Although they’ve been around for decades I am often asked by people I meet on my walks about the gadget I have strapped to my waist. It doesn’t seem to matter which country or city I’m walking in – the device and the concept behind the pedometer is not as well known as you’d think. If you’ve landed here because you want to know what a pedometer is and why you’d want one, then this article is just right for you. Pedometers are inexpensive tools that count your steps and keep you motivated in an exercise regime. They are, in effect, a fitness and weight loss tool.

The pedometer is a small – simple or complex – electronic device. The basic function of this device is to track and record how many steps you take throughout the day and over time. Most models also convert the steps into the number of miles walked, number of calories burned and, if you’re a Weight Watchers’ fan, the number of activity points you’ve earned. The more advanced pedometers store the data so you can track your progress from month to month and some even connect to your computer via a USB port so you can track your progress through software and online services.

On a personal level, the pedometer keeps you motivated to take more walks, park a little further from your destination, be more willing to climb the stairs, and always competing against your own personal best.

You’re not alone in finding that with a pedometer hanging from your waist you’ll be walking more. A study performed by the University of Minnesota had clear results that people wearing pedometers walk more, on average, than people not wearing them. The study split people into two groups. Both groups were encouraged in the same manner to walk each day – the members of one group were given pedometers, the others were not.

The members who had a pedometer increased their steps approximately 2100 per day – the equivalent to 20 minutes of steady walking or a 30% increase in their average routine. The members without a pedometer walked a little more than half as many blocks as the first group.

This isn’t just a short term anomaly. People who own and use a pedometer tend to stick to a walking routine longer as well.

Once you have your pedometer, set daily and weekly goals to get the most use out of it. Read other articles on www.Pedometers.org to learn how to set your baseline step rate and simple ways to increase the number of steps you take each day.

Doing your best to ignore the fact that you’re wearing a pedometer, carry on your normal routine for a few days to a week. Don’’t aim for a certain number of steps per day during this time or you will be defeating the exercise of increasing your step rate. You want to measure how many steps you’d normally take in a normal day, seven days a week, work days and weekends.

Next you’ll want to calculate the steps you took and make a goal to take 500 to 1000 steps more each day. Five hundred more steps is nothing more than taking a walk around your city block, parking at the other end of the parking lot, getting off the bus or subway one stop early, or walking in place while watching a 30 minute sitcom on television at the end of the day. Every week assess your progress and keep working up to a minimum of 10,000 steps per day. If you are participating in a challenge to lose weight you’ll want to increase your daily steps to 15,000 per day.

Walking is one of the easiest ways to increase your exercise and a pedometer helps you to keep track of your progress and motivate you to keep at it.