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

[_daniel_]

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@PinkRayneDrop wrote:

Also love to know how you cheat active mins..... .

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Just to see if I could do it, I went back to January 13 and logged that I ran 27 miles in 3 hours. Active minutes counted.  That really was "easy" !  

[prc1977]

-daniel- is right about how easy it is to cheat active minutes. I have heard of people tossing their fitbit into the dryer for an hour or two to win a challenge.

Also, I am not an exercise physiologist but it seems 'walking' in place is easier than going forward because no energy is expended in actually forcing the body forward. In other words, a person who walks in place is exercising his/her legs but is not in fact walking since walking involves both exercising the legs and driving the body forward. There is a surprising amount of energy that is burned propelling the body. It might account for how some people can get insane numbers of 'steps.'

Not that walking in place is a bad thing or is cheating; just that it is different from walking. No one would mistake jiggling my leg with walking but if I put my fitbit in my pocket, I get false numbers if I am fidgeting. Maybe none of this matters but it is interesting to try and figure out what daniel referred to as outliers.

[PinkRayneDrop]

Well a fitbit in the heat of a dryer would kill the hardware so I doubt anyone is and having it survive.

As for walking in place being easier..... I guess you never seen a Walk at home video..... they are NOT easier. Try one .... they are simply marching on the spot & I bet you wont say it's much easier. Nor is what I do.... considering I am getting my feet up higher & faster.... it does not make it easier or less intense.

I don't figet, I dont move my legs when sitting simply because I never sit. In 3 years I have never sat down, Easy as that. Only time I am off my feet is to go to the toilet(and that's less than a min) and to go to bed. Every other time I am up and moving.

I get my steps legit..... always have. I don't even add the activities I do outside of walking so adding steps to mine is not there either.

[prc1977]

Pink Rayne Drop:  There's nothing wrong with walking in place and you're right I "never seen" a walk at home video. Still, walking exerts more energy than marching in place. I wasn't talking about you when I mentioned the fidgeting; it was an example of another way a person could get high numbers without going anywhere or walking.

I think it is amazing that you walk in place all day and have done it in the past for better than ten hours, stamping in one place at a pace greater than a jogger. Sounds like you are in great shape (physically, I mean). Good for you!

Dryers have low settings and there's a whole list of ways to cheat a fitbit. It is a dumb thing to do but you can be sure it happens all the time.

[papamick]

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@_daniel_ wrote:

It sounds like someone has a fitbit that wildly overcounts their steps. I've seen more than a few posts from people discussing that kind of accuracy problem with their device. 

The following chart shows daily steps for all fitbit users. Note the highest number of steps on the far right of the chart.  Anything higher is off the charts. Why is that?  I'll give you a hint: Look up the word Outlier.  If it really were "easy" to crank out 10k steps per hour with an accurate counter (which most of us want), you can be certain this chart would look very different. 

(In case it's not obvious, the "You" is me at the time I made this screen capture.)

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Most excellent post, Daniel. Boom ! You can't argue with the numbers. People, for some unknown egocentric problen DO CHEAT. If being number one on an electronic leader board is SO important to them, then they have worse problems than physical fitness issues. Perhaps they need  FitBit fo the brain...LOL

[papamick]

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@Emmeli wrote:

Who has the time to average 50,000 steps a day!? How can this be possible?

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The average daily steps derived from statistics of "all fitbit users" is 28K per day. Anything above that is suspect. The more above that, the more suspect.

[papamick]

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@Emmeli wrote:

Who has the time to average 50,000 steps a day!? How can this be possible?

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Year to date 2015 [6 weeks] I'm averaging 25,727 steps per day. Here are my related stats for Jan-Feb 2015--- Run = 200 miles, Walk = 137 miles .... this does not take into consideration my incidental steps shopping -playing with grandkids etc   ...and yet there are those folks who list no activities but consistently log two to three times that many steps per day.   .... kinda ....."fishy" LOL

[PinkRayneDrop]

Please feel free to look at my stats & tell me if it is 'fishy'

Just because YOU can't do it....

I move all day every day because of pain, because I can't sit down because of my injury. I work, I run, I walk everywhere..... I walked 43km to get mascara one day because it was on sale....... just because YOU can't do it does not mean it's fishy.

I work in a place where I walk the entire time, not an office job, not a job standing still. I get anywhere between 2k & 10k in a shift..... then another 10k walking to work & back. Then a run is about another 6k per 30min run..... I do an hour at a time....but that must be fishy to you.

Sorry for being fit & injured enough to make you suspect people like me of cheating. It must be sad to want to bring people down for doing something they like.

By the way..... if you don't log an activity then you can't 'add' steps that are flase..... so explain that one. I don't log any activities simply because my fitbit & my garmin vivofit are there to put on & forget they are there.

[SunsetRunner]

@PinkRayneDrop

well said

p.s. off topic, but what is the garmin vivofit like?

[PinkRayneDrop]

I LOVE the vivofit. No charging needed & then throw on my heart rate strap and off I go for a run.

Wanting to get the forerunner 15 though.... it's like a gps watch & fitbit had a baby...... it tracks steps as well.

I still have my Fitbit One on me 24/7 and also the vivofit.... both are usually spot on with each other.

[papamick]

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@prc1977 wrote:

wcl1951:

You wrote that you "...can easily hit 50k steps without much trouble." 

At a reasonable pace walking that's more than eight hours each day. Jogging that far means approximately four hours each day (thats just a guess since jogging/running is so variable) and any combination puts you into maybe five hours of real exercise a day, every day.

I don't doubt that you do it because I don't know you but to say it isn't much trouble.....really?

And as far as judging people who don't like cheaters, competition is a big deal with some people on here. If I showed up at a marathon, ran only the last couple of miles and crossed the finish line first, would it make sense to tell everyone else that they ought not trouble themselves with my success since I am only cheating myself?

I could hold up my trophy and when the crowd boos me I would say, "Hey! You all have a sad life and ought to worry about yourselves!"

BTW I wouldn't accuse anyone of cheating because I couldn't prove it but I have seen people with daily averages north of 75k and it just doesn't seem likely...

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Well Said !!!! I agree completely  .. I run 5 to 7 mile every day and walk 5 to 7 miles a day --- all legitimately TRACKED via FB charge HR  and my Garmin FENIX 2   .. I'm averaging 25k per day   .. MTD stats for Feb 2015- run = 60 miles, walk = 40 miles  ... this does not include my incidental "walk around time" like grocery shopping and chasing the grandkids around....  the statistical average from FitBit in the category "all Fitbit users" is 28K daily steps   .. so a 50K to 75K daily average is  ...well  ... shall we say ... horse manure   ...   LOL hoo ah !!!

[PinkRayneDrop]

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@papamick wrote:

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@Emmeli wrote:

Who has the time to average 50,000 steps a day!? How can this be possible?

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The average daily steps derived from statistics of "all fitbit users" is 28K per day. Anything above that is suspect. The more above that, the more suspect.

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You do know what AVERAGE means right? They take ALL the steps that everyone on fitbit does then divide that total by the number of people on fitbit....... that brings the average...... it does not in any way how that people are only able to do 28k per day & nothing more.

It's 1:27pm on Saturday 14th Feb 2015...... I'm now at 27, 181..... I'll hit 30k in about 10 mins. I guess I am above average. That's what that meaning is..... below average would be you who can't do 28k. Oh well.... I guess then you need to work harder, I know I sure work my ass off to stay in shape & to be able to walk at all..... see if I don't move...and walk..... and run..... then I can NOT walk at all..... simple as that. I would rather do 50k a day no problem.... at my own pace be that fast or a slower day like when I'm at work & it's quiet....... than not be able to walk at all for good.

Sorry for being fitter than you. I really am.... but at 40 years old...I'm not ready to slow down for anyone or any injury. Not my problem if you can't match me or people like me.....

[_daniel_]

First PinkRayneDrop boasts she "can easily get 30,000 a day, 40k is nothing as well. 50k I can get about 4 times a week...... it's not hard & I can easily get 10,000 steps in an hour."  Now she boasts how she sure works her ass off.  She is just blowing smoke every which way with her boasting.  No credibility at all.

BTW, 28,000 is not an average. Look at the graph he is referring to. It's pretty self explanatory.

[PinkRayneDrop]

Care to take a look at my fitbit page then? Cause you can go back almost 3 years in data and take a look. I guess it's all smoke out my ass then I guess.

I'm still so sorry you can't do it.... I'm sorry for working my ass off to be fit (I do other things despite walking and running you know) I'm so sorry for your inability to get further than your penentile...... now excuse me while I go for a nice walk with my husband who needs to get his 10k today.

[SunsetRunner]

if you look at the chart... have you looked at the date range on the chart? during that time, most people would be relaxing, drinking etc

ignoring the fact that it is showing the week that most people are relaxing, drinking etc, a one week average is not very telling, why not show the average for the whole year? seems to me you purposedly picked that one week

not to mention the recommended daily steps by health professionals is around 15k per day, so for people who enjoy exercising or want to lose weight etc, they would be doing more than that

[PinkRayneDrop]

Really? Cheater & liar...... show me when I cheated? Cuase far as I know I got my goal today of 30k...... I'll do it again tomorrow as usual.... and the next....

But like I said..... take a look at my dash..... I guess I'm still sorry you can't do it. I'll go pro a week of my life for you...... in 2 weeks time is my next planned BIG day of 100k...... I'll gopro that for you as well.

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@papamick wrote:

PinkRayneDrop = Cheater and LIAR  ... LOL

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[PinkRayneDrop]

It's also funny how if you are in a challenge via fitbit that if you add steps via an activity...it does not count. Yet all my challenges show I join with a goal of 30k and then show when I made it ...... oh well I guess I'm cheating that as well.

Sad isnt it when you cant do it yourself so you feel the need to bring people down. That's called envy.

[Bubblyi]

I find it pretty interesting that people do cheat! Every since the challenges have been introduced, certain people in my friend group have now started averaging 25k-30k steps per day. Before the challenges, they seldom walked over 10k per day. I use my Fitbit for health and it encourages me. I don't join the challenges because I'm doing me. I want to do it for my body. That's the incentive I need. Seeing a few people who now average over three times their previous accomplishments, astounds me. I can't help but think that they are sharing devices. It's shameful that they have to resort to this measure to win!

[Bubblyi]

Pink rayne, congrats on the goals you have reached. You are one of those exceptions. You may not cheat, but I think there are those that do share devices. Most people who work and have pretty normal lives are not usually able to attain the numbers you have Every day! You have to be pretty goal oriented to do that. I do envy what you do.. But I also happen to think I'm doing fairly well myself. I'm happy to achieve 10k per day.. I could do more, perhaps, but I also like other hobbies. I'm happy for you.. I still think that it's pretty hard to do those high numbers every day. My best day so far has been 25k steps. It was so hard! I was a bit sore, but glad I did it. It's not something I could do every day. But kudus to those that can safely!

[PinkRayneDrop]

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Thing is that if you log steps via the app or site then they are not added to the challenges at all....simple as that. It's only hwat your fitbit picks up that is added. I know people who have done 370k in the 5 days ones just to win...... that got them moving really well..... and all legit stepping.

I got 405k the week I did 101k that one day..... all cause the other days I do way over my own set goal. Even Fitbit have said they confirmed I did it.....

"Regarding the 100,000 daily steps badge not being received, we have confirmed that you have performed those steps, so we'd like to thank you for bringing this issue to our attention, and want you to know that we've passed it along to our engineering team. "

Now I'd love to know how I cheated when even they know I did it.....


Sharing devices? You mean like 2 people using the same fitbit? Wouldn't that make it rather hard to get a BIGGER step count when one person would be just doing no counted steps all day & then have to wait for the other person? That would be like me doing 30k today as usual.... then handing it to my husband to do another 10k... meanwhile his own fitbit has counted his steps & he then has to do more instead of me just doing it anyway on mine??? You can't have 2 devices on the one account, you can't have 2 accounts for the one device..... that means that by the time the next person took over..... the amount of steps they would get would be almost nothing unless one person did all day & another all night..... instead of sleeping.... and that would mean that Fitbit would see they never sleep & discount those steps.