S/O daily walking—how much?

[prairiewindmomma]

How much do you walk as part of your everyday life (ie—not purposeful exercise walking)? 
 

Do you walk to work? Across campus? Do you walk to buy groceries or to visit the dentist? Do you walk between bus stops or train stations?

What’s your daily mileage, if you keep track?

[TexasProud]

It isn't possible to walk those places you mentioned, so my only walking is just around the house or the purposeful exercise.  I get 12,000 steps or more a day.  That is one thing I liked about Kenya.  Everything, including the hospital was within walking distance.  I loved it.  In Texas almost nowhere is walkable. 

[Shoeless]

I get 5km at the university almost every day. That comes in to about 7k steps. I get another 1000-2000 steps while shopping, errands, etc. I use my phone to track steps, but I don't have my phone on me 24/7, so my step count is likely higher.

Edited May 30, 2023 by Shoeless

[Selkie]

I get around 20,000 steps a day doing work on our horse farm.

[Terabith]

When I'm working, most days I have about 8,000 steps a day.  Not all at work, but the walking I do as part of my life that includes work.  

I've been trying to figure out how to maintain that step count while not working, but now I think I may have a stress fracture, so I may just stick with swimming/ water aerobics/ yoga.  Bummer tho, because my phone gets super snarky when my step count drops.  

[Frances]

I walk everywhere possible, so work (when I don’t work at home), most errands, appointments, restaurants, post office, shopping, train station, library, hair salon, hospital, volunteer work, bakery, etc. I don’t walk for major grocery shopping, but I do walk to pick up a few items. Plus I walk our dog several times per day and regularly walk with different friends or take long walks with my husband through one or more of the numerous nearby parks (our dog is quite elderly, so we don’t tend to take her if we are going to be walking for an hour plus ). One of the main reasons we bought the house we did was so we could walk most places. We’ve been lucky that the three subsequent jobs we’ve had since purchasing almost 25 years ago are still walkable. I don’t keep track, but I’d guess I walk at least a few miles most days and significantly more other days. I can go months at a time without driving, although I do ride in a car more than I drive.

Edited May 30, 2023 by Frances

[Melissa Louise]

I don't use steps to measure my walking, but I do use an app that measures minutes spent walking, and how many of those minutes were brisk.

It's called Active 10 and it's a free app from the NHS in the UK.

You can set a goal of how many brisk ten minutes you aim to reach in a day.

I think it's better than measuring steps. I can do a lot of steps, slowly, and without getting my heart rate up, whereas a few Active 10's are not only more manageable time-wise, but also are a more effective exercise-type for me.

I get a lot of non-brisk steps in my job.

I walk to and from a bus stop each work day (30 min total).

I walk for pleasure - long + brisk - twice weekly at least if I can.

And I get a lot of incidental walking, because I don't drive.

 

[Melissa Louise]

https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/get-active/

[rebcoola]

I can walk so little if im not careful. I dont really have to walk for anything.

[Pawz4me]

According to my Apple watch I average about 12,000 steps/5 miles a day. Part of that is a daily dog walk, which I guess is exercise but I think of it as a part of normal, everyday life. 

[Toocrazy!!]

I don’t really have anywhere I can walk for errands or shopping. If I don’t purposely walk, I might get around 3,000-4,000 steps a day. 

[catz]

I don't have a step counter any more.  I found it annoying and distracting.  But I do use google timeline.  I typically walk between 40-80 miles a month and I have gone up to 100 since covid.  I listen to a lot of audio books and podcasts.   Some of it is exercise but I've just woven that into my day though but some of it is just life, errand running, etc, we do live urbanish.  

[SKL]

When I'm being a responsible dog owner, I walk 2-5 miles per day, depending on what else is going on.

When I'm using work as an excuse not to walk the dog, I'm lucky to walk 1 mile per day.

[Wheres Toto]

If it's only daily activities, I walk only 2,000-3,000 steps per day.   I am on my feet all day though.  I just don't have enough room in my classroom to pace while teaching so I'm generally just standing in one place or moving back and forth in a way that doesn't register as steps.  

I really wish I lived in a more walkable area.   

[J-rap]

A typical day with no purposeful walking for exercise is usually 2-3 miles.  But, I'm often taking care of one of my dd's dogs, so then it easily doubles on a typical day.  Or if it's one of my errand-running days (once/week), it also doubles.  

I walk to a lot of places:  the bank, pharmacy, weekly pick-up sites for bread and milk, post office, library, tailor, dry cleaners, farmers market, cafes, restaurants, small grocers, parks, dentist.  In fact, it's harder to drive to those places than walk, since parking is a hassle.  I always thought I'd either live in a small town or inner city where I can walk to places, and we've been able to do that for many years, throughout our entire marriage except for one year.  I want to be able to get my walking in naturally, not as forced exercise.  I think I'm not disciplined enough to just walk for exercise on a daily basis!  

[Arcadia]

My supermarket and my dentist are both less than a mile down the road from my home. I take public transport so walking to the light rail train station and then walking from train station to the bus bay, and from bus stop to destination. The most amount of walking I do is actually weekend shopping with my husband because he shops as his past time so it is easy to clock more than 13k steps shopping in a day. I don’t work and I don’t have a dog so some days I am home all day. 

[Lady Florida.]

13 hours ago, Toocrazy!! said:

I don’t really have anywhere I can walk for errands or shopping. If I don’t purposely walk, I might get around 3,000-4,000 steps a day. 

Same here. There's nothing close enough for walking. I try to get some exercise every day though it isn't always walking/steps/miles. 

BTW, the 10,000 steps a day was completely made up and doesn't appear to have any science behind it. The name was a marketing tool. It's a translation of the name of a Japanese pedometer created in the 1960s. The number spread around the world and established itself in our collective global consciousness. Of course it's not bad to get 10k but we shouldn't be discouraged if we don't. The important thing is to stay active.

https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/do-you-need-10000-steps-myth

 

 

[marbel]

I live in a terrible place for purposeful walking. There is only a small strip mall within walking distance, and it has the most terrible grocery store around. (And a dry cleaner, wine store, and beer distributor - so not useful at all.)

Outside my neighborhood there are many streets that are not safe for walking - narrow, windy, no shoulder. So even if someplace was close enough by miles, it would be a very unpleasant/dangerous walk.

 

Edited May 30, 2023 by marbel

[Spryte]

My daily, unplanned non-exercise walk varies. On a normal, good day doing chores and my normal stuff — I’ll get 6 - 8K steps. Most of my days are not that, though, and it’s more in the 4 - 6K range.

Our neighborhood is fine for intentional, exercise walks, but it’s not walkable in the sense that we can incorporate walking to locations. I miss that, and our next house will not be in such a car dependent area.

[Grace Hopper]

5 minutes ago, Lady Florida. said:

Same here. There's nothing close enough for walking. I try to get some exercise every day though it isn't always walking/steps/miles. 

BTW, the 10,000 steps a day was completely made up and doesn't appear to have any science behind it. The name was a marketing tool. It's a translation of the name of a Japanese pedometer created in the 1960s. The number spread around the world and established itself in our collective global consciousness. Of course it's not bad to get 10k but we shouldn't be discouraged if we don't. The important thing is to stay active.

https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/do-you-need-10000-steps-myth

 

 

My doctor years ago said “you could walk 20,000 steps a day and it would make no difference if none of them were at a high intensity.”

On work days I easily get in 5K but since I don’t live in a walkable area, other walking for exercise has to be intentional. I am trying to get dh to agree to downsizing - hard at the moment because he loves house projects and we have had a revolving door of houseguests because we currently have the space - and I am scoping out all the walkable concept areas of our town to be ready when he’s ready. I want a grocery, library, restaurants, coffee shop where I can be a “regular” within easy walking distance, and quick access to medical care. 

[Amira]

I run all my errands on foot and we chose to rent in this neighborhood because it's possible for me to do that.  I don't track my steps or how far I walk every day.  I walk to all my medical stuff (including specialists), several different grocery stores, the local mosque to help with their food bank, the library, our church (although we'll drive there if someone in our neighborhood needs a ride), the farmer's market, several book stores, historical sites, and lots more.  I walk to the metro station about a kilometer from my house when I need to go further away, like to the ESL classes I teach.  In my experience, I'm much happier when I walk often, but we have to be intentional about making it possible because the US is generally designed around people driving rather than walking. I exercise at home, so my walking is about environmental awareness and my mental health.

Dh and ds prefer to bike and they bike almost everywhere.

[Pawz4me]

4 minutes ago, Grace Hopper said:

My doctor years ago said “you could walk 20,000 steps a day and it would make no difference if none of them were at a high intensity.”

 

Context matters, but if a doctor said that to me with regard to walking or physical movement in general I'd run away as fast as I could. Far away.

Non exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) is a big factor in maintaining weight/preventing obesity. And for anyone with joint issues "move it or lose it" and "motion is lotion" are well known, truthful sayings. Those of us with conditions that involve fatigue know that moving, even at a slow speed, is often helpful at reducing that. All movement is beneficial.

[Ottakee]

I have nothing in walking distance from home .  At work I can get few steps or 10,000+ depending on the day.  I work in a former hospital building so Loya of walking if I need to go to other classrooms in the other end of the building.  We do walk with students to town, library, etc as well which can add up.

Interestingly in our area it is not very socially encouraged/acceptable to walk as a mode of transportation but walking for exercise is very accepted.   So walking to work is for only the poor who can’t afford a car, but walking the same distance with a friend for exercise is great.

[Ottakee]

4 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

Context matters, but if a doctor said that to me with regard to walking or physical movement in general I'd run away as fast as I could. Far away.

Non exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) is a big factor in maintaining weight/preventing obesity. And for anyone with joint issues "move it or lose it" and "motion is lotion" are well known, truthful sayings. Those of us with conditions that involve fatigue know that moving, even at a slow speed, is often helpful at reducing that. All movement is beneficial.

I agree.   I have a lot of joint issues but feel better the more I move.  I will never run or be fast but I can hike 10 miles and feel the benefits.

[Grace Hopper]

9 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

Context matters, but if a doctor said that to me with regard to walking or physical movement in general I'd run away as fast as I could. Far away.

Non exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) is a big factor in maintaining weight/preventing obesity. And for anyone with joint issues "move it or lose it" and "motion is lotion" are well known, truthful sayings. Those of us with conditions that involve fatigue know that moving, even at a slow speed, is often helpful at reducing that. All movement is beneficial.

I loved that doctor (he’s since gone on to admin level work) and would not have run from him. I agree that a body in motion is healthier than sedentary, and that intense exercise is not beneficial for everyone. Thanks for the link. Personally I know my body does benefit from some level of intensity, my “numbers” and sense of well being prove that out. Eta I do not do anything extreme like long distance jogging or extreme workouts - but do try to get my heart rate into a target zone when exercising- doable with water exercise and easier on joints. 

Edited May 30, 2023 by Grace Hopper

[heartlikealion]

Very limited unless I'm running errands and walking inside stores or to/from the car. I do try to do purposeful walking (exercise inside the home or around the neighborhood) and a new pedometer is on the way (I keep getting crappy ones). On a day I don't leave the house my daily pedometer readings in the past haven't been great. 

At the house some of my walking is in/out of the house to the carport to do laundry so this could be several trips depending on how many loads there are. So if I don't go anywhere, but do a lot of things around the house (in/out of the kitchen, collecting trash, changing sheets, going to the carport) I can get OK steps but still would not be very good. 

[Amira]

14 minutes ago, Ottakee said:

Interestingly in our area it is not very socially encouraged/acceptable to walk as a mode of transportation but walking for exercise is very accepted.   So walking to work is for only the poor who can’t afford a car, but walking the same distance with a friend for exercise is great.

I definitely feel this where I live now and in other places where I've lived in the US (although biking to work is acceptable here, even if walking 5 kilometers to work would not be).  There is unquestionably social stigma attached to walking to get things done versus walking to exercise.  

[Jean in Newcastle]

All my walking is intentional.  It has to be when walking and moving hurts.  It takes me a lot of willpower to get up and go down the hallway to the bathroom.  If someone told me that my walking had to be a certain intensity, I would punch them.  But walking and mobility in general is extremely important to me.  I 100% think that I would be in a wheelchair or scooter at this point if I were not so focused on maintaining and improving my mobility.  I started at 800 extremely painful steps, went up to 1500 steps, then to 3000, then to 6000 (a painful jump), then to 6500 and then another painful jump to 10,000.  Now I'm at 10,000 or more, with the more varying from day to day. 

My secret is doing things very inefficently.  When I fold laundry I fold one piece of clothing, then take it down the hall and put it away.  Same with pulling weeds outside.  There may come a time when my daily walks (2.6 miles daily and more if it's a hiking day) will increase enough so that I don't have to be so inefficient in the other part of my life but I'm not there yet. 

[wisdomandtreasures]

Before moving, we were a mile from church, a block from the bus stop, and a block from the grocery store we walked there and church. Husband took the bus the work every day. Plus we'd go on lots of nature walks along the river, which we had to drive to but once there, the walk was anywhere from 2-6 miles round trip. Now that we are further out, we can't walk anywhere (on top of a winding hill, 5 miles from church where most of the roads have no shoulder, grocery store is 10 miles away, piano and ballet are 3 miles away; again, no shoulder there) so I just walk around my yard, to check the mail (about 100 years) and exercise is more intentional. I love my house, my acre, my garden, and my neighbors, but I miss the convenience eof the city 

[HomeAgain]

Most of my intentional walking is in and around the house. It's not entirely safe to walk to the store a mile away, though I would like to.  Actually, I'd probably bike if it was an option.

I get in about 5000-7000 steps on a regular day, and about 20 flights of stairs.

[Storygirl]

We walk the dog in our neighborhood three times per day, but our neighborhood is one long residential street, so there is no other daily-life purpose that I can accomplish just by walking (other than things like the grocery store). So I walk purposefully on the treadmill several times a day and do between 10,000 to 15,000 steps.

Yes, I know that 10,000 is a made up goal, but it beats being sedentary and is good for my health and helped me lose weight, even though I'm not doing high intensity speeds. More walking definitely equals better health for me.

[prairiewindmomma]

I could easily be carless. On a busy day, I can easily hit 18,000-20,000 steps. I can walk or take transport to wherever I need to go if I can budget enough time for it.

Some days my body doesn’t cooperate and I am clawing to get to 500 steps just around the house. 
 

 

[Laura Corin]

On the days when I work at the office - two days a week - I get around 6000 steps just running errands or walking to meetings. On the other days, my non-intententional steps are minimal, so I walk at least 2 1/2 miles at lunchtime. 

[Kidlit]

You all are inspiring me.  I definitely don't live in a pediatrician-friendly area, and I would also say there's some stigma attached to walking when one has a car.   All of ky walking has to be intentional. 

[Ausmumof3]

None at all. At a push I could do the post office but it would be a 10km return trip. 

[Lady Florida.]

42 minutes ago, Kidlit said:

 I definitely don't live in a pediatrician-friendly area,

This looks like a classic auto correct mistake but it still gave me a chuckle. 😀

[Not_a_Number]

I'm currently averaging about 10,000 steps a day. I take lots of walks and walk between activities, since we live in Manhattan. 

I don't measure my steps in daily life, so this is just from when I have my phone on me. I've been meaning to track it the whole day including around the house but haven't yet . . . 

[Kidlit]

1 hour ago, Lady Florida. said:

This looks like a classic auto correct mistake but it still gave me a chuckle. 😀

Ha! Yes, auto-correct, though I've had a number of non-pediatrician friendly FRIENDS over the years! 😉😉