How to Increase Steps With Fitbit by Incorporating Cats Into Your Routine!
Fitbit – check. Cat – check. Ready, set, go – find out how you can increase your steps by exercising with your cat!
Much as I would prefer to work from home, I have to admit the company I work for isn’t so bad. My co-workers are awesome (many of them are cat lovers), and management is always trying to come up with new ways to encourage group activities. We’ve had several company sponsored lunches since I started back in March, and they even shut work down early one Friday so everyone could go bowling together, including food and drink. But their most recent attempt is my favorite by far. Because most of us have desk jobs, for those that wanted to participate, they bought us Fitbits to encourage exercise and set up quarterly step challenges with prizes to boot!
I’ll admit when I decided to join, I didn’t have much faith in myself and didn’t think I’d have a chance in heck of winning anything, let alone be remotely competitive. I used to be a fit person, but over the past several years, and especially now that I’m working on my third book, I may as well be a cat who naps 20 hours a day, I’ve become that sedentary. I barely move from my desk at work (the exceptions are for either a bathroom or coffee break) and when I get home, I’m practically glued to the computer until I go to bed, working on my book. It’s no surprise when I look in the mirror now, that I see a sagging, flabby me looking back!
This is me nearly any free second of the day – completely glued to my computer with Jazmine next to me!
But I like to be a good sport, so I decided to give it a whirl. The recommended daily goal set by Fitbit is 10,000 steps. I had no clue the number of steps I took on an average day, so when I saw at the end of day one, that I only had 5133 steps, it was shocking. I knew I was sedentary, but to see it in actual numbers was startling and a real kick in the literal butt. It became personal – not so much that I wanted to win the quarterly contest, but a wake-up call to me at 56 years old, that I needed to make some changes. But how the heck was I going to increase my steps in between my job and writing? Well, believe it or not, my cats have actually helped me out and here’s some of the top 5 ways they’ve done it:
1. Head count mania. I always do a cat count before I go to work. Since I have seven cats, it’s amazing how many extra steps I can tack on looking for each cat individually, especially those times one of them seems to have mysteriously vanished and I walk back and forth, looking in the same places, over and over, for him or her.
Zoey is the master of disguise – she’s tiny as it is and refuses to come out when I call her name, as she always assumes I’m up to no good!
2. Feeding time frenzy. My cats get three small meals a day – you’d be surprised just how many steps you can accrue preparing meals for seven cats, between picking them up and putting them down each time one of them jumps on the counter, putting their dishes on the floor, picking up their dishes from the floor, and bringing them to the sink to wash.
If I pick Peanut up from the counter once, I do it at least ten more times…She never gives up trying to eat before I put the food dishes onto the floor!
3. Going all out grooming. I comb my cats every single night – fleas are prevalent in South Florida (even indoor cats can get fleas) and I’m obsessed with making sure these pesky parasites aren’t taking up residence on my cats. I also do it to make sure they don’t develop hair mats, and I can assure you corralling in seven cats is an ordeal. Even though they actually enjoy being groomed, they still insist on making it difficult for me to catch them, so it turns into lots of steps!
I swear my cats loved to be groomed – but you’d never know it the way the run from me first when they see me with a comb or brush!
4. Litter Olympics. I scoop, they go. I scoop again, they go again. My going from room to room, scooping litter, can be an all-day, all-night event. But the good news, lots and lots of steps!
This caption applies nearly 24/7/365 with my cats!
5. Playing like the pros. I try to play with my cats as much as I can. Their favorite toy is “Bird” – a feather toy hanging from a string on a stick. Bird is kept under lock and key in our guest bedroom. When I bring it out for playtime, it involves me walking all over the house so they each get some turns trying to catch it. One word sums it up for me: exhausting.
I love the interactive play aspect of wand/feather toys with my gang, but it sure is a lot of exercise for me, too!
That’s just my indoor cat step program. I also make a concerted effort to walk around the neighborhood to say hello to some of my favorite outdoor feline friends. It gives me incentive to walk outside and I even bring kitty treats with me to feed them. And then there are the non-cat things – I’ll park as far away as I can from the building where I work, or a store, if I’m going shopping. If I need to ask someone something at work, I’ll go to them personally, rather than picking up the phone. And rather than conserve time by bringing out the trash at the same time I check the mail, I make certain this now becomes two tasks.
I see this sweet kitty any time I take a walk – I call her Callie Berry and she loves it when I pet her and give her treats!
With that mindset, it’s amazing how much more active you really can be. I love what Fitbit has done to me both mentally and physically. Since my disastrous beginning, there has not been a single day I haven’t at least met my goal, and many times I go several thousand steps over. And that butt of mine, while it will never be what it was years ago, it is much firmer. And even better, I’m now able to sleep through most of the night now. Prior to Fitbit, it had been years since I had a full night’s sleep, as I was always tossing and turning. But most amazingly, I’m actually in second place in our company challenge. I’m the oldest person who’s competing, so I can assure you, it’s quite the accomplishment, to the astonishment of them!!
How about you all? Any of you have Fitbits? What are some of your favorite ways to gain steps?
I’d be ashamed if I tracked my activity … but I do many of the things you mentioned already (okay, okay … I only have Bear Cat so that reduces things A LOT). Playing together is a great bonding activity and good for both of us physically too. Makes the exhausted snuggle at the end even better!
Don’t be ashamed mommakatandherbearcat – I’m sure many people are far more sedentary than they’d care to admit (myself included). But honestly, once you set your mind to it, it’s actually fun challenging yourself to increase your steps!
Hi Deb!
I am so glad you have landed on your feet with a good job! It is so hard to start over when you are our age. But I must admit that I thought you were in your mid forties!!! I had to change my company six years ago. I now have a good job too where the people are friendly. What I do for extra steps is we have a multi level parking garage. I park at the farthest end on the third floor. I must admit at the end of the day going up those flights of stairs is a bit of a challenge.
Take care. Kathy
It sure is difficult Kathy… I’ve had to start over several times in the past several years and do hope things will stay calm for the time being. I’m glad you have a good job now, too. And stairs are terrific exercise. I forgot to mention we have stairs at work and I have to go up them several times a day to talk with my manager. I admire you making the extra effort even though it is challenging! And thanks for the age compliment, too…
AH! Now you have inspired me! When temps were in the 90s through September, I quit walking outdoors and never uncovered my treadmill that had morphed into a clothes rack! I too have a sedentary job. I’m going to get a Fitbit and create a plan today. Thanks for the much needed “nudge”! YAY!
Oh my goodness, Anna!!! I’m so excited to have inspired you!! I take the “no-excuses” attitude now. If it’s too hot, or raining outside, I’ll walk inside, or even put on some music so I can do some creative stepping!
I love this post! Its amazing the little steps (pun intended) it takes to get fit AND keep your cats fit too. I would also love to work from home and be surrounded by my cats all day. But my desk job at work also requires me to walk around the building doing production checks so at least it’s not all sedentary.
At night my cats help ‘supervise’ my workout and sit on my back when doing planks. So exercise here is a group activity MOL. Afterwards they get rewarded with a game of Da Bird!
Sounds like your company is really good to their employees. Enjoy your new fitbit and I hope it brings you mental and physical health for many years to come. And hooray to you for showing the younger ones how it’s done, second place and you’re the oldest of the bunch, that’s incredible!
Thank you for stopping by Chirpy Cats and I’m glad you enjoyed the post! The energy in our company has improved and I’m blessed to be around such good people!
I got a free Fitbit with my last phone purchase….about a month ago. It’s STILL IN THE BOX! I can’t promise 10,000 steps, but you have at least inspired me to take it out of the box and set it up (and, okay, wear it!).
You can do it Beverly! I know you can! Just start out slow and work your way up!
Good on ya for all of the above, especially your daily cat-related activities! No, I don’t have or plan to buy a Fitbit, but I’ve always worked out and I designed my own workout that involves weightlifting, aerobics, yoga and calisthenics. I get about 40 min. 4 times a week. The rest of the time, I’m doing all the things you’re doing, basically. It works!
Claire doesn’t have a FitBit, but she really should ! Those are great ideas to move more ! Purrs
This is such great news, and I like how you incorporated something really important to you–your cat crew–into what must have felt like an obligatory challenge, at first. You turned your initial feeling of defeat into success! I am now working in an office, and what I don’t like about being there is how many eyes are on me when I leave my desk. At home I would take breaks and could even find myself walking around while on conference calls, to break up the sitting and staring at the computer posture.
I am now motivated to find some ways to be sure I’m walking more…I have been parking further from the entrance at work to increase my walks..I want to be sure that I’ve got some good strides in before and after sitting at the desk or commuting!!!
Keep up the great work. And thanks for the inspiration to use the everyday tasks of caring for the fur children to bolster activity!!
M here: Good going girl! I’ve talked to more people that have them an absolutely love them. Guess I’d better jump on the bandwagon one of these days and thing about getting one. I love how you incorporate cat activities into your exercise too. Mario and I get a work out when we play Neko Fly.
The mom has a fit bit but she’s yet to take it out of the box! Maybe this is the inspiration she needs.
Those are all great ideas. You do not look 56, I would have guessed 46.
We’re glad things are workin’ out with your job and your exercise. Ot walkin’ thing. Mommy says she doesn’t exercise, but we say all da steps back and furth to da pawdee box room to clean pawdee boxes and da kitchen to purrpare and then clean up our meals must count fur something. MOL
Luv ya’
Dezi and Raena