Using a pedometer for walking!

Hi Jane!

That's what I'm trying to do!  My son bought me a pedometer for Christmas, and I started walking and building up my strength - I don't know about you, but a year and a half out of chemo, I'm still exhausted!  So I thought walking would help with that.  Then, I was feeling so good in January that I went to the hospital to take a free exercise class. Big mistake!  Caught some kind of virus, then my son caught a really bad virus and now I'm doubly exhausted.  Plus, this cold/sinus/cough virus thing inflames my asthma.  I want so bad to start walking again, but now the pollen is falling here in Georgia and that would really make it hard to breathe.  So, for now, I'm mostly just using my stationary bike but I don't feel the same kind of stamina-building I felt when I was walking.  I hope to get back to it when the pollen stops around the beginning of May.  I feel so weak when I'm not walking and I felt so much stronger when I was.  You must now have the energy of a 20 year-old!

badger - you sound like you most definitely have the energy of a 20 year-old!  I like your idea of setting numerical goals.  My number of steps used to be so high when I had a pedometer years before this diagnosis!  Now it is so low, so I'm going to put on my pedomter right now and even though I'll only be walking around the house I'm going to set a number of steps for me to take, even if I'm just marching! I think setting a tangible goal and then extending it will put me in good shape for when I can actually walk outdoors after the pollen stops. Already the sneezing and itchy eyes have started, just what I don't need to aggravate what I'm trying to get over!

I started a walking / weight loss program long before my diagnosis.  My fear was that my surgery and other treatments would interfere with my overall exercise program.

Since Jan 1, 2010, I have walked minimum 10,000 steps per day, pedometer measured and logged. As of June 14, 2010, I added a 2.5 mile run 3 x / wk.  What I do to meet the 10,000 steps is to just do my normal daily routine, then at the end of the day, after dinner, I go the to park across the street from my home and walk the track until I hit 10,000 steps! I walk to music, which helps me walk faster and at a 'pace'.  To add the run, I downloaded "couch to 5K in 8 weeks" podcast.   I take the run 3 x / wk whether I have in my 10K steps or not.  that run adds about 5,000 steps!

When I had my BMX 11/28/2011, I interupted that pattern and it has been very hard to get back to 10K per day. I cannot run until my PS releases me to do so, after my exchange. But, I still walk.

Jan 1, 2010 I weighed 289 lbs. My cholestrol was over 300!! I could barely walk up the stairs in my house without losing my breath.  

Today, I am 162, healthier than I have ever been in my life. My cholesterol is 170 with perfect HDL/LDL balance. 

It is amazing how much energy I have, how much younger I feel, and look. How I used to sit on the couch and watch Biggest Loser and think how much I needed that program.  Now, I am befuddled how I could NOT have done this sooner.  I only spend about 30 -60 minutes a day.  That is NOTHING!!!

Tired of carrying all this weight around. And now it's lethal in a new way: my DCIS is ER+.

 The WW bulletin baords and those on SparkPeople don't seem to have anything for cancer survivors. But here there is a board for survivors trying to get lighter and more fit.

 I may hang around here, folks.

 I will buy a pedometer at my WW meeting tomorrow!

I was given a pedometer at work, but it doesn't work. It's roughly the size of a credit card and you're supposed to keep it in your pants pocket. But it keeps stopping and starting itself. It would be showing 2.5 miles and then the next time I checked it, it was back to only a half-mile! What kind do you guys have? Does it clip to the waistband of your pants? I'd like to get one that works, but don't know which one to get. Recording steps and miles is really all I need. Thanks in advance!

hi Carolyn, mine is a $5 clip-on that I got in the sporting goods section of the big box store.

It was fairly easy to program.  You tell it the length of your stride, and each step adds that much to your tally.  The hardest part was wrangling the tape measure.  (You take ten steps then divide that number by ten to get the stride length to program in.)  HTH

(edited to add hi Mods!)

Thank you for volunteering to register people to vote, what a good way to spend your time!

BTW baby steps count too! 

I've been on Optifast for 7 weeks now, and we have to wear our pedometers all the time.

Mine has now developed a nagging voice ("You need more steps.....you need more steps.....")

We aim for AT LEAST 10,000 steps a day.

In addition to that, our class is divided into teams. I'm the Captain of the Red Team! (And the one most likely to remain a couch potato.... )

But I've been good, and my weekly miles have increased each week.

We are taking a "virtual" walk to New York City. It will be interesting to see which of our teams gets there first!

Wearing the pedometer has changed the way I approach walking. Now I volunteer to get the mail. It's 100 steps down to our mailbox and back, and three months ago, I had to hang on to DHs arm to limp down there and back.

Now I can do 30 minutes on the treadmill - AND - today we picked up my new wheels: an adult trike in raspberry color! After a minor seat change, we took a 45 minute bike ride! I felt so good - I hadn't been on my bike for several years, after a bad spill on my mountain bike (I have a serious balance disorder.)

But I felt like an 8 year old, just flying along on my trike, wind in my hair and a huge smile on my face!

I think I am beginning to remember what endorphins are!!!

Oh my gosh, badger....

What a wonderful story!!! LOVED the pic - and yes, that's just how I felt flying down the bike path on my trike!!!!

Thank you....

Have fun with it!