My obsession with the pedometer

January 11th, 2010 - I have read that to ensure you are getting enough exercise you need to take at least 10,000 steps per day. Sounds simple, or so I thought. All you have to do is purchase a pedemeter, clip it on and get started. The machine does the work. Well, key point, first you have to buy the pedemeter. The sales clerk was no help at all, as when I asked which one of the 9 variations he suggested, he turned to me and said, "depends on what you are trying to do". That left me scratching my head. Did I miss something, a pedemeter, you know, it counts steps, so I repeated the obvious, "I am trying to count my steps". To which he says, "for what purpose". To which I reply, "to know how many steps I took." His next question was, "indoors or outdoors", and I say , "can it tell the difference". After five minutes of utter silence, I decide the only thing I can. "Give me the pretty pink one, that also has the siren". That way if someone approaches me and I can't outrun him/her, I can pull the siren and give him/her and anyone else around hearing loss.

Anyway, once you bring the pedemeter home and try to use it, you find out you have to determine the size of your step. Well that's not so easy either. Am I running to a sale, where steps are quick and short. Am I walking along someone tall, so I am stretching to make our steps fit in perfect harmony, or am I walking on a sidewalk and trying to avoid stepping on a crack. (We all know what happens when you step on a crack). I settle on the the two step, no not like the dance, like my legs are so short I take two steps for every one of a normal person. So with the pedemeter set and clipped to my waist band, I set out for the day. Walking to the car in the morning (Ok so it is not so, far it is in the garage), but still from the parking lot to the office, then to my desk, then for coffee, and several trips to the bathroom. I just know I am logging so many steps and it is only noon. My mistake. You first have to turn it on...big mistake, all that walking and I have nothing to show for it. I turn it on and continue my day. At the end of the day I am only at 2300, I figure I will times it by two for the stuff I missed in the morning. Still only, 4600 steps, way off my goal. So I do the only thing I can, first I start walking in circles around the house to build up my steps. An hour later, I have a worn mark in my floor and I am only at 6300. This can't possible be right. I decide to march in step for awhile, I will fool it into thinking I am walking, I gain some steps but not enough, and then I do the unthinkable. I first check to make sure no one is watching, pretty safe bet since I live alone. I take the pedemeter off, and shake it vigorously until I get to the number I need-10,000.

My feet are sore, my arms are sore, I have to replace the worn flooring in my house, and worst of all I have turned into a cheater...but I learned something. I thought it would be easy to get to 10,000 steps a day, not so. 10,000 steps is the equivelant of around 5 miles. For me to walk that many steps in a day it is going to take some real work. In the meantime, to help get those steps, I am not going to use 'curb side service' anymore, instead I will walk into the restaurant to pick up my food.