between floors as I work my way up or down.

5. If I can walk to a near by resturant I will.

6. After dinner I will often walk the outer perimeter of the hotel parking lot 4 or 5 times before heading to my room, taking the long way of course.

7. I talk to my wife on the phone for about 30 minutes nightly, often times I pace the room while on the phone. I used to sit down and talk on the phone.

8. Finding the closest parking spot is no longer a goal of mine I now park far away and with a smile.

I have to say that I am amazed at how the Fitbit has not only motivated me to be more active but it has motivated me to look for ways to insert more activity into even the most sedentary activities.

[pbackma]

I do Zumba--and each day I add in a different 30-45 minute activity--then I go home and walk my dog! Wow--Fun, Fun, Fun! This is how I keep a 20,000 per day step record--Try it... 

[pbackma]

You can also buy a jumping rope....or play some tennis!

[biker123]

One way we do it around our house is to see how close we are to a given amount of steps. If we have 17250 steps for instance, it isn't unheard of for my wife or myself to try to get around number in such as 18000 right before bedtime. I believe our carpet may wear out soon from the extra trips around the family room we take to even out our number for the day's activities.