When it comes to daily step count, does getting 10,000 steps a day really matter?
The reason most fitness trackers use 10k as the goal step count is that you are more likely to have also logged about 5 miles and 30 minutes of exercise, which aligns with the CDC’s recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week.
Now, exercise does not always equate movement, but I’ll save that for another time 😜
BUT, with that being said, shooting for 10k steps means that you probably aren’t sitting at your desk all day.
I know when I sit or stand at my desk all day like I recently did during an 8-hr online seminar, my fitness tracker read 4.8k steps. For someone who averages 10k a day, getting significantly less leaves me feeling cranky, achy and definitely not tired enough to sleep well that night. Ella, the husby and I took a 40-minute walk that day to make up for the deficit.
So is aiming for 10k steps a day really worth it? Yes and no.
Yes, because it gets you thinking about movement. You may choose to park farther away from the front door at the office or grocery store or decide to walk to lunch instead of driving. And even if the tracking is not 100% accurate (I logged 22 steps this morning before even getting out of bed – go figure), you are at least thinking about it!
This is better than not moving for weeks and weeks at a time until something comes up (someone’s roller skating birthday party, for example) and you either A) decide you can’t go because that sounds like too much work or B) go and then end up super sore and walking like Frankenstein for 3 days afterwards.
A little bit of movement each day will serve your body, your tissue, your physiology and your mind a lot better than a single day of high-intensity work.
So yes, getting 10k steps a day is a good idea to keep your body moving. But should you beat yourself up if you don’t? Not at all!
One thing I have found helpful is to join in with friends or family to hold each other accountable. There are many different apps that can allow you to share weekly step counts even if you use different trackers. There has been more than one occasion where I logged in to find that my MIL was way in the lead so of course, I grabbed Ella and went for a long walk.
Having a friend or two who will support you in your movement goals is also vital. If you need some movement minded friends, join us in the AE Wellness Body Nerds FB group. You’ll get motivation and ideas from others to keep moving. Unless you’re logging over 15k steps a day, in which case, you’ll just make me feel bad. 😜
Just kidding! join us – request access here.
Do you have a fitness tracker? What tricks do you have to hit your daily step count?
Let me know in the comments below!
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