Counting Steps

I've seen recommendations that one should walk at least 10,000 steps each day, and so I decided to count my steps yesterday to see how I measure up to that standard. So I wore my trusty Omron pedometer, which I highly recommend. It appears to be very accurate, and has a 7 day memory. It works clipped to your belt or in your pocket. If you do the latter, may I suggest removing the pedometer from your pocket prior to throwing your pants into the wash? I failed to do that with my first one, and found that it didn't work really well after that experience. Basically, I exceeded it's design parameters, so now I am on my second one. I look on the first one as a $35 lesson to be less careless.

My step total for yesterday was 16,352 steps, so I exceeded the minimum suggested amount.

I started the day out with a brisk but short 3+ mile walk before work. This walk accounted for the 5,445 "aerobic" steps that I took yesterday. The pedometer counts steps as aerobic once you walk for 10 minutes or more continually, so my remaining 11,000 steps were in dribs and drabs.

I almost always take the stairs at work. I work on the sixth floor of the building. I usually walk to see someone at work rather than use the phone, and these trips add up, especially if they are on a different floor. Other than the three mile walk in the morning yesterday, a walk of maybe 1/2 mile at lunch to meet a friend for lunch outside on a gorgeous day, and a walk of about a mile at night to the grocery store at night, most the other walking was just around the office, and to and from the parking garage, of course.

Based on my pace of about 36 inches, those steps added up to over 9 miles! Now that is on the high side, because I am not always walking at my normal pace in the office or going up steps. But I think that 7-8 miles of walking would be in the ballpark. It is good to know that by adding in a few short walks, my normal business day gets me well above 10,000 steps. I've not had much time lately for formal workouts, so any little bit I can do to get exercise is important.