Maricopa Co. Cooperative Extension Family Consumer, Nutrition, Food Safety, Health, Leadership

Pedometers are easy to use and can be used by almost anyone-children, young adults, older adults, even people with disabilities.2 And, for the person who "has everything," there are even pedometers that use GPS (Global Positioning Service) satellite tracking to calculate steps taken, as well as distance, and other features... some pedometer models will even connect to your computer to upload data from your exercise workout.

Pedometers: How They Work, How They Wear, How They Can Help
As we said earlier, a pedometer is a small, simple, inexpensive device that counts your steps. In fact, you can purchase a basic pedometer for less than $10. They are also very small devices, which can be worn throughout the day without being obtrusive. In fact, considering all the beepers and cell phones I've seen hanging from people's waistbands, a pedometer might go completely unnoticed, even if you're dressed for a business meeting. You might motivate others in your workplace to start walking with a pedometer.

Most pedometers today are electronic. A pedometer has an internal, horizontal spring-suspended lever arm (pendulum) that moves up and down with normal walking movements. With each movement, an electrical circuit closes and a "step" or electrical event is recorded. Thus, when the foot hits the ground, it produces an impulse that transfers to the pedometer case.

You can wear a pedometer in a variety of places (some sites, however, are more reliable than others) Recommendations for the most accurate readings are usually to wear the pedometer clipped to the waistband or belt, over the center of the leg (above the midline of the thigh); and, for standardized purposes, it is suggested that you always wear the pedometer over your dominant foot (i.e., typically the right foot for those who are right-handed and the left foot for those who are left handed).

It is important that the pedometer remain snug to keep it from bouncing around and recording non-step movements, some experts even suggest adding an extra safety "leash" or string fastened to the pedometer's waist clip and pinned to or looped through a belt loop to keep it in place and prevent it from falling off or going down a toilet. The pedometer needs to be worn as close to the hip bone as possible for the most accurate results. It must also remain vertical for accurate readings. If the stomach protrudes and causes the pedometer to angle, it is best to wear the pedometer slightly below the waist.

Monitoring and Measuring Your Steps: Pedometer Distance and Calorie Features
Many pedometers will have features that presumably measure your distance traveled as well as calories burned (energy expenditure), in addition to steps taken. Though these features may be appealing and even motivating, one caution is that distance features will require individuals to enter stride or step length, which depend partly on body shape, size, and walking speed. Thus, people with a smaller stride will not cover the same distance as those with a larger stride, even when an equal number of steps is taken. Estimating calories requires the entry of stride length as well as other variables (e.g., gender, age, weight, etc.) to give you an estimated value. Since both distance traveled and calories burned are estimated values, they are associated with greater error than the number of steps recorded by the pedometer; steps recorded have been found to be accurate to within 5% for most pedometers studied. Source: Walk Across Texas - Texas Cooperative Extension http://walkacrosstexas.tamu.edu/

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