How many steps should I do per day to start?

[gjj]

How many steps should I do per day to start?

[AdrianM · Accepted solution]

"It depends" is a bit of a cop out... but it really does!

It depends on what lifestyle you have. If you are a couch potato (no offence) then trying 10k per day would be too much. But if you walk your dog 2 hours a day, then 10k will probably be easy.  What I did was wear the FB for a week using my normal routine to try and gauge numbers... and then use this as a baseline that you can then increase in a series of personal challenges.

I work at a desk, and my 'base count' on days when I didn't go to the gym was about 3k, with about 9-10k on days I went to the gym. I have now increased my personal goals to fiorce myself to walk during the day so days when I can't gym, I get 7-8k, and when I do gym, the count is about 13-15k.

So, it depends. Keep a watch on your daily count on the dashboard, and over time try to increase by slowly.

Good luck!

[Jabrat]

you need to start slowly and work your way up - watch out for blisters - tape your toes!

[slysam]

One thing you could do is just wear your fitbit and do whatever you normally do or whatever you feel like for a few days. There are some benefits to this. It show you what your current baseline of activity is. Of course since you are excited about the fitbit (maybe), you might be a little more active than usual. Then you can make a goal a little higher than what you normally achieve--i.e. 100-200 steps a day higher. If that is easy bump it up the next week maybe by 500 steps a day. You can continually build on your activity until you reach a level you want to maintain. Sometimes people who get a fitbit may try to go from 4,000 steeps a day (said to be average for an average American with a sedentary job) to 10,000 steps overnight. For some this is easy, and for others can result in sore muscles, fatigue, swollen feet, etc. Listen to your body. It can actually be quite empowering to know where you are starting from, so don't feel bad if you continue whatever is normal for you for a few days or even one week.

[Workingmother]

I agree. Where you should start depends on what your baseline level of activity has been. I found it helpful to just wear it for a week so I could see what my usual activity patterns looked like. Then I could use that information to decide what was an appropriate baseline and what would represent making an extra effort.

I have seen that on days when I just go about my usual routines I would be above 5,000 steps but below 10,000 unless I was particularly busy around the house or made an effort to actually leave my office at lunch hour or go for a walk after dinner. Using that information to choose to go for a walk over my lunch break or even just walk to a slightly farther away deli for a sandwich can bring me up to 10,000 pretty handily. Going for a walk around the neighborhood after dinner brings me up above 15,000. But I find it hard to break 20,000 unless I am making a "working out" level effort.

Knowing what you are naturally doing and finding out what different choices look like in terms of steps is the information you need to make a decision about what you would reach with a little extra effort. 

[nkotblove]

Hi Everyone 🙂

I am a couch potato girl today its cold and snowing here in Ks. I been sleeping all morning and now I am here and going for a long walk

ok

I will just a couch potato fan

yes I will do better ok everyone

take care and have fun!!!!

@nkotblove 

[SunnyinTEXAS]

I would also add that stride could play a factor in your step count "base line".  I'm 5'4" and it takes quite an effort to get 10K steps in a day.  However, I agree with everything else you said.

[shipo]

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@SunnyinTEXAS wrote:

I would also add that stride could play a factor in your step count "base line".  I'm 5'4" and it takes quite an effort to get 10K steps in a day.  However, I agree with everything else you said.

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While I would agree stride could/does factor in, I would think being 5'4" would work to your advantage as you would need to take more steps to locomote any given distance.

[Mukluk4]

Stride impacts distance not steps.  You need more steps to go 1 mile than say I would at 6'1.

Height/Weight ratio would have more of an impact on steps

[Rich_Laue]

Correct a step is a step, whether the stide is 1 foot 7 inches, or is 2 feet 8 inches it is still a step.

The reason some people find it harder to get 10,000 steps in while others have no problems with 20,000 is because of how fit the body is, and what it is use to be doing.

My thoughts on setting a daily for a beginner is don't do for the several days.

Just wear your fitbit, maybe adding a short walk while listening to your body. Do not overdo this walk,  your body isn't use to it yet.  After a few days we have a base count, youll also notice that your finding the steps are getting easier and the count is slowly going up daily. Now a realistic for you step count can be entered.