HOW DO I GET STEPS FOR COOKING AND HOUSEWORK?

[beth2c]

As part of eating well I always cook from scratch and do so for all of 14 main meals a week as well as at least 3 breakfasts.  Hubby is very good at toast and fruit or muesli and fruit and thats about it Bless him.  Anyways I spend a lot of time prepping and cooking.  For example this morning I started prepping at 9 am and didn't finish cooking until 11:00 am.  I was up and about the whole time and all that logged in was just around 1000 steps.  Any tips?  I do treadmill every day about 25-35 minutes and I literally running up and down stairs at least 12 times a day.  In between I am doing laundry or housework (these do not recognise as steps - I tried putting my fitbit in my pocket to see if that helps but it doesn't.  And just walking from room to room adds a few steps.  I am lucky if I get to 6500 steps a day.

[GershonSurge]

@beth2c,

Housekeeping won't get many steps in many cases. One reason is many people don't take the steps quickly enough for them to register. Yesterday, I did 47 minutes of high speed dish washing and cooking. I got 1235 steps. I checked my heart rate every minute or so and worked at a rate to keep my heart rate between 106 and 116, which is the aerobic training range for my age. My average for the session was 116 bpm. I got 1,236 steps. If I did it at my normal speed, I might get 300 steps.

Many of us started focusing on calories burned during the day instead of steps. The Fitbit is quite good at measuring calories. My Charge 2 is right on. My Surge consistently measures about 15% high. My Zip is about 10% low. As long as the error is consistent, it doesn't matter if they are off. When I counted calories, I just increased or decreased my deficit depending on which device was my reference.

Another thing you can watch is the charts in your profile for activity. Sum all three times to see the total time active. For one the sedentary physiology aspect of health, you want to maximize the value without getting too crazy. 

Not registering steps you may have taken is frustrating, but only important if you are competing with someone else. Unfortunately, I don't know away around this. 

[beth2c]

Thanks. I don't get points for dish washing??? Problem for me is when I
get my progress report - I am generally prepping/cooking around 3 + hours a
day. They don't show up and it is disheartening when I get my week progress
report and steps/activity levels are shown downwards.
I guess I have to find a way not to get so disheartened.
*Beth *

[Alicat2104]

When I'm cleaning I put on my headphones and dance around while doing it, that adds steps nicely and is loads more fun.  Sweeping, mopping & vacuuming are the best ones for steps, the more vigorous the better.

[Dominique]

Try not to focus exclusively / too much on steps: a Fitbit tracker is much more than a step counter. If your Fitbit is able to record activities (e.g. Charge 2, Ionic), try to record the following two activities (you can record them as "workouts"): 1) one hour of cooking and other housework, 2) one hour of watching Netflix on your couch. Then, compare calories burned during these two activities. You may not get that many more steps from the first one, but calories burned should be significantly higher. 

[beth2c]

I do record the activities and while I log them as an activity it does not
include steps. I do move fast, I do work fast when I am cleaning and
cooking. I do use the time even when I watch a TV show sometimes - walking
around the coffee table during a commercial. I got the fitbit because I
wanted to feel motivated to get those steps.

Don't worry about it - I will work around it.

Thanks
*Beth *

[Daves_Not_Here]

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@Alicat2104wrote:

When I'm cleaning I put on my headphones and dance around while doing it, that adds steps nicely and is loads more fun.  Sweeping, mopping & vacuuming are the best ones for steps, the more vigorous the better.

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@Alicat2104 - we need video

[Alicat2104]

@Daves_Not_Here

[SunsetRunner]

@beth2c in fact, dishwashing may get you more steps 😉 Mind that the watch is on your wrist and it doesn't really count your steps but responds to wrist motion. You may get steps just from waving a hand you wear your watch on ( try and see ). So I wouldn't really focus on these steps as some may appear when you really walk, others when you're actually using your hand. Mentioned dishwashing, if done manually, will use both hands, so there's more chance you going to get some more steps 😉 I don't even know why this feature is called "steps counting". I'm getting steps from brushing my teeth in the morning despite wearing Fitbit on non-dominant ( left ) writs.

[beth2c]

i do that. But I am 69 so I can only do so much dancing for so long. Its
okay I am with it now that I know there is no way you put through
activities as steps. Its cool.

--
*Beth *

[beth2c]

Well I find I have to put it in my pocket because steps are NOT recognised
when I am dishwashing, cleaning etc. When I go grocery shopping I have to
put the fitbit in my pocket because it does not pick up steps.

THank you all but I am doing and have doing all the stuff you are talking
about.
I am just not letting it bother me so much any more and not focuses on the
fitbit as much. I still sync 3 times a day but looking at other things to
get the motiviation I need to keep going.
*Beth *

[emili]

@beth2c I am still processing the fact that you do as much as you do.. wow. I spend that much time in the kitchen twice per year- Thanksgiving and Christmas. I want to come live with you, the food must be amazing..

[beth2c]

Thanks lol!  I just enjoy cooking and experimenting with new recipes and foods. I like to adjust them to suit a better lifestyle of eating for my husband and myself - lo salt, low sugar, low fat etc but high on flavour - compensate with lots of great herbs, spices and aromatics.  

[repices]

my dude do you have a fitbit and do you even know THAT IT DOES IT FOR YOU