One Hundred and Fifty Six Days of Walking 10,000 Steps Or More and Two Bike Rides

For one hundred and fifty six days I walked 10 thousand steps or more, before I broke my streak by going for two bike rides. The first one was a twenty five kilometre loop. The second was a more ambitious 51km loop. I ended up in Geneva, by the Palais Des Nations. This had not been my goal. I just felt good so I kept going.

View of the Broken Chair and the Palais des Nations

Recently i have seen a few articles that discuss that the 10,000 steps myth was created because that was the name of a step counter, designed by a Japanese company. It stuck around for a few decades. Recent research shows that the health benefits of steps stabilise after 8000 steps. The research found that from 8000 steps per day onwards the health benefits of walking flatten off and it becomes surplus to requirement. This doesn’t mean that you don’t get fitter. They mean that after 8000 steps in a day life expectancy remains the same.

Mahatma Ghandi and spring flowers

The conditions for cycling were good yesterday because there were no commuters in a rush, and ignoring the safety of cyclists. It was also good because the temperature was low enough not to get too warm, but warm enough not to get cold. These are good cycling conditions at the moment.

I cycled 52 kilometres at an average speed of 23.2 kilometres per hour over 2hr14. It took me about one hour to get towards Palexpo etc. This is relevant because people speak about how public transport should be improved, and how people should take public transport. I think that cycling routes should be improved instead. If cycling routes are made safer for cyclists then instead of taking an hour to take a train into Geneva from Nyon you could cycle. Instead of commuting for an hour passively, you could commute on a bike. This is an easy distance to cycle.

View of Vaud looking towards Lausanne with two trees in bloom and a blue sky

We should think about replacing the car, for short journeys, and even for commuting. The bike ride tired me, but because it’s the first time I do such a distance in many months. By the end of summer this will be an easy ride.