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

[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.