Member Stories

Hi I live in

“Hi I live in the U.S.A. I am a month away from my 49th birthday. I am a former professional athlete, that loves food. I found myself 2 years ago feeling very out of shape and quite sluggish. My blood pressure had reached 150/84 and my weight was 230 pounds. I am 6'3". I decided I was going to walk 6 miles every morning at the very least. To make a long story short, I have now logged over 4,000 mile. I weigh 192, and my blood pressure is down to 120/60!!! I feel like I am 20, and have the energy level of a 20 year old. I eat healthy 6 days a week, but every Sunday I eat whatever I want in any quantity I want, so I am never more than 6 days away from any food I like, I have given up nothing!!!! That I find is the secret! ”

My husband and i

“My husband and i try to walk every morning for 60 mins, but it is getting harder in these cold mornings. So i now i say to myself if i really do not want to get up just get up get dressed put my walking shoes on and if after all of that i still do not want to walk dont walk. So far this has worked every morning even at 4.30 am when it is freezing. Both my husband and i are type 2 diabetics and know that aiming for 10,000 steps is going to improve our health. So far we are walking 5 days a week before work.”

I was feeling so

“I was feeling so un motivated and frumpy realising I needed to lose at least 10 pounds when I looked at myself sideways in the mirror. As I sit all day in front of a computer I achieve little, if any physical acitivity and I feel so tired when I get home to go for a walk. I started a program of jogging on the spot for about 3 minutes at least every hour and then go for a short walk at lunch time. It helps in these cold winter days and also gets you all energised. (not to mention warming you up at the same time). Just on the weekend I discovered 10,000 steps in the newspaper and was so thrilled - at last a free fitness program that can definately help me achieve what I want to achieve and at the same time keep me motivated. Well Done 10,000 Steps!! ”

I started with my

“I started with my pedometer on May 2nd. I have about 25 pounds to lose and so far I have dropped 12...only 13 more to go. In addition to a low carb diet, the 10,000 steps a day has kept me motivated to get the exercise I need. I thought I walked a lot during the day, but when I started wearing the pedometer I saw how little I really did walk. I go about 2.5 to 3 miles in the mornings, get whatever I can during the day...including walking around and around in the house at lunch when I am waiting for the microwave to finish. I then finish up whatever remaining steps I need in the evening after it cools down a bit. ”

I bought my pedometer

“I bought my pedometer about a month ago and I've already noticed a difference in my motivation, fitness and physical appearance. I was actually presently surprised at how many steps/kms I did when I worked during the week but was shocked at how little I did on the weekends. With the help of the pedometer, I now aim for at least 10,000-11,000 per day (including weekends) and I'm on the road to a better, healthier lifestyle…(and I’m already feeling the benefits!). 10,000 steps has given me the motivation to set goals and REALLY achieve them...and the website logbook is a really helpful tool to boot. ”

I have had a

“I have had a problem with my weight since I ended my cancer treatments 3 years ago. Endless health problems stemming from radiation treatments have worn my body down. But, I keep persevering. I have heard a lot of using a pedometer in gaging how many steps you get in a day and I've been trying to see if I could meet this goal. I walk everyday at lunchtime (at least 1 hour) and then work out with Gilad exercise tapes. I will look down occasionally at the pedometer and am amazed at how the walking adds up. At my office, I see very little movement as I'm chained to my desk (LOL). Once I leave this building my steps increase and I take off!! I am very excited about the chance to incorporate this into my exercise, too. ”

Yippee!! The 10

“Yippee!! The 10 000 steps challenge is helping to achieve my goal of becoming fitter this year. I have done my first Fit Walk - I did the 8km Mothers Day Classic on Sunday and did not feel exhausted at the end of the walk. This was on top of the 5km that I do every Saturday. Thank you! to QHealth for helping me become fitter. Julie R @ RCH Brisbane ”

Congratulations on a great

“Congratulations on a great program! When waiting on hold on the telephone I march on the spot or dance in time to the music. It gets your pedometer jiggling and makes the time go a little bit faster!! ”

Confessions of a Walker--I

“Confessions of a Walker I was there once, I was lean, I was fit, I'm sure there were some who said - this girl is sick, She walks and she walks and she thinks what she eats But somewhere the walker just started to sit. It was easy to slide, the excuses they flowed, Coming out from where they had been stowed. 'Too cold, too hot, too windy, too late' Sorry, this chick doesn't walk after six or is it eight. I knew it was wrong, but how do you stop? I wanted to walk, but all I did was flop. On the couch, on the bed or even the chair, My sandshoes just sat there, getting the occasional glare. 10 000 steps came, yes, I'll join a group, (Hope there are plenty who want to walk for this troop) On goes the counter - this should be great Hand on it must be broken; Ive done more than 6-0-0-8. Alas, it was true, I had become quite sedentary Sitting and not doing had become quite accustomary On went the shoes - I had to venture out The first day I felt I might be down for the count. Into week four now and I can't believe it That little counter has given me a lift Now the stairs, well they are definitely on my agenda It is now my dream once again to be fit, to be slender. So thank you 10 000 steps it is short of a miracle Of people who walk, I will no longer be satirical I'm walking again and doing my quota Now sitting all day - I couldn't give an iota. ”

Funny who you meet

“Funny who you meet walking at 5am and doing the same thing as you are in the morning isn't it...I have never felt so refreshed for the whole day since I've started walking before the sun comes up. Really gives you that extra energy..It's all so worth it!! ”

I have recently joined

“I have recently joined a gym and decided to wear my pedometer to gauge the steps walked on the treadmill and also my cycling on the exercise bike in a 1 hour visit. I achieved 6000 steps and having worn the pedometer all day, i easily reached my goal of 10,000 steps. I had previously found this very hard to achieve in a normal day but the gym has helped me reach my goal each time I go, 2 to 3 times weekly and the pedometer is a great way to monitor my workout. ”

I am determined this

“I am determined this year to get fit. I have started walking to and from work each day, this is about a 20 minute walk each way. In addition to this I have joined one of the local council walking groups on a Saturday morning. We meet at 7am and walk 5km, about a hour's worth. I have lost weight and my fitness is improving all the time. I think the 10000 steps is a great idea for all people to join and I am improving daily on this. Thank you so much for helping me to get fit. ”

Our team, The Millipedes,

“Our team, The Millipedes, have been only been a part of the 10,000 Steps challenge since November 2004. There are 15 people in our team and we are a mixture of ages and fitness levels with one aim in mind - to walk the equivalent distance around the world! Thankfully, there are some team members who like shopping and can clock up 25,000 steps in a day. We started from Brisbane and our first leg of the journey was to Alice Springs, onto Darwin, then Bali, Bangkok, Shanghai and now we are on our way to Tokyo. From there, we will head due west across China. Every time we complete a leg, we celebrate by having a meal out together. For example, when we reached Shanghai at about the time of the Chinese New Year, we celebrated with noodles and rice dishes. We're looking forward to some of the more exotic dishes en route to our goal! We'll keep you all informed of our progress along the way ”

Well well, having a

“Well well, having a physical reminder on my hips(ie the pedometer) reminding me of my lack of activity has been the greatest incentive to keep moving. I have now become the wierdo walking in one place at the traffic light, the cash register at coles and while i'm putting in petrol at the BP. Ms Marmaduke ”

I have recently been

“I have recently been diagnosed with Type 11 Diabetes (November 2003.) I have been using the 100000 step plan over the last 12 months. With a "proper" diet ( recommended by a dietician) I have by blood sugars under control, have lost weight and have lots more energy. David ( Adelaide) ”

I thought that this

“I thought that this story should be shared in the hope that others might realise that starting up again after an illness is not as hard as it first seem. I was pretty sick earlier this year and was off work for quite some time. By the time I got well enough to think about being active, it was easier to lie down with a book and catch a late afternoon snooze when I got home from work. My doctor told me it could take as much as 12 months to feel 100% It took three months and an increase of two notches on my belt to consider moving. So the kids and I gave my husband a bike for father's day, and eight weeks later I joined the gym with a friend. I'm finally back in the swing of things, sleeping better and feeling considerably less tired. The moral of my story - ditch the afternoon snooze, find a friend and start moving. I certainly feel better and have finally shaken off the effects of illness from earlier in 2004. I'm looking forward to a happy and healthy christmas with my family. All best Zebee ”

Hi Everybody.--Ha, i know

“Hi Everybody. Ha, i know this sounds weird but i wore my pedometer out clubbing the other night and i did over 28,000 steps. Whoo, watch out John Travolta!! ”

I have found that

“I have found that the best way to add up the steps is to wear the pedometer out at night-time. It's amazing how active you are when you're out and about and dancing the night away. Thanks, 10,000-steps-people! Keep stepping, everyone! Sam Berringer. ”

Ive been a 10,000

“I’ve been a 10,000 Steps member now for about 8 months and I’m overwhelmed by such a great community initiative. Once I started wearing the pedometer on a regular basis it gave me an indication of how much physical activity I was actually achieving. As I’m in a desk job I realised that my physical activity wasn’t very good but didn’t realise how little I did until I had the pedometer on my hip. The 10,000 steps reminders and pedometer have movitated me to increase my steps gradually and I’m proud to say that on most days I now reach my 10,000 Steps goal. Thank you very much 10,000 Steps and to those others who have submitted stories about their own experiences, I found you an inspiration. ”

This walking is great-

“This walking is great- we walk up a 'hill" ( just 9ft short of being a mountain) here in Townsville 4 times a week. It's good to know how many steps the average climb is. But guys- how come we are registering push bike kilometers- really !!! In an effort to get step numbers the spirit of the exercise is to go walking- Push bikes roll and with a mechanical advantage of over 4 to 1 it's not kosher. I swim too and I'm not "converting" km's swum into steps. Keep up the good work team. Westy - Townsville ”

Our team has finished

“Our team has finished the East - West and is approaching the finish of the North - South crossing. The Queenslander is the next in line. I find the pedometer is a spur to do a bit more and belonging to a team is an added incentive. I have managed to increase my average daily steps by 250% since July. The best tip I have is to use a pushbike and purchase a cheap odometer to fit on it. This allows you to explore wherever you want and calculate your steps by the kilometers you have covered. I have ridden some great routes lately and on the weekends I sometimes get up early and cover 40km or more before it gets hot and windy. Just keep on walking, riding or doing until you feel great and then do some more. David ”

Our team completed the

“Our team completed the virtual walk across australia in the last couple of weeks. It was a good effort on all our parts I think. although prior to the challenge I was already walking at least the 10,000 a day, it was a good incentive to now have team members to chat with about our 'stepping' My best advice to anyone who wants to improve the amount they are walking is get a dog!!! We acquired a (big) dog early in the year and he keeps us honest by almost demanding his 2 walks a day. Mind you, this is also helped by the fact that we live in 165 acres and it takes a bit to hoof around it!!! The driveway is almost a kilometre long and uphill!! So even that in its self is a good walk twice a day. Keep those feet going everyone!!! Regards Jo ”

I recently took a

“I recently took a world trip - so some of my daily steps were taken at 30 000 feet or more in the air... On a more down to earth note, somewhere on the steep slopes of "The Sleeping Giant" mountain on Kau'ai Island in Hawaii a 10 000 steps pedometer lies waiting to be found by a puzzled Islander - lost when I was scrub bashing my way in a hurry down the mountain... - Peter Hallinan ”

Hi All,-I just wanted

“Hi All, I just wanted to congrantulate the people involved in the 10,000 steps program. The motivation it has given me to ensure I complete "at least" 10,000 steps in my day is unbelievable and my competeive streak has caused some competiton with my husband with both of us determined do at least as many steps as each other. Even my boys are excited, with each of them eager to match my steps. Once again thank you for dreaming up such an inspiring project! Karen Caldwell ”

Hi, I have been

“Hi, I have been recovering from clinical depression for about 3 years and and finally returning to my happy, bubbly self again. After I joined a Fernwood Women's Health Club. They are terrific at motivating and encouraging you to keep fit and healthy and it's a very happy, enjoyable environment to exercise. I have almost reached my goal weight being under 60kilos and back to my size 12 clothes maybe even size 10. Just writing to encourage others you can do it if you believe you can. (Nike, Just Do It!). Seeya and Just Walk It too! Leesa. P.S. Anyone who would like to email me they can on: fitnessfun80@hotmail.com, thanks, seeya! ”