When I started college a year ago, I really needed motivation to stay in shape. I could feel the freshman 15 coming on fast. The first few weeks the only place I would walk was from my dorm to the dining hall -- I absolutely do not recommend this. Eventually, I got into habit of going to the gym at least three times a week, but not much seemed to change. I still needed more motivation. When I got a Fitbit for my birthday, I was so much excited to be more active. I always tried to meet all of the goals the app tracked, but I always seemed to be a little bit off in each section.

Today, I still love my Fitbit and use it to keep up with my health. Here is what happened when I tried to meet my step goal -- to get 10,000 steps in 24 hours. I have definitely gotten this goal before, but it always involved me working out in a group class or going for a run. And sometimes during the week, I just don't have time for that. This time, I wanted to see if I could do it without any "real" exercising.

When I started this challenge, I didn’t really have a clear picture of how much 10,000 steps really was because I never consistently met my step goal or paid too much attention to it. By the time I walked from my off-campus parking spot to my first class, I had about 2,500 steps. When I checked to see how many miles that was, I was surprised to see it was only about 1.1 miles. All of my classes are all pretty close together, but for one class I had to walk up five flights of stairs. So, by the end of the last class of the day I had around 4,000 steps.

I wandered around campus a little to find some lunch and get some more steps. Finally, I decided it was about time to walk back to my car. When I got back, I had 8,200 steps. Of course, that wasn’t too bad, but I hoped that I had walked far enough to meet my goal by then. Thankfully, I had plenty of time to get my goal still.

When I got home, I sat on the couch for an hour or two before I had to go to work. This definitely didn’t help me get any more steps, but it did make me happy. I only walked from the kitchen to get some water and then back to my car to get to work. By this time I was at 8,399 steps.

I work as a cashier at a Mexican restaurant, so I stand in one place for most of the night. The only movement I get is going back and forth between the chip fryer and the cash register, so I didn’t think that would add up to that much. When it is time for closing, I have to clean the dining room and take out trash, which involves a lot more walking. At around 10:30 p.m., I felt my Fitbit vibrating saying that I met my step goal. I somehow managed to get the rest of my steps at work, and I felt so accomplished by the time I went home.

Since I know that I can get my step goal on a normal day, and still be lazy for an hour or so in the middle of the day, I feel a lot more capable of my ability to get my goal (almost) every day. Now, it’s time to work on some other Fitbit goals. More sleep, anyone?