Member Stories

Hi Jenn,--Not sure if

“Hi Jenn, Not sure if I fit your requirements but I too had a back injury (not surgery) 3 1/2 years ago after giving birth to my first (and only so far) child. I fractured several vertabre and herniated a few discs in the process (now have healed compression fractures and have lost some height and not to mention fitness, hence gained weight). I am really motivated to lose my stubborn baby kg's and aleviate some back pain. I'm manageing to average 10-11,000 steps per day but it is 2 1/2 years since completing rehab/physio. This is a fantastic site and I now find myself walking while watching TV instead of sitting around making my back worse. Good luck with everything - I'm happy to be a buddy if I suit your needs. Cheers M.Stehn”

Hello Everyone,--I am a

“Hello Everyone, I am a 21 y/o gal who is about 15 weeks post-op from a 3 level lumbar spinal fusion. I recently purchased a pedometer to start motivating me to push through the muscle pain and get active again. It is extremely disheartening to see my totals bouncing around 5000/day when prior to all of my spinal issues I was a long distance runner. Just looking for anyone who is recovering from some sort of surgery or medical condition to buddy up with...anybody out there? Happy stepping. ~ Jenn ”

TO ALL THE SUNNY

“TO ALL THE SUNNY STRIDERS - TAKE IT IN TURN TO MAN THE PHONES AND TAKE A BREAK AND WALK WITH A OFFICE FRIEND - THE QUEENSLAND TEAM MEMBERS ARE WALKING TO SOUTHBANK TODAY.. AND WE WILL ALL EXCEED 10,000 STEPS - ”

hi my name is

“hi my name is debbie mother of 5 and have been over weight nearly all my life. i had my last child 12 months ago and turning 40 next month made me think i had to do something about this weight problem so i can be active and have a longer healthy life with my children,so i started by changing me eating habits and adding exercise i brought a slimming magazine that lead me to this web site, what a great idea!. i am in to week 8 now and i have lost a total of 11kg just by walking and eating healthy choices, i already had a pedometer but now will use it with this site really looking forward to challenges to motivate me,as i am doing this on my own im so glad i found this site so good luck everyone i wish you all the best in our journey to happy and healthy lifesytle! kind regards debbie,vic ”

Jeff is my role

“Jeff is my role model! Go Jeff and the rest of C-Shift! you guys rock! Chief Hood”

Nearly 65, widowed recently

“Nearly 65, widowed recently and lacking focus, I decided to shift some weight. Somehow or other I found the 10,000 Steps site (wasn't looking for it, knew nothing about it) - must've been when I started searching for pedometer availabilities. Bought one, started walking seriously three days ago. The best past is... now I realise that if I keep this up, I really won't ever have to count anything again, or measure anything again, but will continue to lose weight (down from 107k mid-January to 98.3 today). Logging my activity on-line is a real motivator! M-R”

Hi! I have just

“Hi! I have just got a pedometer off the current issue of Slimming and Health magazine. I have suddenly found a new inspiration to loose weight. I am only 22 and weigh 98kgs, I don't look obese, but I do feel terrible about my body! I am challenged by this 10,000 step program, and want to prove to myself that I CAN do it and more! Good luck to me and everyone who is giving this a go!! xk8”

Good on you xk8!

“Good on you xk8! I too have just signed up thanks to the current edition of Slimming & Health magazine. I always lose my motivation to get fit and lose weight but this time feels different. I feel so excited and pumped and love the challenge of the 10,000 steps - already passed my first challenge, now onto 12,000. Good luck to all. Cheers M.Stehn”

I first heard about

“I first heard about 10,000 stpes from my gym.They were running a competition to get members to buy pedometers then try to walk 600,000 steps in 6 weeks. I purchased a pedometer and when the gym competition was finished, wanted to continue logging my steps. So I joined 10,000 steps, wear the pedometer every day and have just reached my first million steps. It's fun and motivating to log your progress every day. Now I have set myself a goal of walking another million steps in less than 74 days, which was my first achievement. Enjoy walking it's fun, free and motivating.”

C-Shift rocks. Each and

“C-Shift rocks. Each and every one of you are my heroes. We are the role models of this district. Keep up the good fight. Proletarius no more. Until next time, keep the feet burning.”

Good morning everyone... I

“Good morning everyone... I just recently started tracking my steps, going on week 2. Feeling great about this. I am averaging around 10,000 steps per day. Wearing the pedometer has made me motivated to get back into shape. I hope all my co-workers will stick with it! Go Jeff! Good luck to you all. ”

Hi,I have had a

“Hi,I have had a pedometer for years, used it occasionally as a matter of interest. Found the 10,000 Steps site last week. I no longer drive to work (yeah sustainable transport), and get off 1 station earlier an extra 30 minutes walking. I am addicted to exercise but this has made me realise that the gym, pilates, swimming is great - WALKING is fantastic. We all lead very busy lives but walking is my time and if I have a healthy body, I have a healthy mind as well. The individual challenges add a little bit of fun to your daily tally. Everyone keep motivated for YOURSELF. Thanks again to the 10,000 step club. Judy - Diamond Creek”

I've been on the

“I've been on the program for almost a year and the protocol of entering my steps has kept me focused on getting moving. I've recorded my steps for every day and I guess my main motivator now is the Average Steps/Day. The million step thing is fun but you know where you are at when your average step figure rises or falls. I'm at 13,000 per day and want to plateau out somewhere near 15,000 -- which, of course, is a big ask. But you won't know what you can do unless you try...”

We had the 10,000

“We had the 10,000 Steps challenge at work last year. It was very motivating. This year Majella and I are 'walking buddies'. I am getting married in August and need a bit of motivation to get off my bum and keep active! Would love to lose some weight and feel a bit healthier by August, see how we go. Thanks Maj for the challenge, see how we go! Am off to Shorncliffe now for a walk...”

Well still wearing the

“Well still wearing the pedometer and while there have been a few days when I have dropped down, I have been walking almost every day for the past 5-6 weeks. Have dropped 3kg and feeling better already. Hopefully it will become a habit of a lifetime. Hope everyone is doing okay. Cheers K from Tassie”

I'm Karen, 38 from

“I'm Karen, 38 from Tasmania. 10 years ago I was diagnosed with an auto-immune disease that causes severe arthritis in every joint, organ problems, skin problems, tendon and muscle pain. Then 2 1/2 years ago, I had my gorgeous daughter, but due to high doses of cortisone, gained 38 kilos during and after the pregnancy. For quite a while I played the 'poor me' card, reasoning that I couldn't do any exercise, it was too painful, didn't have the time etc, etc. Finally, 5 months ago, after starting to experience shortness of breath after even the simpliest task, I decided that it was time to make a change. I joined Weight Watchers at Home program, and bought a pedometer. Walking is one of the few exercises I can do, so I recorded my steps for the first few days. I was averaging between 2000 - 3000 steps a day, which I knew was nowhere near enough. So I set myself a target of gradualling increasing my walking until I could confortably do 10,000 steps a day. So, 20 weeks/5 months on, I'm 13 kilos lighter and have lowered my BMI from 38 to 33, so far. I feel so much healthier. I take my daughter out in the pram for a walk every day, from 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. Then every night after she goes to bed, I get out my air walker and walk for a further 30 mins to hour and a half, depending on how I feel, and how many steps I need to pass 10,000 for the day. I still have another 25 kilos to lose to get to goal, but I'm confident I will get there. Slow and steady, as they say, wins the race! So, for anyone out there who has every excuse for not exercising, give it a go! It will change your life :) ”

2003 Colin & I

“2003 Colin & I decided a tree change was good. We now live 1km from the River Murray, 2005 we decided the only way to make money was to grow organic produce, 2008 we are now living with drought conditions and being supported by Centrelink. We are both very fit/healthy/active individuals. Colin has joined the Army Reserves, Training at Kapooka this very moment, I also tried, unfortunately with a history of back pain was rejected. We are both 54 years young. We live in an isolated location & 10,000 steps has been an online motivator for me. My main goal for 2008 is to become a Personal Trainer because this year, our first year certified Organic we have no produce. I am driven by the desire to make a difference to those around me and as a Personal Trainer, I might be able to encourage the small community of Cadell to walk. Being active all my life is the main contributing factor to my positive attitude. It's now time to put plan "B" into action. CHEERS FROM LEAH”

Hi my name is

“Hi my name is Karen i started Friday the 8th of February.I have been overweight since having my kids,only recently i have began to lose weight and doing well.I work as a AIN in a nursing home,so i manage the steps fairly well so far.I find the best way to keep steps up by keeping busy all day,and forgeting iam wearing my pedometer. thankyou to 10000steps and good luck to all my fellow workmates. Karen”

Hi everyone, --Just getting

“Hi everyone, Just getting back on track after a week of sickness. Up till then was walking every day and had a whole week at more than 10000 steps. But just need to keep it going and realise that it is a long journey. I am finding myself saying yes to exercise options such as swimming and riding. I'm not saying it's easy or that there isn't a naughty voice saying 'no stay here on the couch', but at this point I seem to be winning. Have lost 2.3kg in 4 weeks. Just need to take each week at a time. Thanks for all the great stories. K from Tassie”

Hi all,--Tomorrow is my

“Hi all, Tomorrow is my launching day. 10,000 steps a day seems a lot! But I'm determined to give it a go. I love walking I just find it easy though to find excuses not too. I had a trial run with my pedometre (Had to brush the dust off. Was amazed I even knew where it was!). Was amazed how quickly 1400 steps appear. I found myself finding excuses to get it higher. Even walked up and down my 2 steps just to get to 1000. (Sad isnt it! :P) So maybe 10,000 isnt that hard after all. Lets see how the next week goes. Good luck to everyone and their 10,000 steps for the day! Lindy from Cheese country”

I suffered s stroke

“I suffered s stroke just over twenty years ago and since have found and enjoyed walking as my form of daily exercise and just my time for being alone and thinking, any form of exercise, swimming or walking has both benifitted me as my owm personal therapy. Maxine”

Bec and Brenda, welcome

“Bec and Brenda, welcome and congratulations for giving it a go. Remember very step counts and while it might be hard physically remember it won't be any easier if you don't try. I started mid November and it was hard I now find it much easier and my average daily step are slowly climbing. That makes me keep going seeing that daily average improve and I don't like seeing them drop more than a few and then I work harder to get them back on the upward trend. I have lost about 9kgs since I started. I have also been to see a nutritionist to help me with a proper sensible eating program. You have both taken the first step on the long road and we are all with you on the same road. Jean”

Hi, well today is

“Hi, well today is the first day for me on this program and I am a little nervous as I am not sure I can do that many steps and have not done so in so many years. My goal is to lose wieght as i am currently 145 Kg and need to shed the kilos badly. As you can guess i have not walked great distances but this is a fun way to do it. Wish me luck Brenda”

Congrats to our survivor

“Congrats to our survivor and son in the floods. I do wish you all the very best in your recovery both physically and in the big clean up ahead. I have been a member since 10 Feb 2006 and have clocked up over 10,000,000 steps. Now here is a tale of a tough perdometer. Believe it or not it has survived on MRI and twice in the local pool. It is atill going strong as I am at 61!! Happy walking to you all. Jenny”

I also have Fibromyalgia.

“I also have Fibromyalgia. Although I've always walked for all of the 22 years I've been ill with it -- walking is not enough. Over the last 5 years my health has been deteriorating and I've become quite desperate. But since May last 10,000 Steps has anchored my exercise program. I now have a personal training session every fortnight at the local boxing gym and from there now do 30 minutes each day at home of boxing exercises - which are pretty intense. Boxing is very demanding -- and challenging. I had been crippled by foot problems for years now which have limited my mobility but now I usually walk 40 minutes per day with the dogs and do 30 minutes of boxing exercises -- so that now (and I find it hard to believe I can do it at 59 ) I'm up to skipping 300 jumps in my skip rope sessions. Now that's a worthwhile challenge! Learning to skip is a skill worth mastering I reckon. Great way to get your heart rate up! And I ride a kickbike for my commute journeys, to the shops and for occasional tour rides. I find the low step much better than a bicycle peddle even though you work harder to kick and push.The kickbike is my second scooter -- the first was a heavy home made job -- and its so easy to get on and off or push it by your side while walking.I also see the kickbike as a substitute for jogging. Nonetheless my weight is still up there and it is so hard to bring it down. But the gym like work is reducing my generalised pain & stiffness even though I often take pain killers on a morning so I can do my exercises before lunch -- so that the natural endorphins are given a chance to kick in... Don't knock it -- it works. It took me years to discover a simple solution to such a gateway. You take analgesia then and you won't need to take other doses if you can harness your exercising as pain relief. But of course some days I'm bed ridden or can only hobble around the house. Other times I'm lucky if I can make it out the front gate. So fitting an 'exercise program' under those parameters aint easy. (And my life has many examples of such creative programs going back decades). But, you see, I get to log the advances here -- I get to record even the bad days -- because then when I do step out/ put one foot in front of the other, for a few times at least. I used to do circuits of our pool at home here -- for most days of the year(even in a wet suit) but nothing beats really standing up to gravity and sweating it up. I think I've let myself off too easily in the past. And I'm now working harder but it aint any easier for that realisation.”