bethany102399
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,641 
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Post by bethany102399 on Jan 8, 2020 15:29:22 GMT
We're preparing to head back to Universal Orlando this summer, and I'm determined to strengthen my arthritic knees both for the trip and beyond. One of the ways I'm choosing to do this is set a fairly high step goal (10K per day). I average about 5K just normally, and the past few days I've walked for 25 minutes at a steady pace (not running as I've been banned from that by the ortho) on the treadmill. This gets me to between 7 and 8K for the day.
While I'd like to work my way up to 10 even 15 by the time we go back (I averaged 10 before noon when we were down there last year) I'm wondering if that's even realistic for a normal day to day count. So far my knees are sore, but not in pain and a bath or time with a heated blanket at the end of the day seems to take care of it. I have no desire to hurt myself further or exacerbate the arthritis but I'd like to be prepared enough that I'm not in as much pain as I was last year.
What's your step goal for the day? Have I set the goal too high?
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Post by LisaDV on Jan 8, 2020 15:42:33 GMT
I’m starting at 8,000/day averaged over a week. Working toward 10K, then we’ll see if I up it.
I don’t have arthritis but have bunions and plantar fasciitis in my left foot that act up. Hoping the better fitting shoes will help.
Do you have good shoes and supports? Have you talked to your doctor?
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bethany102399
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,641
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Post by bethany102399 on Jan 8, 2020 15:50:26 GMT
Do you have good shoes and supports? Have you talked to your doctor? I have and he's supportive of walking and doing strengthening exercises for my knees. (he literally shook his head at me and said no running) I need to loose weight too which will help both my overall health and the stress on my knees. All of it helps delay the inevitable knee replacement I'm facing but am too young for. I just want to be able to be active, but not in pain. I had planter fasciitis in one of my heels before, and it was terribly painful. I switched to a specialty shoe and found it to be incredibly helpful. |
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Post by LisaDV on Jan 8, 2020 15:53:07 GMT
Great! Sounds like you have an excellent start. Then I think you work towards your goals, but remember to be gentle with yourself if you need to back off a day here and there.
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bethany102399
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,641
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Post by bethany102399 on Jan 8, 2020 15:54:23 GMT
I’m starting at 8,000/day averaged over a week. I think the key here is averaged over a week. Instead of beating myself up for not hitting 8 every day, shooting for an average of 8 is more realistic. |
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Post by crazy4scraps on Jan 8, 2020 15:59:36 GMT
I’ve heard that anything over 4K steps really isn’t as beneficial as was once thought, and 7500 steps a day is about where any additional health benefits max out.
Now having said that, when we were at Disneyworld last March, according to my phone I logged in roughly 50,000 steps over the three days we were at the parks. (My tall DH with longer legs had fewer steps than I did, and we pretty much did all the same things.) While we were there, I had a twisted ankle on the left that required 10 weeks of physical therapy to fix after the fact (it was twisted months before, not while I was there), and a painful right foot with a fused toe that required orthotics to fix, so I was a hurting unit when I was there!
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Post by freeatlast on Jan 8, 2020 16:29:54 GMT
In the summer, I am typically 12,000 to 15,000 steps a day, as my knees allow. In the winter with all the snow and ice, I tell myself 8,000 to 10,000 a day is good enough.
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finaledition
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,896
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Post by finaledition on Jan 8, 2020 16:35:15 GMT
I set a goal of 10,000 a day, but I probably average 45,000 a week-so clearly I’m ok with not meeting that goal. I do Pilates a couple times a week and that just doesn’t give me the time in the day to take a really long walk as well. It’s fine-as long as I’m consciously aware of it, I’m doing better than I would otherwise.
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Post by pierkiss on Jan 8, 2020 17:22:37 GMT
7,000. I can usually hit it every day, and will reach it faster if I do at least 30 mins on the treadmill. It works for me. When my goal was 10,000 and I struggled to make that it just made me feel bad about myself. And also made me do weird things just to hit it. Like walk in nonsensical circles around my downstairs while swinging my arms like a lunatic. So, 7,000 is good for me. 🤣
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Anita
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,717
Location: Kansas City -ish
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Post by Anita on Jan 8, 2020 17:37:10 GMT
I try to do a minimum of 15,000/day. Walking is my zen, though, so I know my step count is higher than average. That said, at my last job there were people who did upwards of 50k/day because they were really into uber fitness and ultra marathoning and insanity like that. So I always felt normal there. Here, not so much.  |
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Post by cadoodlebug on Jan 8, 2020 17:41:48 GMT
When I was diagnosed with Type 2, I had to set goals with my diabetic team. One of them was walking at least 10,000 steps a day. In the summer I average about 14,000 and in the winter about 12,500. I have a treadmill in the garage so I can walk year round no matter what the weather. The walking plus eating sensibly and drinking copious amounts of water have kept me off any medications.
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SweetieBsMom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,767
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Post by SweetieBsMom on Jan 8, 2020 18:02:17 GMT
10k/day
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Post by mrssmith on Jan 8, 2020 18:04:47 GMT
Mine is 11K, but if I work from home, I manage to hit half that. Clearly I need to make more of an effort to get up from my desk. If I go in to work, and have a couple of meetings, I can definitely hit 11K because my parking garage is a couple of blocks from the office and our various divisions are in different buildings, so there's a lot of coming & going.
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Post by ~summer~ on Jan 8, 2020 18:21:20 GMT
10-15k per day
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Post by kristi on Jan 8, 2020 18:57:20 GMT
I aim for 10,000 & that puts me at about 4 miles per day.
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Post by beaglemom on Jan 8, 2020 19:02:16 GMT
Mine is set for 15k a day. I'm usually 15-20 on a normal day. WDW is 40Kish. I am a sahm with 4 kids.
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MsKnit
Pearl Clutcher
RefuPea #1406
Posts: 2,648
Jun 26, 2014 19:06:42 GMT
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Post by MsKnit on Jan 8, 2020 19:18:48 GMT
Sadly, 5K. Though, it’s more like 2500, 5000, 7500.
The Fibro is wreaking havoc. But, the true downfall was the plantar fasciitis I dealt with a couple of years ago. Moved into the second heel. It started getting better and the Achilles pain started.
I had been getting 12K everyday and was heading toward 15K when the PF hit. Gah!
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Post by idahomom on Jan 8, 2020 19:46:22 GMT
I don't really set a goal. Monday-Friday I go to the gym for 2 hours a day so I hit 10K in that time. By the end of the day I typically have between 15K-17K. On the weekends I usually don't get more than 7K-8K because I don't go to the gym. I'm also plagued with arthritis throughout my body at a young age. I have two knee replacements and a hip replacement already (done at age 42. I'm 51 now). Walking is actually hardest on my knees - the constant pounding. I prefer the elliptical which I do for an hour and then a group class (cardio step, zumba, etc.)
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