We just got back from a week-long trip and it was killer. We covered 73 miles on foot, averaging 10.4 miles per day. According to my Fitbit, we climbed 369 floors, or about 53 floors a day (for perspective, that’s just a few floors shy of the Bank of America Center in Charlotte). As outdoor adventures go, it was physically challenging: that New York City can really wear you out.
Jim Emmons was happy to talk about his 30,000-step-a-day habit, under one condition: the interview had to be in motion.
Yes, Emmons confirmed as we walked the Durham campus of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina where he’s Vice President of Corporate Planning, he does average 30,000 steps a day—three times the daily recommendation and twice the much-discussed increase recently suggested by a study of Scottish mailmen. As proof, he produced his iPhone and called up his Fitbit app, which confirmed the impressive stat. It also showed that for this day, he was at 30,684 steps. It was 3:14 in the afternoon.
Just when you thought you were virtuous getting in your prescribed 10,000 steps a day, a study out of Scotland suggests that 10,000 may not be enough. You may need to goose that number by 50 percent.
15,000, suggests the study of 111 Scottish postal workers, may be the new health standard.
You’ve likely heard about all the great hikes trying to capitalize on peak fall color. But leaf peeping isn’t the only game in town.
Coast
Rarely do we recommend a spectator activity, what with GetGoingNC being about active, adventurous living and all. But today’s recommendation is spectating that could lead to sweating.
Another hot summer weekend is on tap. Appropriately, we have some hot ideas on how to spend it.
Coast / Coastal Plain
A lot of folks like the idea of going on a group hike or walk. Trouble is, the vast majority are long and geared toward more advanced hikers. The opportunities to test the trail waters on shorter, friendly hikes are few.