Mobility versus Fitness

Do people agree with me that there is some confusion amongst many between “mobility” and “fitness”?

My friends who have Fitbits seem to be happy doing a certain number of steps per day whereas I have a TomTom sports watch and it focuses on me moving fast enough to raise my heart rate before it considers my efforts sufficient to to improve my fitness level.

I think the steps thing was aimed at sedentary folk (e.g. coach potatoes or desk based workers) and was to get them mobile. However I think lots of people think that is getting them”fit” along the lines of the nhs recommendations.

I found I could walk thousands of steps and my heart rate hardly moved - but as soon as I ran a hundred yards it got going! This was why I did C25K and my watch has reflected the improvement in my fitness.

Maybe further education is needed?

[Buddy34 Graduate10]

Walking is good but it has to be fast paced , I did this twice a day 6 days a week before starting c25k. To get the benefits your heart rate needs to be raised when walking. I used to be sweating when I returned from walking. So I agree with you that doing c25k will get your heart rate moving within a short distance . Just doing steps per day I don't think will do your fitness any good. I'm no expert just my opinion 😊

[GoGo_JoJo Graduate10]

🤔 I think if they're doing nothing else they will still be marginally fitter than if they do nada, but yes, in order to really see a noticable increase in fitness they need to get their hearts beating.

Samsung splits steps and "healthy pace" to this end. Fitbit and the like would get less sales if folk thought it was a waste of time though, and, there's a percentage of people that do want to move more once they move a little 👍🏻 small steps etc... excuse the pun! 🤣

[Debston Graduate10]

I think Fitbits are great for getting people to move a bit more and get off their bums. All of the focus on 10,000 steps (or whatever target you want to set yourself) is very helpful I find. I don't think I would have started C25K if I hadn't already built up a bit of fitness and lost a bit of weight back in January and February through Fitbit and diet. Too much focus on heart rates etc would have just put me off in the early days, whereas I now find all that stuff fascinating! And people aren't stupid, I think most people are aware that running gives your heart more of a workout than a sedate ramble but a sedate ramble is still doing plenty of good, burning calories and being active.