I'm all about counting my steps. Three dog walks a day usually gets me to 10,000. I've had a lingering cold for over a month now, and my numbers are down to 5,000. The dog is sad.

The Fitbit counters are moving away from counting floors walked up. I don't know why.

I average 10,000 during my 8 hour shift at work. Then I add a good 1000 at home, but I use my treadmill for 15 minutes before I start my workout. I had yesterday off. I walked on my treadmill for 60 minutes, did an outdoor walk for about 20 minutes and just general walking around the house and I put on 11,872 steps or 9.6km in total, which is average for the end of any workday for me.

I had a Fitbit for a few days until I noticed it adding steps while I was moving my foot while sitting in a chair!

Whatsayyou18 - another Fitbit aberration is that someone can be pushing a grocery cart or similar and the steps aren't counted because of the lack of arm movements. I try not to use a grocery cart for shopping, but if I do, I prevail upon DH to come along to push. I find this is the same with using a treadmill - have to use arm movements to register the steps.

I love using a Fitbit and I try to do 10,000 steps a day most days. On very cold days, such as we've had lately, I walk indoors.

Stacey, that sounds similar to counting hand movements, and not leg.

The lady that had 4,000 steps said that she gets the rest in easily when playing piano at her church.

These are excellent tools to be sure each day has adequate activity, no matter what the absolute number is.

I try for at least 10,000 steps a day, today I will probably get 20,000 as I just did a 90 minute indoor workout and still need to take the pups for a walk. It's going to beautiful here, sunny and temps about 40. Some days at work are long and tiring, but really only get about 6000 steps in. This week I've had to push myself to use the treadmill when I get home as it was too cold for an outdoor walk. I got an apple watch for Christmas, but I thought my much cheaper 3 year old fitbit was just as accurate.

I use the Accupedo app but most phones have the Heart already and it is automatically counting your steps.

Stacy that is only true of the fitbits that you have to wear on your wrist. That is why when it was time for a new one, I bought the Fitbit inspire. Not the heart rate one. The regular inspire. Because it comes with an option for a clip mode. I wear it on my bra and it's pretty accurate. I hope they always have at least one option with a clip mode. I get 2000 steps or more on a grocery run!

I try to get 15000-20000 steps daily. It takes effort. I dont ever remember getting even 10000 without having to make time JUST for walking during the day. At this second i have 16,173 steps.

When I walk, I shoot for 10,000 steps, but now that I'm taking barre and yoga, I still get a workout, but it doesn't show up in the steps numbers.

I've also added 2 min planks every night before I go to bed...no steps involved, but it's wonderful toning for the entire body, head to toes.

Fitbit counts "steps" while I'm on my riding lawn mower.

Another aberration is that number of steps doesn’t equate to distance traveled. I have a long stride when I walk. So my steps may register fewer than DH’s when we walk but we cover the same distance and at the same rate. I know this is true with my neighbor because we have noted she takes about a step and a half or almost two for every one of mine. And of course jogging is totally different.

I also turn my watch on to a different workout for Pilates or a high intensity workout and some similar other things at home like Annie, so I don’t always register 10,000 but know I am working out.

Seems to me that walking down stairs should count as nearly double ...

... and up stairs as triple a regular step!

o j

I have an ankle injury so I stopped tracking my steps. Sometimes I get the 10,000 sometimes not.

when I was I would immediately get my phone which is how I tracked so that every single step would be accounted for.

i guess I am the minority in that I couldn't care less how many steps I take. I do my best to use my entire body in ways that will keep me as reasonably fit as possible. Steps don't equate to overall fitness. A Fitbit/step tracker isn't going to account for the 3 nonstop hours I spent in the saddle today. It's not going to count the times I literally jump up and down out of the seat of my tall truck running errands. It doesn't count shoveling manure or carrying hay or buckets of feed. It doesn't count buying, loading and unloading and pouring into the proper receptacles several 40 pound bags of salt and dog food. It doesn't count chasing a 1000 pound animal up a slippery hillside versus walking across a room. It doesn't count Yoga, core building exercises and balance exercises. It doesn't care if one has flexibility or not. It doesn't care about strength training.

I see too far many people young and old walking with poor posture, poor centers (balance) and short or shuffling strides along with looking down at the ground or their phones.. Many are wearing Fitbits.

I admit I only have my Fitbit as an investment. It links to my employers wellness program and earns points for me to redeem for amazon gift cards. I have easily redeemed 3000 dollars or more in the 8 years or so I have participated. If not for these benefits, I wouldn't care either.

I also admit that I do get a little perturbed when after hours of digging holes,hauling rocks and mulch and dirt and plants on my days off,or scrubbing every surface of my house, or a particularly difficult strength training or toning dvd, I still have to get on the treadmill in order to get "credit" for physical activity that day.

I am a fortunate night minion in that I have the freedom and usually favorable conditions to go outside and get all my steps right at midnight when I am at work.

I have a fitbit zip. Mine is sort of like Amy's... in that it is a clip on.

I get almost 0 steps doing stairs. Mine had to be programmed for my step length. I don't get many during a class of Tai Chi either. I just like to keep track, of how active I was before 8:00 PM, and then, if the number is low I can go out and walk for a while, and improve on my activity level.

Mostly, that happens on rainy or very cold days.

I do not wear it while riding my bike, cause I know, it will add steps, but since I track mileage while riding... that would be double dipping.

Sherry, to me it is helpful.

Moni

Watchmelol - if I were as active as you are, I wouldn't be keeping track of my steps either. But we are a nation of sedentary people, unfortunately, and anything that gets people off the couch is a good thing.

Watchme, that's what I like about my exercise classes. It's well-rounded.....cardio, balance and resistance. It's designed to limit falls, increase balance as we age.

Wow, you and Marilyn are role-models for sure!!!

Two insurance plans ago, we were offered something similar to AmyLou's wellness program. I walk a lot and met the goal on most days. But, as others have noted, it didn't track movement like strength training, core work, and it didn't even accurately count rotations on my spin cycle. I use my cycle for HIIT workouts, which research has shown much more important in preventing cognitive decline than steady-types of cardio exercise like walking.

But, given that we, as a nation, collectively pay the price for public health, I'm all for these gadgets, as long as people don't use them as license to eat more. I think more useful trackers are ones that combine caloric intake with activity (I think fitbit does this, but I'm not sure). A few years ago, I used the MyFitnessPal app to track the calories I needed each day, and it took into account activity and exercise. It was an incentive to exercise, for sure, but it really put into perspective how many calories I really needed in a day.

I started wearing one of the fitbits my sister gave one of my kids years ago. Mostly out of curiosity. I have found it to be very accurate. I had to replace the first one when it started counting steps while I was driving!

I like having an idea. I usually walk 10,000 to 15,000 a day

I remove it when I practice yoga. I just don’t want anything on my arm.

I'm on my second Fitbit. I only utilize it because it is also linked to my wellness program. It literally counts arm movements. If I push a shopping cart, I get next to nothing. Sometimes if I have the right shoes on, I will attach it to my shoelaces to get a more accurate account.

It also gives me thousands of steps for riding on the lawn tractor.

Our wellness program is worth participating in. I can earn up to $1,200 a year on a visa to be used towards any healthcare costs.

Once I retire, I doubt I will bother with any type of step trackers.

elmer said what I am thinking.

Why are steps all that matters? Don't we need to do more?

I keep thinking I'm going to add stairs to my routine. I work on the 12th floor. So I bet you can guess how I could do that ;)

And to be honest, I want to "get exercise" doing stuff I love. I love gardening, getting in there, digging holes, shaping the bed, turning the soil, pushing the lawn mower, swinging the weedeater, you name it, sweat pouring off of every pore, drinking ice cold water. Ah. Is it spring yet? I lose weight easily when I am gardening. If that was the objective. But it isn't. I love to bicycle. My heart pounding to the rhythm of my feet pedaling. I am baffled by the focus and how we got here. I even like to skate. I wish I could do that more. I need to find a way. It's just too much fun. Wonder if the boy would join me? We have some pretty good hills and a huge parking lot across the street from us. Ooo, that sounds like fun.

ETA: I just bought our skates. I'll just do what I did when I made him snorkel. Say stick them on your feet and roll! He'll love it. Happy birthday to me (coming up. I think it's gonna be a great gift). Squee! so excited.

My highest days of steps are when I am working in the yard.

I get an extra workout in when shoveling snow. I forgot about that sport.

Rob333, I do more than "just steps", but steps are important. It means the more you do, the less you are inactive. I also workout every day. I started January 7th and haven't missed a day yet. Going downstairs (we have a home gym), in a few minutes. I don't just do floor exercises, I also lift weights. I'm 60 and work in a drugstore and it scares to see people just ten years older than me barely able to walk, needing canes and walkers and on so many medications. I plan on being like my parents. Dad is going to be 87 in April. He still goes to the rec center five days a week and rides the stationery bike. Oh, did I say he walks the six blocks each way as well? And he's on 0 medications. Mom takes 5mg Crestor and only to make her doctor happy. Neither needs a cane or walker and most people can't believe how old they are when they are shown pictures of them. Both are very active.

I got rid of my Fitbit. It even counted steps while driving a car. I got a Garmin that keeps accurate steps for me. It doesn't count driving as steps.

I think was I was saying was, enjoy being active! Don't just make it a chore to get your "steps in". Not that steps don't count. I was saying "other things" also count. Why not enjoy yourself along the way?

;)

Walking is my minimum viable exercise goal. I make sure I get five miles in per day if I am not going to a class (Barre Method,) playing tennis, or running. I am 51 and hope to stay fit and strong like Debby's parents.

so silly

:)