everydaywithvj

I’ve had a Fitbit tracker for years and enjoy its features – number of steps, pulse, reminders to get up and move, and other features. My daily step goal is 5,000, which I reach most days, and I’m delighted when I get up to 8,000.  It fascinates me that on days when it feels as though I’ve walked and walked and walked, I look down and see that I am only at 4,000 steps, and on days I didn’t think I’ve moved very much, I am closer to 10,000.

A few years ago we were in Connecticut visiting my husband’s family and one night as I took my Fitbit off I saw that I’d hit 15,000 steps! That seemed like way too many.  We rode a shuttle from our hotel to the train. Took the train to New Haven. Walked a few blocks to the Yale University Art Gallery where we roamed about, then we were picked up by hubby’s cousin. We rode in the car or visited at the house or ate at a restaurant, and then were dropped off at the train station for our return trip. That evening the train was delayed and when we were able to get on the train it started moving while people were still finding seats.   Maybe I was just too fascinated by the surroundings to realize how many steps I’d taken.

The opposite has happened many times at big box stores.  Costco, Wal-Mart, Target.  Some days I’d been all over the store and my watch barely moved and other days, when I hadn’t been in the store more than 10 minutes, I had a high reading. This, I decided, was due to concrete and steel in the buildings interfering with electronic signals. It wasn’t something I spent time pondering. It just WAS.

And then, in between, is the fascinating number of steps I take when I’m home all day and doing house projects like several loads of laundry, rearranging closets, and preparing meals.  Those short bursts of walking add up.

Last month, on a group zoom with high school classmates I mentioned that I was frustrated by all the walking I’d done at Costco that morning and how few steps had registered.  My classmate, Sister Rene, said cheerfully, “Oh, that’s because your arm wasn’t moving. Your arm must be moving for the steps to register”.  Duhhh. I’d never thought about that. 

Of course. I go into a big store and the first thing I do is grab a cart.  Both hands on the bar I travel many aisles, and only move my hand to take something off the shelf, or to unload at the register. The walk to and from the car registers, but little else. On occasion I might need just a couple of things and to keep me from being tempted to buy other items I don’t get a cart and walk about the store, arm moving along with my steps.

A couple of days ago the theory got a workout at Costco. I grabbed a cart and my list and gave the theory a try by steering with my right hand firmly on the baskets bar, and my left wrist dangling along the side. At first it was easy. Sponges, facial tissue, and cereal are lightweight and steering was OK.  Then I added 40 bottles of water and a case of flavored soda.  Steering a reasonably full or heavy shopping cart with one hand while hanging the other arm over the edge of the basket to simulate moving my wrist was a challenge.

I had tracked my steps and the arm over the rail seemed to work, but the steering was frustrating all by itself, and more so for the other shoppers in the busy store as I swerved the cart down each aisle. Keeping an eye on the numbers on the Fitbit let me know that more steps registered when my wrist was dangling, but it took great effort to appreciate it as the steering became more difficult.

Oh, and that trip to New Haven and back.  Were we still walking down the aisle when the train started moving?  Did I get up and move around? Is that how I got to 15,000 steps. Maybe the train was pulling out of the station at a slow enough speed that it registered as walking?  Hmmm, what happens in an airplane when I get up and move around?

My compromise now is a mental note about how many steps are in a small, medium, or large shopping trip. On the other hand, I don’t chart this stuff so I’m the only one who knows. And seriously, is this something to spend time pondering?

What about you? Have you ever wondered why the step numbers were so low, or so high?  Read this online and respond there. I hope I’m giving some of you a fun thought.

Every Day Is A Great Day – VJ