A Year of Ten Thousand Steps

I have been counting my steps with my phone for a few years. It has been a fun fitness measure. I am aware that the accuracy is questionable, although I have found that I get a similar number to my fellow walkers who are counting with their Fitbits, Misfits, and other fancy devices.

Counting steps seemed a simple and effective way to measure my daily movement. My exercise has never been about “bulking up.” It is more about preventing me from bulking up in a different way.

At first, counting steps was a novelty. Then I focused on my weekly or monthly average. However, looking at the aggregated number meant that I could walk a great deal one day and then have a holiday the next.

So in January last year, I committed to trying to walk at least 10,000 steps a day - every day. I would still pay attention to the average, but my goal was to hit that 10,000-step number as often as possible.

As of today, I have walked at least 10,000 steps every day this past year.

I don’t like exercising. I sweat – a lot. I am not a sports person, so I need my stationary bike or treadmill. It is boring and repetitive, and I make myself do it. I watch TV while I working out. I am assured that all this exercise will improve both the quality and length of my life. I have certainly seen a bit of TV because of it.

Getting 10,000 steps in a day can be challenging. Most days, I get a few thousand steps walking to school. I walk to school almost every day.

I prefer to talk to people face to face rather than phone or send an email, so I walk the building to go to classrooms and offices whenever I can. As I say to my students, “I don’t do sitting well.”

Weekends can be difficult. Often, I increase my time on the treadmill on Saturdays and Sundays. Yes, I use the treadmill to meet my goal. I don’t need it as much on weekdays, but without it, I would not have hit 10,000 steps when I wasn’t at school. Is that cheating?

I realize that, if it were not for my job, I would spend way too much time in front of the computer. Many of my tasks, both school and non-school related, can be done on the computer. Working on the computer is more fun than working out.

So I make it a point to get up and do physical tasks that cannot be completed digitally. I have done a lot of reorganizing, cleaning, and sorting over this past year. More is in my future.

Winter is a tough time to walk. In nicer weather, I walk around my neighborhood and community. I greet people or listen to music or podcasts. It is nice being outdoors.

And yes, I do the usual stuff. I park further from the door. I choose the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. I go the long way around most of the time. It only looks like I am lost.

For 2018, I am not increasing my daily step goal. However, I am going to add an average to it. This year, I am going to try to walk at least 10,000 steps daily and have an average of at least 11,000 per week or month.

Yes, I could have a knee, foot, or leg issue that would slow me down. I have had a few days where it took a long time to slowly get the steps. I can’t plan for accidents.

I just keep putting one foot in front of the other, through leaves, over bridges. Step by step. And it has brought me here.