Incidental Fit-bitting – involuntary exercise as a boomer

I don’t own any of those digital step counters. There are a number of contraindications in my case.

• Digital – danger zone
• Watch – haven’t worn one for a decade
• Location challenge – another object that will join the where is that thing grouping (see later)
• Suspicion – I don’t believe it would give an accurate count of the number of involuntary steps taken nor the frustration that accompanies them (though I do hear that a Blood Pressure reading comes as part of the deal).

10,000 STEPS – who needs ’em?

I have been the owner of several pedometers over a period of years. 10,000 steps was ‘the rule’, I kept that up on a regular basis but found the pedometers preferred to fall to the ground and generally be rendered useless. I also heard about the dubious practice of vigorously shaking the thing to ‘get your step count up’. That seemed pointless to me and the pedometer still didn’t capture the involuntary steps and frustration of my daily routines.

So to counter this and keeping with the spirit of the Kitchen Olympics tradition, I am trialling a new way of keeping a count of my physical activity during the day.

The thrilling details are still in development, I will reveal all in later editions of the Kitchen Olympics Bulletins. Titles for the events are tentative at this stage but since I do them very often per day/week/month, it won’t take long to define these events for Kitchen Olympic fame.

EVENT 1 Where is that thing walk.

This one will churn out your 10,000 steps so easily. The thing can be small or large, it can be left ANYWHERE. This game can be played all day, or for as long as the individual contestant can keep moving and the blood pressure stays out of the mid-150s. You see there is cardio exercise vs cardio distress.

This can be played as a team sport, but less effective. New members of the search squad can spoil the flow by asking questions such as:

• where did you leave it last?
• where did you see it last?
• have you looked in (insert obvious spot previously ransacked)

EVENT 2 Recycling bin cardboard placement

This event is related to the PALMS event but is carried out much more regularly.

Now that we are all receiving so many more deliveries in cardboard boxes. It is becoming a challenge to fold them flat so that a substantial unruly stack of empty boxes become a tidy row of flatpacks for the bin each fortnight.

I will get back to you with the details. No images available at this time.

EVENT 3 Folding fitted sheets

This is obviously related to the previous recycling bin event but is played indoors.

I see this as a very healthy exercise and while the steps are mostly taken in a limited area, I believe the cardio activity involved in this event outweighs the lower volume of steps.

Here is the current world champion of fitted sheet folding.

You will note this game can be played anywhere indoors. The only essential equipment you need is the fitted sheet to be folded.

INCIDENTAL EXERCISE

So there you have it folks! The fitbitting fad does not fit with my lifestyle.

It is also safe to say that most of these events I would prefer to remove from my lifestyle.

But from this boomer’s perspective, having a thing on my wrist constantly telling me how many steps I am taking involuntarily taking in my daily routine is not an advantage.

Hands up who has one? A digital step counter I mean.