It is easy to install a free fitness and step counter. On a hiking holiday, my friend 'Tina' announced her step count. I asked, "How did you do it? Were you Counting every step?"
"No!" she replied. "I have an app, counting steps. Mine came installed with my phone. Don't you have one?"
"I don't. Does anybody know how I install a fitness tracker?" After a couple of minutes I had three people looking over my shoulder, making suggestions.
"Go to your app store."
"Where?"
"Just google it."
I looked in google. I went to Play store. On an Apple you would go to Apple Store.
My friend '"Tina" who showed me what to do had a different mobile phone and a different app and we could not find hers.
However, my store, Playstore, offered me several free apps with different logos. You might choose the one with the best reviews, or the first on the list, or the one whose logo is prettiest or most obvious and easy to locate on your phone.
I installed it. I pressed "go" to turn it. I took five steps to test it, but nothing happened.
I was told by one of my friends, "If you just take five steps to test it, nothing happens, because it only starts after several steps."
"Maybe you have to wait half an hour or a day, for it to get going."
However, I was astonished an hour or two later to find the app had logged me on 500 steps. I was delighted.
I was on holiday with a group, a hiking group, in Spain. They were doing four-hour hikes.
I simply did an hour or less, and walked around a hotel. That day when I installed the app, after dinner, nothing much had happened. Someone said, "It will re-set next day."
I looked after breakfast next day. Then when I started at zero, and thought I had been nowhere worth noticing.
My husband tutted, sighed, and told me, "You haven't walked anywhere."
But the app had noticed me walking. I had good news for my concerned husband, who was worried about my inactivity.
Although I had only walked one end of the (Parador) hotel to my bedroom, down a couple of floors, and over to the restaurants, up to the breakfast bar and back, then into the hotel lobby. But I had a count!
How would I do during the day? I walked to the end of the car park to the car, and we drove off. I could keep moving, lifting first one knee, then the other, but the app was like my husband, and refused to count sitting stepping.
However, by lunch time I had logged an astonishing 1000 steps, after simply walking from a car park to a church, to the end of the church.
Then back, into the Information Centre, around an exhibition. And to a toilet and back. Wow.
Then, a second tourist visit, to the adjacent tower. From the ticket desk to the lift. (Americans say elevator.) We went up to the battlements. We walked around for spots to take pictures.
Downstairs, using the lift again.
I went back to level two for a toilet stop - found another smaller exhibition.
Outside again, we walked over the road, up an alley, across a bridge to a riverside restaurant. Hardly any distance.
However, I was delighted at the end of the day to show an impressive 5.000 steps. Amazing good news.
Then came the bad news. "You are supposed to walk 10,000 steps a day."
What - ten thousand steps? Every day!
I have, metaphorically, taken the first step. Started tracking. I am half way there on my first day. Without making much effort.
To achieve 10,000 steps a day I would have to get up every hour and walk about a bit. I suppose I should.
At least, now I know.
I have made two steps forward. Literally, physically, steps forward.
Psychologically, I have made a metaphorical step forward. I am on par with the people tracking their fitness.
Equally importantly, I am on par with other geeks who know how to install apps.
-ends-.
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