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- Written By: Diana Bocco
- Edited By: Bronwyn Harris
- Last Modified Date: 19 December 2011
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2003-2012 Conjecture Corporation
A pedometer is a small electronic device that is used to count how many steps a person is taking. It is mostly used by fitness enthusiasts to help them keep track of their exercise goals, and by people looking to lose weight and become more active. Experts recommend taking around 10,000 steps per day to improve physical fitness. Since it is basically impossible to keep mental track of how many steps a person walks in an average day, a pedometer becomes the only way to record such information.
A basic pedometer consists of a mechanical sensor which counts steps by taking into consideration how much the body shakes. A pedometer can sense the vibrations of the feet hitting the pavement or the movement of your hips, and use this to move the counter forward. Simply shaking the pedometer will get you the same result, even if you don't move, which shows how the device works. A software application inside the pedometer keeps track of the number of steps. More advanced models can also convert steps into miles or kilometers, calculate calories burned, tell you the time, and can even include mp3 player.
To be able to measure correctly, a pedometer should be worn straight and vertically, preferably attached to your belt. This will help the device identify the movements correctly and keep accurate track of how many steps you take. There is currently no pedometer in the market that is 100 percent accurate, but more expensive models such as the ones produced by Nike Sports are close to the mark. Wearing the pedometer correctly also improves its performance. Despite what many companies would like to believe, none of the pedometers currently in the market can measure accurately if placed in a pocket or your backpack.
Some companies are now producing pedometers that are integrated with personal electronic devices such as cell phones, CD player, and mp3 players. This still requires the user to attach the device to his or her body, plus the purchase of additional items such as shoe sensors. The technology is too new for experts to decide their accuracy.
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anon138306
Post 7 |
if you're not too much overweight, running cuts your time to a fraction and you burn a little more calories that way too. if you're real heavyset, then do some cardio at home like shadowboxing and lose a bit of weight to avoid injuries. Whether running or walking, open your hips to widen your stride and roll your step from the ball of your foot to your toes. if you're trying to sprint to get those steps in and you feel yourself slowing down, open it up like I said but with a bit more force almost as if kicking your own butt. you'll start to "glide" or push off your feet. try jogging first for the heavier folk. |
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anon123489
Post 6 |
I live about half a mile from school and have to climb a hill as well. It takes me about 1800 steps one way, and if I add walking between classes etc then I manage about 5000 steps a day. The pedometer definitely helps keep me motivated. Once a week, I walk another half a mile into the town library from school and that gives me another 4000, so that i get close to the 10,000 mark at least once a week. I have not lost a lot of weight yet, but definitely feel fitter. 10,000 is a lot of steps. |
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amypollick
Post 5 |
@Anon97735: When I had a pedometer, the way I set it was to walk ten steps at my normal pace. I walked down my hall and marked where I started and stopped, and then got the tape measure out and measured how far I walked. Divide the number by ten, and you have how long your stride is, and you set the pedometer to that number. My stride, if I remember correctly, is about 26 inches, or two feet, two inches. I am a 5'5 female. My legs are longish for my height and I tend to take long steps when I'm really walking, so my stride may be longer than yours. The stride length should count really, only to see how *far* you walked in those 10,000 steps. I thought a pedometer had a motion gizmo in it to react to when your hips moved as you had it clipped to your belt. A better goal might be to make sure you're getting at least 100 steps in per minute, if you're really doing a cardio walk. That's not really so difficult, if you've got a nice, brisk walk going. I use my treadmill at home and when it's set about 2.7 mph, I can do about 110 steps per minute. That's about 90 minutes of walking a day, and that is tough to get in, no question. Anyway, that's how I set my pedometer to match my stride. I hope this is of some help to you. Good luck with your wellness program! |
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anon97735
Post 4 |
I thought that I was an active person until I got my pedometer. I walk daily, but nowhere close to 10000 steps required in my wellness program. I thought it would be a good motivational tool. In order to make up the steps after work I would have to walk 1.5- 2 hours a day, which is not realistic, especially in the winter. I wonder if the setting of the length of the step has something to do with the amount of steps it counts? On Sunday my steps were more with the distance set at 2 feet 2 inches, I increased this to 2 feet 4 inches and even fewer steps? |
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anon94770
Post 3 |
I get my 10,000 steps by going for a 9-10 km walk, which takes me about an hour and a half at a brisk pace. I've changed my route around a bit to include a few hills and slopes. The weight loss isn't amazingly fast, but it works and I feel great! |
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anon49920
Post 2 |
its easy to get 10,000. i get 6,000 from my normal day to day task and i get the rest from jogging every evening, after work, for 30 minutes. |
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eastwest
Post 1 |
10,000 steps is a lot. I have tried and tried to get up to 10,000 steps and I just can't seem to do it. What do other people end up totalling? |
