h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I was told to better stop drinking a month ahead of op. It would make healing faster they said. I was even given a brochure about it. However my friend never heard of that. Hospitals are strange. Communication is not their strongest point.

The walk today was fine but the talk was boring

Hospitals and communication don't work here either..
I had a pre-admision day at hospital before the op. Speaking to pharmacist, anaethacist was useful. X-ray, bloods, etc were useful.. but, all the information about recovery was wrong..
Walked 5 miles today..

That's 8 kilometers! The last 12 months my daily average has been 3.2 kilometers - equalling 2 miles.

They say at my age it should be at least 5 kilometers (3 miles) but then I've been cycling a lot this summer and that counts as exercise too so I should be okay. At least almost.

I learned from my daughter and our fellow hitchhiker Malabarista that Universities and communication don't work together either. Neither here nor in several other countries

Well, cycling should be as good as walking, for cardiovascular health at least. Walking will be better for building bone strength, but a combination of walking and cycling sounds good to me..

Stuck at home, now, waiting for people to phone back.

Cycling is actually better. At least according to a study I read about that found better results (I can't remember what exactly they were monitoring, but it was probably blood oxygen, heart rate, calories burned, &c) comparing biking and walking for the same amounts of time, not distance.

I've got a health app on my phone that I use to keep track of my walks and one thing that annoys me is that it has two rings you're supposed to complete each day, one is "heart points" for active exercise and the other is steps. If I take a good bike ride that day, I get no step points. You might think this is a trivial thing, and it is mostly. But if I wanted to participate in my company's health incentive program that will put actual money in my Health Saving Account (HSA*), they only count actual steps if you link you're data to their website. I prefer cycling to walking and this would disincentivize (word?) my cycling. Also, their goals are stupid based on that "10,000" steps idea that is not based in science, but rather based on the brand name for an early pedometer made in Japan called Manpo-kei (ten thousand step meter) because the kanji characters resemble a walking person. That's pretty arbitrary.

An HSA is a feature of "high deductible health insurance" policies here in the States. It's an employer subsidized, invested account that can only be spent toward health costs. They encourage people to use it for small costs not directly billed to the insurance or for those high deductibles, but it makes more sense to me to save it for unexpected, large costs. Unlike more common Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), HSA money does not have to be spent at the end of each year and can be treated as more of an investment.

I believe 2legs is right: Walking and in particular running is better for bone strength.

To get proper exercise from cycling you need hills. Which we don't have here. Instead we make do with headwind. That's okay with me as long as it doesn't rain.

That is interesting about the 10,000 steps - pretty arbitrary indeed... I'm fortunate that my health insurance incentive programme only asks for 7,000 steps a day, and I have a fitness tracker watch that records my wheelchair pushes as steps quite well, so that is an achievable number for me

Would you get steps from cycling if you put your phone in a pocket on your leg?

I also read or heard about another study about the 10,000 steps, and their results was that there was no appreciable benefit to walking 10,000 steps as compared to 7,000. After 7,000 steps a day, things seem to plateau.

Ah That's good that my 7,000 steps have some logic

My phone measures nothing while I'm cycling. But the bicycle's computer tells me distance, time and such and that is quite enough for me. I don't need an app to tell me when I'm tired

Finally I don't seem to have a page not availible message..
There have been a few interesting science journal articles recently, regarding steps..
Basically more is better than fewer, but with diminishing returns. But this largely depends on the individual, their starting fitness, level of daily activity, etc.. so the greatest benifit is seen in say the 1st 3000 or 4000 steps, in very sedate individuals, whom otherwise may only ever move small distances, if that makes sense
I did 5 miles sunday, 4 monday, and 4 tuesday.. and now I'm walking enough for me all the oedema in my legs, ankles and feet has vanished! Which is a lot more comfortable, as my boots and trainers fit again..

Bloods Friday to see if I'm still anemic, check thyroid and electrolytes.
Started lowering my codeine dose, very gradually..

h2g2.com has been unstable for weeks if not months again. I never log out and never turn off my computer but about half the times I change from one page, tab or thread to another I get a sign telling me my host has a problem. Not my computer, not the server in our capitol but my host. Nothing to do but wait and try again. Will that ever change?

According to my phone i have done 4000 to 4200 steps per day on average these last 12 months. I'm sure 5000 would be better. Or 600 or even 7000. I'm also sure it's more than most of my male friends walk but of course that doesn't help me. Or them for that matter.

Most of my female friends seem to walk a lot more and I've frequently heard them being almost obsessed with doing 10,000 steps per day. Good for them

Yeah, but now you know where that arbitrary 10,000 steps came from.

I do and thanks for that!

A lot is also down to what our bodies grow used too.. my average is about 3 miles or so a day, and I know 3 or 4 days without that, is enough for me to start getting swollen legs.. probably tied up with my hormones or medications..
In the same way I ache now, from not doing the gym. Although it could also be that having my chest cut in half with an electric saw made things a bit sore..
Had bulghur pilaf for lunch, beef chilli, later, for dinner..
May not get a 2nd walk later, depending on the rain..

I'm off for a long walk right now. Long'ish anyway. There's a storm brewing and they predict heavy rains and floodings the next couple of days. The latter won't affect me, though

Probably the same storm we may get.. I'm cooking enough chilli for 3 or 4 days, in case its too wet to get out..

Sounds like a good idea. I should do something similar

Of course we still need a few bits from the shops tomorrow.. having decided to have the chilli tonight with the last of the Turkish bread, in order to use it up.. we discovered how tasty this was, and so need more Turkish bread..
Also may make more hummus for lunch tomorrow, so probably need more chickpeas..

My son just told me he walked 27.534 miles yesterday with my grandson in a stroller

Bu he agrees with me that 4200 steps is good enough for me