What is a "normal" amount of walking?

fkwan · Post by **fkwan** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 6:19 pm

I'm really ashamed to have to ask, but after getting a pedometer, and feeling as if I am walking all damned day long, I barely came in under the "minimum" of 10,000 steps.

I'm ashamed because I spend a minimum of two hours a day in a car commuting from the middle of nowhere to where I work, then seven or so hours sitting in front of a computer, and by the time I get home (about 1900) I'm literally too tired to move.

It is much too dangerous to walk outdoors where I live outside of my property because, as I mentioned in my check-in posts, I live in the country. In the US, the country is NOT a place conducive to walking. There are no cute little paths through farms and dales. There are no sidewalks. There are dogs running loose. And worse, there are no walkers. It is a terrible thing to say, but when I used to live in DC and Philly, the really, scary bombed out ghetto areas of those places in which I very occasionally found myself by accident scared me less than the country in which I live, and from which I clearly always have been alienated.

If I'm trying to do the walking equivalent of Shovelglove "purposeful movements", then, I am limited to walking around my perimeter at home or doing laps at work, unless I'm on my twice a month "grrl in prison outing" in the city, at which time I can do the point A to point B thing and use a map and have fun.

What, then, is a normal amount of walking that average folks used to do back in the day? By the way, it's 17 miles from where I live to the nearest town, which back and forth would be more than a marathon.

I guess I could Google the Amish, but I just thought I'd get an idea from any of you lucky folks from say Oz or the UK who might have grown up in a less car-oriented culture.

I did, and according to http://walking.about.com/cs/measure/a/amish010704.htm,

A pedometer study of an Old Order Amish community showed that their average man logged 18,000 steps per day and their average woman logged 14,000 steps per day, and they had one of the lowest rates of overweight and obesity of any community in North America.

By the way, if there are any runners or athletes here who do marathons, some training tips would be cool.

f

Post by **reinhard** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 1:30 pm

Well, "normal" meaning what most people do today is probably rather pathetic.

"Normal" meaning what people did before the advent of "labor saving devices" is probably unattainable.

If you're interested in coming up with a goal, first figure out your current normal. Wear the pedometer for a few days, without trying to do anything special. Then make your initial goal +10% of this, or something. If you can do that regularly, add another 10%. Repeat until you're satisfied or you find more is just not realistic.

I personally am not so into pedometers, though from what I've read the research shows they are motivationally useful. I prefer to just engineer walks into my daily routine. But it doesn't sound like that's a very feasible option for you.

I'd look hard for some place decent to walk, either around your home or workplace. I bet there's someplace, some park or nature reserve, that might do the trick. It's worth the effort of investigating.

Reinhard

kbits · Post by **kbits** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 5:59 pm

Oz is a very car intensive society, on account of everything being so far apart. My home town has an urban sprawl of 130km. Fortunately, it has one of the best public transport systems on Earth.

Re: Olden tymes -
I read a statistic once that said it was closer to 20,000 steps or 5-7km - sorry, no cite on that

Have you considered getting a treadmill or cheaper alternative (plastic stair to step up on, stair master, cross country ski-er etc)? The plastic stair offers interesting opportunities for 'pseudo' purposeful work, akin to shovelglove farm workout. For example, you could make yourself a little indoors obstacle course, or try different ways of stepping on, off and over etc

Lots of running tips @ running forum here -
http://www.coolrunning.com.au/forums/in ... owforum=53

fkwan · Post by **fkwan** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 6:47 pm

kbits wrote:Oz is a very car intensive society, on account of everything being so far apart. My home town has an urban sprawl of 130km. Fortunately, it has one of the best public transport systems on Earth.

OOh. Where is that?

I have to admit I'm an Ozphile. Always wanted to visit.

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kbits · Post by **kbits** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 6:53 pm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perth%2C_Western_Australia

mjn · Post by **mjn** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 1:55 am

I am walking alot more using a pedometer. I love it. I would do just what Reindhard said and increase steps that way. I have a job that I can get 5,000 to 7,000 steps a day there and then I walk on my lunch break and after work to get in 11,000 a day. Now that I am off for summer break though, it is alot of extra walking to get in, but I am doing it. I wish you could find a place to walk. Good luck, I know it helps me mentally and physically to exercise.

ou812 · Post by **ou812** » Sun Jun 22, 2008 12:23 am

My normal walking day includes a walk to work and then home again (2.4) with an additional 25-30 min of walking Monday-Friday. Now that I am off for the summer (teacher), my walking has slowed down significantly. I am at home with two 5 year olds. I need to replace my walking with another activity. It just doesn't fit as conveniently into my day.

fkwan · Post by **fkwan** » Sun Jun 22, 2008 5:17 pm

mjn wrote:I am walking alot more using a pedometer. I love it. I would do just what Reindhard said and increase steps that way. I have a job that I can get 5,000 to 7,000 steps a day there and then I walk on my lunch break and after work to get in 11,000 a day. Now that I am off for summer break though, it is alot of extra walking to get in, but I am doing it. I wish you could find a place to walk. Good luck, I know it helps me mentally and physically to exercise.

Well, lap walking is good discipline.

Twice a month I have an outing in the city where I can walk all over the place and last Friday I went 9 miles!!! I pray that some day before I die I will be able to move back there and the problem will take care of itself.

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3aday · Post by **3aday** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 11:12 pm

I live a very sedentary life.
I have no choice but to sit at work all day.
My parents and one grandmother had/have lots and lots of physical problems because of a sedentary life.
It wasn't their fault though.
Society has created us to be sedentary and of course, the advent of snacking during their lifetime (and mine) caused all of us to have weight problems and health problems.
Finding No S has been a Godsend for me as well as finding Leslie Sansone dvd's.
I walk at home now.
It's too hot here and not really safe for me to walk anywhere especially when it gets dark early....
I made it a habit and it's a habit I HAVE to stick to for health reasons.
I like it because I can do one mile, two miles, three miles....in the comfort of my own home.

Today, I walked 30 minutes and I am so grateful I did.
When I started walking for feel good reasons instead of weight loss, it became pleasant and it's now something I look forward to.

Leslie Sansone has released two new 30 minute dvds only available on her website for now...one is Walk Down Your Blood Sugar and the other is Heart Healthy Walk. They are 30 minutes of fun!
I think they are my new favorites.
She has walks for all levels...beginner to intermediate...
A few years ago she released a 20 minute one mile Walk Down Your Blood Sugar and I even got my mom to do it before she got hurt....
I love, love, love the new 30 minute Walk Down Your Blood Sugar!
It goes by in a flash and I work up a good sweat!

angelka71 · Post by **angelka71** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 5:26 am

I used to like Leslie Sansone's DVDs too. Her book was what got me into using my pedometer and I love it!

10,000 steps IMO is pretty good but I guess it depends on what you're used to doing. The things I've read have always said to AIM for 10,000 steps (or 5 miles).

I'm so ANTI-exercise that I have to wear a pedometer to "trick" myself into it, plus it's the perfect answer to my biggest no exercise excuse...not having enough time. The few times I've actually lost weight have been when I've been wearing my pedometer and consistently walked 10,000 steps (give or take a few).

If walking outdoors isn't an option for you, using the walking DVDs or a treadmill may be your best bet. Ask around, check the paper and online b/c you know there are TONS of treadmills around that someone's not using. I got mine at Walmart...it's the cheapest, most basic model...not very fancy but it serves it's purpose. Well, actually, right now my treadmill is being used to hang clothes on. That really needs to change.