250 steps at a time

[darkemeralds]

CW exercise/fitness

At a conference late in 2019 I noticed a colleague's smartwatch--specifically, that she was getting text messages on it. That seemed cool, so when I got home I bought myself a Fitbit and started getting MY text messages on it. (Honestly, I'm like a baby with toys.)

The device's primary function of fitness tracking was meaningless to me because I couldn't walk. Then I had hip replacement number one, and, six weeks later, hip replacement number two, and, six weeks after that, a pandemic that prevented me from completing all the physical therapy I needed.

Walking around was just about the only thing I could safely do, I couldn't do it--at least, not without pain.

So what with one thing and another it wasn't until six months ago that I finally started paying attention to the Fitbit's little hourly nudge to get out of my chair and take 250 steps.

It took only a couple of successful days (12 hours, 250 steps each) to notice a difference. My brain worked better. I had slightly more energy. Shortly after that, the half-mile walk to the close grocery store became pain-free.

Then the one-mile walk to the farther but better grocery store became possible.

One day while I was out and about somewhere, the Fitbit gave a burst of haptic feedback and pretty colors, congratulating me on 5000 steps. I started trying to make it do that every day. When that got too easy, I upped it to 6000. A couple of weeks later, 7000.

My average is up to 7750, and I can do the 9000-step round trip to my mother's house with little discomfort (though the rest and cup of coffee in the middle is helpful).

Now I just wish it would stop buzzing me about text messages.

Comments

[sporky_rat]

You can turn that bit off, I did. (I wanted mine for the walkies, not the text messages.)

[darkemeralds]

Heh. Yeah, I know, it's there in the settings somewhere.

[ruric]

I took mine off sometime in the middle of last year and really need to find it and put it back on - my step count at the moment is abysmal. Though I suspect on the days over the last two weeks where I did 3 site visits in a day I was topping 20k steps (I remember how rough that feels on my knees)! *G*

But the little buzz and congratulations - as well as the badges - is addictive!

[darkemeralds]

Yeah, I bet you DID log some serious steps in there!

I like the little rewards of the device. Mild competition with myself and the watch, without it feeling compulsive. Just a little dopamine hit and a feeling of satisfaction.

[ruric]

Me too the little rewards and badges are fun! I reall need to find mine and put it on again *eyes state of flat*

[tabaqui]

Heeee! Stupid texts.
That's awesome.

I had a little pedometer at work a few times, and I was usually around 18,000 steps. But then my stupid cat knocked it down and it shattered, and so...that's that.

I'll have to get another one.

Okay, that sounds braggy, I'm sorry. I think with pandemics and hip replacements you are doing an awesome job, really. Not like I get that many steps on my days off, so - go, you!

[darkemeralds]

One day, on a phone call with my brother, I put in 4000 steps inside my own small house, pacing while he did all the talking for 45 minutes. Oh, the Quantified Self!

[tabaqui]

Ha! Awesome.

I get that. If i just sit and talk on the phone, i tend to open stuff up on my computer and get distracted.

[darkemeralds]

It didn't sound like bragging, it sounded awesome!

[tabaqui]

Aw, thanks! :D

[darkemeralds]

My absolute highest step day since I've been wearing the Fitbit was just over 13K steps. That was a real push for me, but I'd like to work back up to it.

The trouble is where to walk in these pandemic times, why to walk there, what to do while walking, and how often could I spare the time? Maybe just using the standing desk function of my standing desk would help. I've heard there are little desk treadmills too...

...nah... :D

[tabaqui]

*snerk*
Yeah, where to walk is hard for me, too - there isn't a lot of sidewalk around ,and I don't care to march along the gutter on Route 66. I don't want to *drive* to the park to walk.

I was going across the street to the middle school and using their track in the summer last year, but once school started, that was a no-go.

My little brother bought me a stationary bike, which is actually pretty awesome. I found out last year, too, that i have arthritis in my hips, so no more jumping on the my wee trampoline (gave it to my brother), no running (as if i would). Biking is a good, low-impact exercise. I wish I could SWIM, but that ain't happening around here.

We do what we can do!

[darkemeralds]

I was able to continue riding my bike long after hip arthritis made walking near impossible for me--and I was able to get back on my bike only 3 weeks after the first surgery. On both sides of that divide, it was wonderfully liberating.

But there again, I need places to ride. I've never been one to just "take a bike ride".

You know, I never thought about just walking around the nearby schoolyard, but that's not a bad idea.

[tabaqui]

I would love to just ride a bike in some pretty scenery, but we're so rural here, once you get off the main route - dirt roads and lots of hills and curves. I'd probably end up squished under some fucking Ford F-150 or something.

I used to ride my bike as a kid all up and down and around our drive (we lived in the country, it was about a quarter mile) - so fun. Just liked to move and be outside. I miss that.

[darkemeralds]

Yeah, good bike-riding territory is a narrow band of in-town with traffic lights and at least some bike infrastructure, but not on a major thoroughfare and not too far out of the central area, but not IN the central area...and on and on. I happen to live in a Goldilocks zone.

[ranunculus]

You write so nicely!
Great going with the walking. I'm doing my best to keep moving with the knee (5 minute walk x 3 per day so far) and actually a lot more than that as getting around the house and now the Ranch. It would be really tough to do all this again with the other knee in 4 more weeks!
I think you have to access setting for fitbit on your phone or computer. I've got one, but quit wearing it mid-summer. Step counts were not accurate when I'm working and using my arms, though they did give a reasonable accounting of overall activity - my fitbit just didn't understand that I was using the post pounder to slam a t-post in the ground, not swinging my arm for a step...

[darkemeralds]

Fitbit notoriously undercounts women's actual steps, so I'm not surprised that it doesn't know how to count post-pounding-ins. In common with all fitness apps, it's also bad at identifying bike rides. (That said, many times I've registered a 250-step hour during an absolutely sedentary writing group meeting on Zoom. Apparently I gesticulate a whole lot more than I think I do!

Congratulations on your knee progress. My two joint replacements in the shortest possible interval turned out to be a really good idea. I hope you have similar success, getting both knees done close together, and that you're back to your preferred level of activity as soon as may be.

[sasha_feather]

That's wonderful!