Is it possible to get 50,000 steps in a day without running?🤣

[RenaluvsFaith9]

I’ve seen people average 50,000 steps or have gotten as high as 100,000 steps a day! I just thought it be interesting goal to try to motivate me to get more steps. Not necessarily want to average 40,000. To me, that I don’t want! Just to get 50,000 every once in awhile. I hate running so.... any tips, ideas, suggestions? Is it possible?

[GershonSurge]

@RenaluvsFaith9,

The most I've done is a little over 40,000. The last time I did it, I considered going for 50,000 but decided against it for fear of injury.

First, an absolute general rule. Never try to walk with pain, especially in joints or in the lower back. It can cause serious or chronic injury. 

You will experience many minor pains in your journey that you should cause you to rest. Some call these weak links. They will force you to plateau for months, and sometimes years before progressing to the next one. If you ever backslide and don't walk much for a few months, you are likely to go through the same list again.

This quote comes from a book about thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail:

I read Wingfoot’s, “A Thru-Hiker’s Handbook” and was truly affected by what he said in the very first chapter. “A thru-hike is one long continuous journey from one end of the trail to the other end. If thru-hiking the AT is not the most important thing in your life, then don’t even consider it. Anything less than a total commitment to completing your hike will certainly result in failure.

Nemcik, Bert. See You Down the Trail by Bert Nemcik (Kindle Locations 438-441).  . Kindle Edition.

If the goal doesn't ignite this sort of passion, then don't even consider it. If it does, then don't let ANYONE tell you it's not possible. For safety reasons, I always add "without fatigue" to this sort of goal.

Now for some tips.

1. You are where you are. It doesn't matter if you are doing 1,000 steps a day now or 20,000 steps a day, the process can be the same.

2. After you have been averaging some number of steps for a month, try resting for a couple days and doubling it in one day. If you get tired during the long day or start to experience pain, quit. Call a cab if you need to. 

3. Ignore what I just said and make your own plan. Seriously, you are more likely to succeed if you develop your own plan.

I know you hate running, but very slow jogging might help. By slow, I mean just raising your arms and not going much faster. This will change your gait a little and make it almost as if you have two bodies. 

Oh, it is possible. With breaks, you will likely average about 100 steps a minute. That means it will take about eight and a half hours of walking. That gives you plenty of time to separate the 50,000 step day into three 3-hour blocks or any other combination you like. You could even change the time zone on your Fitbit so midnight is at noon or some other time and have time for a night's sleep in the middle of the walk. 

[MarciM]

I've had a couple of 50k+ days without running. It's an investment is time to walk 50k, but can be done in a day. Best of luck to you!

[WendyB]

I also did it in a day. It is a commintment to make it but you can do it

[Dominique]

I don’t normally run, but I did take part in the Golden Gate half-marathon in San Francisco a couple of years ago (6-Nov-2016). Here is what that day looked like on my activity chart:

The race started at 7am and I completed it in two hours (I’m not a fast runner!). I averaged between 800 and 900 steps per slice of 5 minutes. In other words, I "only" got about 20k steps from the race itself. I had coffee with Fitbit friends after the race and then walked back to my hotel (which was in the financial district). All that running and walking only got me 38k steps.

Now, this is my highest step day so far, on 30-Jul-2015:

I was hiking all day with a friend in a national park near the Russian border in Eastern Finland. We started driving there early in the morning, arrived at the park at 10am and hiked all day until 9pm. No running at all (hence tallest bars about 550 steps / 5 minutes), and sometimes the walking was slower (hence yellow bars), we stopped to take photos, snack etc. At the end of the day, we had 54k steps.

So it’s definitely possible to get 50k+ walking, but it’s going to take a long time. Very few people who (claim to) average 50k+ steps can have a full time job, even if it’s a job that includes a lot of moving (like the proverbial mailman or busy waiter).

[lavabelle]

It's absolutely doable, but not easy. My highest is just over 41 000 steps, and I have no doubt I will do 50 000 eventually. I did my highest day in two long walks...here's a snapshot of my activity tracker.

[Lylewatson2001]

Yes! When I climbed cerro Chiripó in costa Rica (3820M) I did just under 100,000 steps in 36hours when considering the 1,200 flights of stairs done in the same time period I'm sure that walking on a flat(ish) trail would make it alot easier but it would definitely require motivation for the end goal and a good amount of hours hiking.

[Sadmadness]

I used to average 50,000 steps a day working at amazon pulling pallets across the warehouse. It can be done but I wouldn’t do it regularly if it weren’t for my job.😂

[shipo]

What's funny about the premise of this thread is, running actually reduces one's step count in that you typically have fewer, sometimes far fewer, steps per mile.  Back in 2016 I ran 675 miles between 01-Oct and 30-Nov and yet I don't think I even hit 40,000 steps in a single day for the entire time, and that included an 18 mile run on Thanksgiving day.

[bluevioletcruz]

I walk 54-60 steps everyday, have done so for years now. I start with a workout at 3am, walk for 3hr 30 min on an incline, then i do additional steps for about 1 hour and a half that usually brings me to 40k-44k the rest i do through boxing and remaining active throughout the day. 

[MarilynBeth2]

I've had two days close to 50,000.  I was tired so I decided not to do more.  I could have easily done a few more steps.  I figure that I would get over 50,000 when the days are longer.  I don't run or jog.