10,000 steps at once, or throughout the day?

[Vanillachaipwns]

I've recently gone from a job that allowed me ample time to walk around throughout the day, to working at home. Since starting my home business, I've been taking an hour or two out of my day to get my 10,000+ steps in all at once, so I can focus the rest of the day on working. It's the only option I have at this point.

So I want to know your opinions. Is it still as effective or, possibly even more effective to get all of your steps in at one time? I get 60+ active minutes now, where it used to only be 20 or so, so it would seem that the increase in heart rate would be good for me. What do you guys think?

[Dominique]

It doesn’t really matter IMO. Even if it’s more convenient for you to get them all at once, it would be a good idea to take short breaks every now and then during the course of the day. We all know sitting is bad for us. It’s a pity the new Alta is the only Fitbit model so far that urges you to move if you’ve been stationary for too long.

As to the 10k daily goal, I religiously strove to reach it every single day when I started with Fitbit (3 years ago), but I now tend to look at things from a weekly perspective. I try to reach about 80-100k on a weekly basis, with 2-3 days at 20k+ and sometimes days below 10k.

I’m also self-employed and work from home, so I have more flexibility than most people in the way I can spend my time. 

[JohnRi]

The only benefit I can think of by getting all your steps at once, would be having more active minutes, and getting your heart rate elevated for a longer period of time.  In theory that will make your heart stronger, and lower your resting heart rate.  You'd probably burn more calories, with the elevated heart rate.

So I wouldn't sweat it, and keep it up.

[WendyB]

I also dont think it matters. But my morning walk gets me 10K. The rest is just from my job

[wsushocker]

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/PhysicalActivity/Walking/Walking_UCM_460870_SubHomePage....

[iMike]

I also work from home, I started this past November.  Before that I could walk to work and while I had a sedentery job I could get up and walk around on my breaks.  If I didn't stop for groceries and walked home I could average over 15k steps per day.  Now it is much more difficult to get to 10k.  I find myslef walking circles around my apartment at various points throughout the day, and if I need groceries I still walk to the grocery store.  I really don't think it matters how you get your 10k steps in; I'm sure there are benefits to spreading them throughout your day but if you're getting 10k you're still getting the heart benefit.

[emili]

yes to everything already written. I work from home two days a week and until I get to the gym, I barely make 2K steps. What I do notice is that I am much stiffer and achy when I work from home without getting up and walking for extended periods of time. I am also 110- so that might be a factor. I don't think it matters when you get the bulk of your steps in, I would just try to move periodically too.

[BruceHedtke]

Another vote of "it doesn't matter". Ten thousand steps is a benchmark and whether you get them by doing small jaunts that build up to 10,000 steps over the course of a day or go out for a five mile hike and get them all at once, your body will know you were active enough that day to get 10,000 steps. Think of it like going to the gym for an hour a day. You wouldn't go for 10 minutes, then do the laundry, another 10 minutes, then mow the yard, another ten minutes, etc. You'd go for an hour, work out and then do whatever with the rest of your day and count it as having your exercise in.

[CStar3636]

I work at home.  It is a desk job.  I made a standing desk.  I spend part of the day standing and stepping while I work.  After work, I get on my treadmill and walk until I get 10,000 steps in.  It is working because I've lost 7 lbs in the last few weeks.  

[SebringDon]

For my first 30 pounds of weight loss, getting my steps in smaller chunks worked fine for me. Of course, those were the days when getting up to find the TV remote would put me in Fat Burn territory, and a brisk walk to the mailbox qualified as cardio time. Over the last couple of weeks that casual approach to getting my steps and active minutes in has stalled. I realize that to get cardio now, I've got to be moving, briskly, for a few minutes to even hit cardio. So 10-12 minute walks at 18 - 20 min pace don't cut it for me anymore. 

With summer just around the corner, living in south Florida means planning ahead anyway. I've recently started "5k every day," a 3.1 mile walk around the neighborhood right after coffee in the morning. My pace has to be under 17:00 miles or I drop down into Fat Burn. On a lazy morning I'll do the first mile in 18 or so, then step it up for the last two, finishing the last one around at around a 16:00 pace. If I'm feeling good I'll start out at a 16:00+ pace and spend the rest of the walk trying to break 15:00. That means 50 minutes or so to get the first 6,500 or so steps on my tracker in the morning. The rest of my daily goal slips away in normal activity.