A bit fitter

My DD and DS bought me one for Christmas in 2016 - probably one of my best ever presents. I knew I was a couch potato but no idea how bad! Ibuilt up gradually to a target of 8000 although I often miss it - especially at weekends - but I also sometimes exceed it too. I'm probably getting about 3 times as much exercise since getting it. I've increased in small ways, like parking at the furthest point in the supermarket car park instead of nearest to the entrance, and at school where I work I try to go the long way between each lesson. I feel a lot fitter and have lost some weight, though I could do with losing a lot more! All in all though very motivating and a great thing to have.

My fitness aid comprises a pair of Nordic poles. Walking has always been my exercise of choice dating back to my young days when I was always too impatient to wait for a bus. Following a cardiac procedure my walks became crucial to my survival. However, I knew my pace was slow and my posture poor (almost always tallest girl in the class at 5ft 8inches) so I got myself some EXEL poles for a £10 on a second hand site. Turns out they are amongst the best and had never been used. Now I speed along, my distance has extended significantly, my posture greatly improved....and I have grown and inch (recorded at last NHS annual review.) Who needs a Fitbit?

I use a Fitbit and find it a great motivator. I do 10,000 steps a day and usually more. Given that I am an avid walker I find it just records what I would be doing anyway. If I forget to put it on I make sure I walk outside the house for 40 minute to an hour.

I have a very basic cheap pretend Fitbit which is fine for me. I don’t think it’s accurate on sleep - if I have a bad night it says I’ve had eight and a half hours and if I’ve slept like a log, it maintains I’ve only had six and a bit! My blood pressure consistently shows lower than I am when it’s measured properly but perhaps that’s right? I do aim for 10,000 steps, often fall short but at least it’s there to nag me to move more! The only letdown is the time isn’t visible at all outside, useless!

I’m going on holiday and don’t want to wear it when sunbathing - imagine the white line! So I don’t imagine I’ll be measuring movement accurately. I do want to get my husband one but he’s got very broad wrists and insists on wearing anything like that right up to his hand where it flexes most, so I don’t know if I can find anything strong enough.

I have a basic Fitbit which clips onto clothing. I have just been comparing steps with my gd age 9. I am short so do more steps than someone taller and do find it helps remind me to move. It went through the washing cycle the other day and still works. Average between 6,000 and 14,000 per day.
However have knee pain so am interested to read there is an injection which might help. Will look into this so thanks for mentioning grandly.

Hi Annaram1, I have Rheumatoid arthritis and have had several steroid jabs over the years in various joints. I have had one in one of my knees because at the time I was in chronic pain hardly able to walk. After tge jab I was told to go home and put my leg up for a couple of hours to let the jab settle. Within a couple of days the pain had disappeared along with the swelling. Fingers crossed yours will work as well so you can enjoy your holiday. I was told the benefits of the jab would last 6/9 months and I would say from memory it was about a year. Good luck

I wore my fitbit for around a year, then slowly forgot to put it on. I found my average was around 6000-7500 steps on a workday, and a bit more on the weekend.
However the winter was a bit tough for walking. It is a healthy reminder to keep moving. I had the most basic of ones without the heart monitor.

The sleep tracker I found interesting, if not totally accurate. Like Candelle, I could read for an hour in the middle of the night and since it tracks movement only it wouldn't register. Perhaps if I flicked the pages with more panache!

I have a Fitbit, too. I bought mine mainly to track sleep (poor) but it is hopeless as it actually only shows inactivity. I can be laying reading at 3.00 am and it will show that I am fast asleep!

Did you know that the 10,000 steps is a completely arbitrary figure and is not based on any health research - it was just pulled out of the air at random, many years ago but has been accepted as being a 'healthy' length to walk!

Obviously the more walking one can do, the better one will be in terms of fitness and losing pounds but the 10,000 steps need not be a target, it is whatever is right for the individual (many with health problems can't walk more than 100 steps!).

[phoebes]. I've lost about 7 lbs in the last 6 weeks. Admittedly I've been eating slightly smaller portions but I've also been drinking far more water and maybe that's helped.

I love my fitbit. It definitely encourages me to move more. I bought one for DH the Christmas before last, to get him to walk more. Cheaper than a dog!

I do ten thousand steps a day ...except weekends. Have a step counter....didn’t know it’s equates to six miles, I’m impressed. I also swim couple miles a week. So think I’m doing my bit. Well done anyone who understands the technology that goes with all this stuff!

Blinko I see over 65's need fewer than ?10000 steps. That's great, that figure of approx 7500 suits me fine, I feel good on it, as I said I can manage more but it leaves me drained.

I've had my Fitbit for 6 months now and love it. I'm walking about 20000 step a day. I also like it for monitoring sleep patterns. Not lost any weight but suspect that may be too many dinners out and nice wines !!

Dd congrats and well done on your stone loss. Makes such a difference and often inspires the incentive to do more. Bravo you!

I have a heart condition and have had a not terribly successful knee replacement. I try to walk as much as I can, but this isn't really very far. I also go to an Age Concern Strength and Fitness class once a week, which is supposed to be gentle exercise for Senior Citizens. I garden as much as possible, which is also good exercise. My problem is that I seem to have put on a few kilos recently, which I would like to shift as all my trousers are getting a bit tight! I am a healthy eater and don't overindulge and we never eat junk food. I have no idea how to shift this extra weight. I might add that I look fine, but I don't like things feeling a bit tight and digging in. Anyone got any suggestions?

I've just bought a fitness tracker for £12.99 from Amazon. It syncs with my phone. I had a Fitbit that was around £90 but some of the info it recorded was, frankly, bizarre e.g. floors climbed 8, if I remember rightly, recorded while I was sitting at my laptop. They asked me if I had a window open nearby and maybe I was lifting my arms a la Liberace! ? Not long after that, the button fell out, too. I sent it back and got a full refund.

Having said that, it did inspire me to achieve a daily step count and that impetus dwindled after I returned it. Then, I got a Samsung phone and discovered the default Samsung Health app. It records steps and sets an activity target. Trouble is, I often forget to have my phone in my pocket. Anyway, the little wrist device came today and I've set it up. It tells me my heart rate and blood pressure as well as step count, calories burned etc. The great thing for me is that I can set it to buzz if I'm inactive for a set period of time. That's something I've wanted for ages.

I have yet to learn how accurate it may turn out to be. Watch this space but there are plenty of reasonably priced fitness trackers to be had on Amazon.

Parklife1 are you a little bit younger than the average GNr?
You do more classes than my DD, and that's saying something!

I grew to hate my fitbit. It nagged me. It's in a drawer and there it can darn well stay.

I use an App on my phone so it only registers when I am out! A friend of similar age 70 plus was told by her Consultant that 3,500 steps a day were quite acceptable for her age, not sure who the 10,000 steps apply to, you do have to think of wear and tear on hips, knees, ankles etc.

I have just got the new Fitbit and I love it. It encourages me to keep moving rather than being stationery which is easy to do when you are retired. I use it at the gym a lot and it encourages me to drink lots more water..

Parklife.
How do you manage to fit all those classes in.
You sound very energetic.
Do you mind my asking how old you are.

I've had mine for ages - I bought it for the heart monitor when I developed AF but I rarely check it and mostly use it as a watch. I don't have anywhere much to walk to but do try to walk to our small town when I can. I don't actually trust the step counter as I've tracked the same journey on that and my phone and got totally different results - I did calibrate it when I first got it but wonder just how many times it's counting doing the ironing as walking steps?!

I love my Fitbit. Yes it motivates me, and am fascinated by seeing where my heart rate peaks and troughs

I’ve got an Apple Watch and I love it. Two years ago I wanted to start Pilates and after a lengthy search I found an affordable class.

Now I do Pilates, yoga, Zumba, body conditioning, Flex and Tone and Booty Barre. I do at least nine classes a week and it’s a social housing hi g too. Last weekend I did a ten mile walk for charity. I average 10,000 plus steps a day. Last weekend it was 33,000.

I use a fit bit and find it useful. For me 10000 steps is just over 4 miles . I'm not obsessed with it but find it motivates me to get up off my butt!