Step Counter Pedometer

The pedometer, or step counter, has become quite popular in recent years.  Fitness experts agree that walking 10,000 steps a day can promote weight loss, and recommend walking a minimum of 6,000 steps a day for better overall health.  If you’ve made the decision to lose weight and improve your fitness by logging more footsteps on a regular basis, a good pedometer can serve as a key element of your exercise program.

What these devices do is simple: they count your footsteps by sensing your body’s motion.  You won’t have to guess how many footsteps you’ve accumulated during the day.  A step counter readily displays this information, keeping you on target for your daily walking goal.

Here are three things to consider before you purchase a step counter.

1) Essential features

Even the most basic unit will measure your footsteps and the distance you’ve traveled.  For your purposes (and your budget), this might be sufficient.  

But some units offer additional, useful features.  You can get an estimate of calories burned during the day’s walking rounds.  You can even purchase one that uses GPS technology to more accurately track your speed and distance traveled.   

Other units include a pulse rate monitor, which can be useful for gauging when you’re walking in your target heart rate zone.  Some also have memory capabilities, enabling them to chart your walking activity throughout the week, data which you can then upload to your computer and use to track your progress over time.

Think about the features you’ll be most likely to benefit from, and go from there.

2) Accuracy

A cheap pedometer that gives inaccurate readings is of no use to anyone.  Typically, an inexpensive model will utilize a hairspring mechanism to measure your footsteps.  These are prone to under-counting or over-counting steps.

For best results, look for models that use a coiled spring mechanism, or a piezoelectric accelerometer.  Omron and Yamax are two manufacturers known for producing highly accurate and reasonably priced step counters.

3) Wearing it

You’ll have to wear your pedometer all day.  It’s especially important that you find a unit that fits you comfortably and offers freedom of movement.  

Typically, speed and distance monitors that utilize GPS will be worn on the wrist.  Ordinary step and distance counters can be placed in your pocket, or clipped to your belt or bra– anywhere that will keep the unit positioned perpendicular to the ground.  

Be sure to look for a step counter that includes a security leash, too, as an extra precaution against loss.

With all of these key points in mind, you’ll be certain to find the pedometer that best complements your lifestyle and helps you achieve your daily fitness goals.

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PEDOMETER? CHECK! You must have a pedometer or step counter to track the number of steps that you take each day.

STEPS LOG? CHECK! You must have an online, computer-stored, or paper-based log where you can record the total number of steps that you take each day. An online log (at a website) or a computer-stored log (such as in a spreadsheet) has the advantage of fast calculation of averages and trends. But you cannot beat the convenience of a paper-based log, which may be essential for travel in remote locations or when you otherwise do not have access to a computer or the Internet.

INTERNAL MOTIVATION? CHECK! You must be internally motivated to reach and sustain taking 10K steps/day. That motivation must include both what you want to move toward as well as what you want to move away from — the carrot and the stick, if you will.

EXTERNAL MOTIVATION? CHECK! You must be externally motivated, too, to meet your 10K-steps/day goal. External motivation can come from loved ones, family, friends, co-workers, and a walking community (online or in a local group).

GOOD NUTRITION? CHECK! GIGO = Garbage In, Garbage Out. You must give your body the right fuel to support your pursuit of your 10K-steps/day goal.

PROPER APPAREL? CHECK! You must wear the right clothes — come rain or shine or dark of night — to be safe, comfortable, efficient, and injury-free with your walking 10K steps/day.

A PLAN? CHECK! You must have a plan for reaching and sustaining taking 10K steps/day. The best way to get a suitable plan is to buy and follow a 10K-steps/day program.

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Walking to fitness with Jasons walking programs.

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Can using a cheap pedometer save your life?

An alarming study published by the BBC in January 2010 has solidly proven what doctors have been warning for decades – that our sedentary lifestyles are killing us.  The study showed proof that people sitting for more than four hours a day cause their bodies to send the same shutdown signals that are sent out at death.

Computers, televisions, office work, and commutes cause most of us to not move about as much as we should.

How much exercise is needed to counter this new threat?

Not much!  Experts have concluded that strict exercise regimes can actually hurt rather than help because people rarely follow through and stick with them.  It is better to do only a little consistently every day rather than in bursts with long unmotivated gaps between workout days.

To be not be considered “sedentary” and at risk for metabolic shutdown, you need to walk at least 5000 steps a day or more.  This equates to roughly a little over 2 miles a day, much of which comes from just normal daily activities.

To be considered “active” and in an increased metabolic state for weight loss or fitness, you need to walk 10,000 steps a day or more.  This may sound like a lot, but it adds up quick.

How do you know when you are doing enough?

Pedometers are small step counting devices that you wear on your belt to track how many steps you have walked every day.  More advanced models can be put into your pocket and will record distance, speed, and even calories burned.

A study done in 2005 by Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise showed that people that own pedometers are three times more likely to walk 5000 steps or more a day.  Having a cheap pedometer on your hip or in your pocket reminds you daily of your goals and helps you get a feel for your progress.

When do you wear a pedometer?

Pedometers are not just for fitness, jogging, or running.  Many people wear pedometers on their belt around the office, when they go shopping, or just when going about normal activities.

Which pedometers are best?

There are cheap pedometers ($5 – $10) that are simply digital step counters with one or two buttons on them. These are not highly accurate but are fine for just tracking daily activity.   People that are more serious about walking may be interested in more advanced models that have memories to chart goals – some even connect to your computer via USB so you can upload your results to groups on the web.

If you are interested in weight loss, be sure to get a digital pedometer that tracks your calories burned during each walk or workout, these can be purchased for around $30.

How to use a pedometer?

For cheap pedometers, you must first set your stride distance.  This is the distance of a normal step which will vary slightly between people of different heights.  Once set, you must wear the pedometer on your belt as level as possible to ensure that it “clicks” with each up and down movement when you walk.

Advanced units like Omron pedometers can be placed into your pocket and you do not need to worry so much about them being level on your belt.  Expensive models even use GPS signals to track your speed and distance moved throughout the day, these can be placed anywhere.

In closing

Pedometers are obviously not miracle devices, but if a cheap step counter can make you more informed about your level of activity and keep you motivated about walking more than 5000 steps a day to counter metabolic shutdown, they may very well help you to live longer!

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Our popular Twin Step Step Counter Pedometer. Features and Instruction Video

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Pocket pedometers or step counters have become essential accessories for health freaks who carry them wherever they like while jogging or walking, tying them to their belt or carrying them in their bags or pockets. Pocket pedometers are useful instruments for people who are trying to partake in active lifestyles for weight reduction. The use of these products greatly encourages health-conscious people to burn calories faster while walking or increase their steps. These products are equipped with large memories and consequently you can compare your performance of several days to see whether there has been an improvement or not. An average pocket pedometer counts the distance that you have travelled in a specified time and hence your speed also counts separately the steps that you have taken per minute while jogging.

Some erroneous kind of pocket pedometers also count the erratic movements that you make while walking like bending and stopping due to road impediments but such false steps are only recorded by some low quality pedometers only. Most of the modern state-of-the-art pocket pedometers are able to count steps accurately when they are not kept in bags but are tied to the belt in a perpendicular position. They also make errors in recording steps when the user is travelling to and forth to work due to the movement of the automobile. These pocket pedometers can also give faulty results depending on the length of step a person takes or because he has not strapped them properly.

Most of the sophisticated pedometers provide you with accurate results with a range of 5%. A user should try to make proper adjustments to his pedometer until he gets realistic accurate results. He should see whether he has worn his pedometer in the right way so that his movements are being recorded precisely. A pedometer needs to be readjusted if a little jiggling causes the rhythm of the pedometer to be disturbed. These pedometers have become very popular and nowadays mobile phones are also equipped with these instruments for example Nokia 5500 sports phone and the Sony Ericsson walkman phones.

These pedometers sometimes can also count your heart beat and are a very effective tool for a full workout. Enjoy hip-pelting numbers while exercising your way to well-toned bodies with these pedometers. These products count the number of steps that you take by detecting the movement of your hips through a mechanical MEMS inertial sensor and special software. These products measure the distance based on the simple doctrines of inertia and symmetry. In the earlier versions of mechanical pedometers, a mechanical switch was used along with a very simple step-counter. Pedometers have been introduced in common use in America by the scientist Thomas Jefferson as early as 1800’s. The results given by pedometers also vary according to the physique of the user.

Finally, if you want to use the most efficient pedometer, which gives you the most precise results, then you can go for GPS (Global positioning system) based pedometers, which can provide the correct measurement of the distance that you have travelled.

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