Activity levels and fitbug
May. 17th, 2009 02:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sobriqueWell, I've been using a Fitbug for a couple of weeks now. One of the things that it's reinforced is just how sedentary my job is. I mean I knew - I drove to work, sat at a desk all day, drove home.
But ... well, having a pedometer tells me my daily steps is somewhat under 2000 - which adds up to about 20 minutes walking (I walk at a fairly steady 6000/hour it seems, which is ... almost exactly 3 miles).
My current daily target is somewhere nearer 10k steps/day, which ... well, has required a bit of effort to shoehorn into my day, I must say. But I am starting to notice the improvement - the number on the scales is diminishing, and my general energy levels are steadily improving. And my need for sleep is also decreasing (or perhaps more correctly, I'm sleeping better and thus am finding it easier to haul out of bed in the mornings)
So I'm considering walking to work in the mornings. A quick check today suggests that the halfway point takes about 40 minutes at my typical amble, so it does mean quite an early start. (It's 4 miles total, so clocks in at about 1 hr 20). Maybe walk to work/bus home. The annoyance is taking 'stuff' to work and back, like... well, laptops whilst on call, and gym kit. And of course, getting to the gym in lunch, which is just about far enough away that it's marginal - it'll take just about long enough that my session would be severely curtailed to the point of pointlessness. But then, if I've walked 4 miles each way, then maybe i'll skip the gym that day :)
All to the good, really. At least, assuming I can keep it up - 10k steps is nearing 2 hours of walking, which does dig in a useful chunk of the day. I can fill the gaps in a bit faster by going to the gym - although ironically, a lunchbreak down the gym, what with travelling, changing, showering etc. adds up to a similar amount of activity to what I'd be using just by spending my lunch hour walking in circles.
But it's good for other reasons - it makes me use different muscles - so I'll try and keep on with that.
Been spending less time computer gaming mind.
Ah well. Anyone want a referral to fitbug?
But ... well, having a pedometer tells me my daily steps is somewhat under 2000 - which adds up to about 20 minutes walking (I walk at a fairly steady 6000/hour it seems, which is ... almost exactly 3 miles).
My current daily target is somewhere nearer 10k steps/day, which ... well, has required a bit of effort to shoehorn into my day, I must say. But I am starting to notice the improvement - the number on the scales is diminishing, and my general energy levels are steadily improving. And my need for sleep is also decreasing (or perhaps more correctly, I'm sleeping better and thus am finding it easier to haul out of bed in the mornings)
So I'm considering walking to work in the mornings. A quick check today suggests that the halfway point takes about 40 minutes at my typical amble, so it does mean quite an early start. (It's 4 miles total, so clocks in at about 1 hr 20). Maybe walk to work/bus home. The annoyance is taking 'stuff' to work and back, like... well, laptops whilst on call, and gym kit. And of course, getting to the gym in lunch, which is just about far enough away that it's marginal - it'll take just about long enough that my session would be severely curtailed to the point of pointlessness. But then, if I've walked 4 miles each way, then maybe i'll skip the gym that day :)
All to the good, really. At least, assuming I can keep it up - 10k steps is nearing 2 hours of walking, which does dig in a useful chunk of the day. I can fill the gaps in a bit faster by going to the gym - although ironically, a lunchbreak down the gym, what with travelling, changing, showering etc. adds up to a similar amount of activity to what I'd be using just by spending my lunch hour walking in circles.
But it's good for other reasons - it makes me use different muscles - so I'll try and keep on with that.
Been spending less time computer gaming mind.
Ah well. Anyone want a referral to fitbug?
