Introduction to The Pedometer

“What is it? How does it work? And why do I want one?”

Let’s cover all these questions and a little bit more…

First of all a pedometer can be as simple as “a device the counts the steps a person takes.” Not quite as simple, the high-tech modern units can also measure and record heart rate, distance traveled in miles, count calories burned, create fitness programs and goals (via a connection to your home computer software or through internet services), and more. Let’s not get too distracted with the sophisticated features of new pedometers though – and get back to the basics for now.

So why would you want to use a pedometer? Well, all types of studies and research have now found that people with pedometers are more active than those without. It’s all about awareness of our lifestyles and how much exercise we get on a daily basis. A pedometer is a fantastic – low or high tech – tool that motivates use to be more physically active. Pedometers measure our physical activity and allow us to then set specific and measurable goals for the following week.

If you’re wondering how they measure the value of a step, allow me to illustrate. Most pedometers come with a small weighted arm mechanism built into the unit. This mechanism is suspended by a spring that moves up and down for every step taken. These are highly tuned units that are very specific in design to monitor the type of movement akin to walking. With every step taken the arm mechanism moves down and touches a contact that records the step.

This is why it is important to wear a pedometer midway between your hip and belly button. Wear it on the opposite side of your dominant leg (your dominant leg is the one that you’d use to kick a ball), but check your manual for your specific pedometer as some state to wear it on your non-dominant leg for best results.

How many steps a day make a difference in my fitness? You’ll see me talk a lot about 10,000 steps. 10,000 steps per day is the recommended number of steps that the average healthy adult should be moving every day to maintain their health.

Where did 10,000 come from? Well, the number 10,000 approximates 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise. We’d all be a lot better off to strive for 15,000 steps per day (and I’ll show you in a future article how to easily add 5,000 steps to your day) for increased health, weight loss, and other benefits.

Since you are interested now in walking towards better health, I might as well share some facts with you regarding consumption (food) versus burning off those calories. I know these numbers changed the way I eat and make me much more conscious of every bite I take! I always ask myself now, “do I have time today for an extra 3,000 steps to burn off this Cola drink?”