Is it time or kilometers (miles) or steps that count?

I've got a thing I wear on my wrist that counts my steps (not an Apple fitbit, they are rididulously expensive). It doubles up as a watch. It counts all the steps I do in a day not just my exercise steps. I'm currently trying to get back up to 12000 daily steps. When I went out to work, I got this just as part of my day. Now I work from home my count is ridiculously low.

Sorry for the waffle! Didn't mean to go on for so long.

I THINK it is the amount of time you spend exercising that counts but also the amount you expend yourself. So a striding, active walk is better for you than a stroll. I guess your friend with small steps expends herself more than you because she's moving her legs more.

Had to smile at you feeling cheated tho. ?

It’s a good question. Fitness walking isn’t only about the number of steps.

Those who walk in the countryside will know that being able to calculate distance using paces or steps is a vital technique in poor visibility. Your map may say you need to branch left in 250 metres but what if you can’t see that far and what you are looking for is a tiny unmarked track?

You can calculate your steps per kilometre but marking out a length of 100 metres then pacing it out in the way you would usually walk. See how many steps you take and multiply that by 10. Once you know how many steps you take on average per kilometre you can calculate how many steps it would take to cover that 250 metres.

This came home to me on a navigation course where we did this exercise. At 5’2, I took many more steps to cover the 100 metres than the taller participants.

Before this, I had been going out with a local ramblers group and always felt I had to work harder to keep up when the leader was tall and (even though fit) felt more tired after a long walk lead by someone considerably taller.

If I take about 30 extra steps over 100 metres than someone who is 6’0, that’s 300 extra steps over a kilometre and 3000 extra steps over 10 kilometres.

Taller walkers will cover any given distance with fewer steps but don’t forget that they may also be carrying more weight relative to an equally fit shorter person so the calorie burn will be different.

Also take speed into account. Standard pace for a walking is around 4 - 5 kilometres (2.5 - 3.0 miles) an hour. If you walk faster than that you may still do the same number of steps but burn more calories.

GagaJo I was always on my feet also as a teacher but had to retire, covid and am sitting around too much these days. I don’t count really the stroll but the walk I do before and after is more important I know. My car sits in it’s parking space, I have only filled it up four times since covid, March 2019, it used to be filled nearly every week.

The “10,000 steps” thing is a myth which apparently originally came from an advertising slogan for a company that made pedometers.

Like most things quality counts rather than quantity.

I remember telling my bloke I walked thousands of steps daily at school and he didn't believe me, so I got a pedometer (this was years ago). The first day I wore it I was nearly up to 15,000. Chasing kids is exhausting!

I should imagine that what counts is the total amount of effort/energy expended in a session. So a shorter walk taken fast would equate to a longer one done slowly, and one done uphill in full combat gear and carrying camping equipment and supplies could burn more calories in a hundred yards than a mile-long stroll downhill unencumbered by carrying anything more than a mobile phone. I don't think Fitbits can be programmed to take everything into account!

Good question. I have the Active 10 app on my phone. It tells me how much time I’ve spent walking each day and, more importantly, how much time I’ve spent walking briskly. It’s the brisk walking that does you the most good but any walking is good.

Following this thread as I have asked myself a similar question. There must be a really good app which takes into account your size, weight, standard of fitness etc and can calculate accurately how many calories you have burned.

I have an app on my phone which counts steps and if you calibrate it right it shows how far you have walked, how long you have been walking and how many calories you have used up but I don't think I can really trust it.

Why use any kind of app at all? The 10,000 steps stuff is nonsense merely dreamed up by a Japanese company because of the similarity between the words for 10,000 steps and the word for the company.

We have all managed for decades by just going for a brisk walk, swimming so many lengths, playing a game of tennis.

It is my proud boast that I haven't done a seconds Exercise since I left school. Nothing that has been measured or timed or analysed. However I have always been very active doing all kinds of things I enjoy. walking, swimming, cycling, Tai Chi, but exercise, never!

I bought a pedometer but found it annoying as if I hadn't reached the number of steps advised I would have to keep walking.
I ditched it after a few weeks and just do my 1 - 2 hour walks most days. My walks are always on uneven ground and my doctor says this is better for your muscles too.

I have found I always do less steps than my husband despite doing more iykwim