A pedometer senses your body motion and counts your footsteps. This count is converted into distance by knowing the length of your usual stride. Wearing a pedometer and recording your daily steps and distance is a great motivating tool. You can wear a pedometer all day, every day and record total steps. Or you can wear it just when you go out for a walking workout.
Multi-function Pedometers
All pedometers count steps, although they may use different methods to do so. These include (in general order of accuracy): piezo-electric accelerometers, a coiled spring mechanism, and a hairspring mechanism. Beyond showing the step total and/or calculating the distance, features abound. The top features are: Calorie estimates, clocks, timers, stopwatches and speed estimators, 7-day memory, pulse rate readers.Simple Step Counting Pedometers
The simplest pedometers only count your steps and display steps and/or distance. This is all you need to track to keep yourself motivated. Set a goal of distance or steps for each day. The recommended number of steps is 6000 for health, 10,000 for weight loss when you count all steps during the day. For weight loss, an uninterrupted walk each day of 4000-6000 steps is recommended.Pedometer Accuracy
The current generation of pedometers uses turned pendulum technology, accelerometers, and/or electronics to count your steps. The unit should be accurate in its count when you wear it correctly - you may have to experiment with where to wear it. Distance accuracy depends on setting your stride length correctly.Google Map Pedometer: Use this online tool to measure your walking route and check it against your pedometer reading.
Reset Button or Total Steps Only
If you want to be able to reset your pedometer to zero to record only a workout, then you need to ensure that it comes with a reset button. Some pedometers are designed to only show total daily steps and automatically reset at midnight. Others automatically count a sustained walk as a workout or "aerobic steps."If you choose a pedometer with a reset button, one of the biggest complaints is that it may get accidentally pushed and you will lose your recorded steps. Look for a design that shields the button with a cover or has it deeply recessed and requires several seconds of pressure to reset.
