10,000 Steps? Unlikely.

I was remembering back to an infertility consultation last year. I asked the doctor if exercise could be a factor and if I should exercise more. She said, "As long as you take at least 10,000 steps per day, you do not need to add exercise."

"Fabulous," I thought. Working full time with a long commute did not leave me eager to work out.

Having no idea how many steps I took daily, I bought a pedometer.

No matter how many trips I made to the copier, I was nowhere near 10,000 steps most days. Taking a walk with a coworker at lunch helped, but I usually ended up jogging in place at home to hit the goal.

I concluded that exercising would be easier than trying to get 10,000 steps every day. It wasn't, and I didn't. And thus began my lack-of-exercise guilt.

Since moving last summer, I have been more regular about working out...kind of. In a good week, I might do 13 minutes of Wii Zumba three times.

This week, my new doctor removed the guilt. When asked if I should work out more, he promptly responded, "No." I explained to him that I am thin only due to genetics, not lifestyle. He wasn't swayed.

No more guilt! I can now do my best to eat right and stay active without trying to reach arbitrary numbers. I feel so free!