[Scrappy Chick]

My company just started a big wellness program, part of which involves a walking program that has a BIG incentive to walk over 3 million steps in a year. Basically it averages out to about 9,000 steps per day. Is that tough to do? I work at a desk job and worry that I will have to dedicate LOTS of my time each day to walking. I don't own a treadmill nor do I have access to one, therefore, all of my working will have to be outside.

Thanks for any advice you can give!
Sara

[Less of Lena]

Walking, as I'm finding out, can be grand fun! I just started doing it in earnest about a month ago. What turned it from ho-hum to fun? My pedometer! Now, I find myself looking for opportunities to walk a few more steps.

Instead of calling up the stairs to my son in the mornings, I run up to his room. Instead of trying to bring in all the groceries at once (or enlisting family to help bring them in), I go back and forth. On the two occasions that I've been to the mall, I told myself I couldn't shop until I'd done at least one lap. If I'm at a strip mall and need items from two stores, I park at one and walk to the other. And back, of course.

I have a traditional colonial home with a center staircase. While watching TV, I'll get up and walk around and around the staircase during commercials. It's not aerobic, I know, but it burns more calories than munching chips on the sofa during commercials.

In an office, you can always hand deliver emails to your co-workers. I'm sure you've heard the standard "park further away from the door" and "use the stairs instead of the elevator".

If you don't already have a pedometer, I can personally recommend the Omron HJ-112. Lightweight, accurate, lots of modes, easy to program, 7 day memory and you can wear it in a pocket (if you don't want to clip it to your belt or wasitband)! Nifty little device, I love it!

Have oodles of fun with your new program! I'm willing to bet you'll start finding lots of ways to incorporate walking into your life!

[Scrappy Chick]

Lena! Thanks for the info! My company is actually sending me a pedometer, but I don't know what kind yet....should get it on Monday or Tuesday. Then we get to log our steps on our internet site and see how far we have gone on a map. I am sure it is going to be super motivating! If I walk outside during good weather, should I try to go LOTS of steps to make up for future bad weather days? Just curious on your thoughts!

Thanks again!
Sara

[susie_sunshine]

Scrappy, that's the coolest thing i've heard in a long time! What a great company you must work for! I'm not a big fan of waking for exercise but i think i could get into it if i had that kind of program!

[Less of Lena]

I probably would (try to get more steps in during good weather, that is). If you live in a sub-division, it's always nice to walk around the neighborhood, too. In many sub-divisions, it's fairly easy to carve out a mile or so route to take. And since cars generally tend to drive rather slowly on sub-division streets, it's pretty safe, even if you're not on a sidewalk.

My old sub-division had a lot of hills, so you got lots of terrain changes. Really worked the ol' heart muscle. We had a whole contingent of walkers in that neighborhood.

They walked in any kind of weather, too. Rain, snow, heat of summer... Crazy ladies!

Of course, I wasn't in the least bit interested back then (very movement-adverse, I was), so every time they came around, I stayed inside (hiding? cowering?) until they were gone! I actually wish I could join them now!

[Sheri~C]

One thing I do to get more steps in is walk around the house (or office) when I am on the phone. It also helps keep the house tidy as I pick things up and put them away. I got a headset phone for home to make it easier.

[Heather]

Isn't 2000 steps supposed to equal a mile of walking? So, 9000 steps is 4.5 miles/day? I think it's a great tool, but have no idea if that's reasonable day in/day out, as I don't have a pedometer. However, I can guess that if I walk 1 mile in 20 minutes at a reasonable pace, that 4.5 miles could involve about 90 minutes of walking a day? Granted, you do some of that already... but it would probably mean more time than 90 minutes, as a lot of that walking might be done at a slower pace.

Just my $.02. I have no idea if that's a reasonable calculation.

[kykaree]

For a few months my partner and I had a 10 000 steps challenge. We found it easy. Mind you, we take public transport and don't own a car. We walked a few bus stops, or walked to a further shop at lunch time, or walked to the grocery store instead of taking the bus, there's lots of ways to increase your step count.

Some days we got to 20 000 without trying!!!

[YP1]

That's a fantastic challenge, and it's great to see an employer doing something positive and health-related rather than the normal complaints of providing employees with rubbish food and a toxic environment! I almost always walk at lunchtime, to stretch my legs and get out of the office. Plus it takes me past the shops

[nelie]

I used to do 10,000 steps/day as well, as part of a wellness plan I was in. I have an office job as well and found it relatively easy. One thing that is motivating is that if you know you are barely below the level, you can do things to increase your level so it motivates you to walk even more. Lena pointed somethings out but I'd emphasize, park your car further away wherever you go, take the long way to the bathroom, take the long way to get a cup of water/tea/coffee/whatever, walk in place during commercials while watching tv or take a walk around the house and other than that, try to see if there are ways you can increase your walking. Honestly, through using a pedometer, I found that naturally I walk at least 5000 steps/day and I could reach 10000 steps/day without doing anything extra on some days.

[Heather]

I like keeping track of numbers ... maybe a pedometer would be fun for me too!