Is 10,000 steps a day too much?

Best to vary exercise, to include strength building and aerobic like cycling. I never count steps, pointless tbh. I see dog walkers with straps on their wrists and they just stroll along. Two miles daily at a good pace is optimum if walking is your exercise

My friend has bad knees, so doesn't walk too much. Luckily, though, she enjoys swimming twice a week instead. There's a value in any exercise and it's best to choose something enjoyable.

My watch is set at 6000 which I do most days and sometimes more, especially if the Grandchildren are visiting as they love to walk to the park which is a mile away from our house, the last time we went I did 12000 steps. Very occasionally I have a lazy day which I’m sure does me no harm.

My Fitbit rules my life. Rather than steps counted I find the 'Active zone minutes' more useful. You're supposed to do a minimum of 150 per week but I set 500 as my goal and alway seem to do more than that.

I think you should just do what you can comfortably. Some days I walk a mile or two on others I have a shorter gentle stroll. If you’re on the go around the house or in the garden it all counts. I have spinal issues so some days just pottering is enough, I pay the price if I over do it.
I believe in keeping active but I don’t count steps.

I am reading all these posts with interest. I like the idea of listening to an audiobook or a podcast as I have actually just bought wireless headphones which would be ideal. At the moment, with the dog here, I am doing 3 half hour walks. When the dog returns home I shall use the headphones. My dad lived to 97, never did any walking, and had a sedentary job, but I am not depending on being like him and managing to reach old age regardless of not being active. Presumably he had good genes.

Hetty58

My friend has bad knees, so doesn't walk too much. Luckily, though, she enjoys swimming twice a week instead. There's a value in any exercise and it's best to choose something enjoyable.

I have bad knees (terrible car crash in 1970!) and 2 knee replacements, including a painful one (the one crushed in accident) - but the more I walk, the more I keep active, the less pain I get. With a lot of painful things- the answer (and it is certainly NOT easy at first) is to move, move, move.

I get about 7000 steps with dog walk, but then I am up and down our stairs, house, garden- all day long. Should try and keep phone on for full day to see what I get to. So ceetainly not too much, but possibly not necessary either to keep fit.

I listen to my body, some days it allows me to go further than it does other days. Most days the body insists on an afternoon nap.
My treadmill behind my couch in my living room from which I can watch tv is my friend, 5 mins here, 5 mins there.
I find outdoor walking boring unless with a friend or 2.

I understand that cardio-vascular benefits peak at 7,500 steps. I love my 10,000 steps but they do take a long time and I don't have that time every day. At 72, with four dogs I walk more than I ever used to! 10,000 steps is an invention, but I quite like that to aim for

I'm with you !!

Just another thought …. werent the ‘safe drinking’ levels just a made up number too?

I think anything over 7000 is beneficial. Don’t beat yourself up, any exercise is better than none.
Having said that, I am 67 slim, fit, walk every day, jog do yoga, eat 30 plants a week and still had a minor heart attack last week…… I would like my money back for all the avocadoes I have eaten!

Do you have a local walking group that you could join ? They are often advertised in doctors and community centres. While your chatting and walking you have soon done plenty of steps ,good for your mental health as well

How I envy all of you. I was very fit 10 years ago then a heart attack struck me down unexpectedly when I was getting ready for a keep fit class. To cut a long story short I have ended up in the past 15 months hardly able to walk at all due to a total hip revision, then 6 dislocations . I would LOVE to get out and get fit. The fear of falling, the fear of failing, I need motivation.

Never mind what it tells you online etc listen to your body if you feel like that then you are over doing it and you’re body is telling you to take it easy

Georgesgran

Just another thought …. werent the ‘safe drinking’ levels just a made up number too?

....and the 5 a day!

Iwtwab12bow

How I envy all of you. I was very fit 10 years ago then a heart attack struck me down unexpectedly when I was getting ready for a keep fit class. To cut a long story short I have ended up in the past 15 months hardly able to walk at all due to a total hip revision, then 6 dislocations . I would LOVE to get out and get fit. The fear of falling, the fear of failing, I need motivation.

I'm so sorry to read your post, I hope your hip is performing better now and you are no longer getting the dislocations which must be so painful. I think many of us lose confidence in our bodies as we get older. I had a silly slip a couple of years ago broke my wrist and generally jarred myself up quite a bit. Even though it all healed quickly and easily I found myself being extra careful rather than striding out in my usual fashion. Have you thought about buying walking poles? I'm considering getting them for the winter when it's wet and muddy on my walks, just to give me a bit of extra stability. If you have a friend or neighbour to walk with you, perhaps also wanting to rebuild confidence, so you can take it slow and very steady together, that might help. My GP surgery has a couple of walking groups especially for helping people to recover from illness or injury, I wonder if your GP has the same? Don't give up, take little steps if you can and enjoy being outside in the fresh air. Good luck!

Iwtwab12bow sorry to hear about your problems and of course you should take it easy. Walking poles seem to come recommended by our local walking group not just to help overcome the fear of falling, but to add upper body exercise as well.
Re the 10,000 steps. We live on quite a long steep hill, but the man who jogs up and down 3-4 times a day is probably fitter than me and he doesn’t do 10,00 steps.
The physios recommended you set a smaller target for motivation. One than you know you can achieve and will give you an added boost on the days you exceed it.
Setting yourself up to fail is never a good motivator.

I'd be lucky to do 10,000 a week never mind a day

My phone is linked to my watch …..I put watch on first thing in morning . Even in days I don’t ‘walk for steps’ ..I seem to do between 2000-3000 steps just around house and garden …..I aimed for 8000 after my last stroke in 2021….I don’t always make it as I’ve had a torn cartridge for 6 months….si I’m struggling….but I swim 3 times per week and it all helps.

If I can manage 2,000 steps per day then that is a good day. Depends how my disability affects me any particular day if I get that far. Just being able to walk some days makes it a good day.

I’m a 10,000 a day gal, and I am 77. My husband says having me for a wife is a bit like owning a dog - I have to go for at least two walks a day or I start getting grumpy 😂😂😂I LOVE being outdoors. However , in life, just do what makes you happy. Don’t plod on for miles if you are mot enjoying it

I have a Fitbit and used to extol the virtues of the device. It got me active after living a very sedentary lifestyle and has been partly responsible for enabling me to lose nearly 6 stones in weight over the last few years.

Sadly the things that motivated me most - competing with other Fitbit wearers, and completing challenges have been removed since google took over the company.

I still have a target of 8000 steps a day but rarely achieve it now except on days when I really make the effort to go out and walk.

My DD gave up her Fitbit and invested in a different brand. She was a premium user too. I can't really afford to change but when my current model reaches the end of its life I will be looking at others too.

Like another poster I try to concentrate on active minutes too but wonder if that 150 minutes a week is also an arbitrary figure.

I still enjoy my weekly 'Simply Walk' with a local group followed by a sociable coffee in the local village hall, but need to find a way of motivating myself again on a daily basis.

I do around 14,000 steps on a Monday - combination of my 90 minute walking group and the 45 minute walk home afterwards (I get the bus up there lol, otherwise that would be another 5000 steps!). So, over two hours to do that many steps - but I only do that once a week and I am only 54, albeit with osteoarthritis in both knees. Most days I average around 5000 steps which, as I understand it, is more than sufficient to maintain good health. 10,000 is an arbitrary figure, rather like 5 a day or 14 units of alcohol a week - we are all different and you need to work out what suits you, your body and your schedule.