I’ve been writing about multiple sclerosis and chronic health topics every week for over 8 years. There is very little chance that I’m in denial regarding the state of my health or disability. Only rarely have I overestimated my ability to do something.
I’m fortunate to be a person living with MS who responds well to treatment and has even experienced an unexpected improvement of physical function after changing disease-modifying therapy 6 years ago.
Last year when my doctor recommended that I strive to walk 10,000 steps every day, I was dubious. But I was also not sure how many steps I might be getting on a routine basis because I wasn’t measuring them. When I got a Fitbit, I was excited to be able to see just how much I was moving (or not) around the house on a normal day.
What I quickly discovered was that during a typical day, I really only walk about 3,000 steps while working at home. On days that I’m more active, I reach 5,000 steps; and if I go out and about, I may reach 7,000 steps. I never get close to the recommended 10,000 steps on a normal day.
Earlier in the summer, Rob and I were in Chicago for a conference. We took a brief walk on Saturday afternoon in the downtown area to get in some exercise after a long day of sitting in meetings. Later in the evening we walked down to the Navy Pier area to watch fireworks over the water.
After returning to the hotel, I checked my Fitbit and noticed that I had reached about 9,100 steps. I was so excited. “Rob, we have to go back out. I might actually be able to get in 10,000 steps if we walk up and down the block one more time. Come on, let’s go!”
Read this post in its entirety:
Getting Healthier 10,000 Steps at a Time
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