Looking for company on your daily walk or run? Consider clipping a pedometer to your waistband.
The latest models not only will count the number of steps you take but can check your pulse, show how far you’ve gone, tell how many calories you’ve burned and let you know when it’s time to quit.
Some will even talk to you, play music, light your way if it’s dark or set off an alarm if you get scared.
About the only thing these little gadgets won’t do, it seems, is fold out into a chair or give you a massage.
But are all the add-ons important? Not in the opinion of folks at America on the Move, the foundation promoting pedometer use as a way to record the 10,000 steps per day (about 5 miles) deemed necessary to help prevent weight gain.
“We really encourage people to get the single- function step counter because most people don’t want to fuss with all the extras,” says Helen Thompson, On the Move’s Colorado director. “The more bells and whistles it has, the less accurate it’s probably going to be. To measure calories burned or distance covered, you have to put in the length of your stride. But most people will enter a meaningful stride, which is a little longer than an everyday walk, and that throws off all the other measurements.”
Pedometers, which have gone digital over the past 15 years, are now available from scores of manufacturers with names like Yamax, Sportline, Omron, Freestyle and Accusplit. Prices range from less than $5 to more than $50, with the fanciest models – complete with MP3 players and downloadable record-keeping – going for upward of $100 or $150.
But industry insiders say many of the devices – especially the least expensive ones, which are often used as premiums or trade-show giveaways – are of questionable quality from the get-go.
“We have tested 63 different makes and models, and 90 percent literally are junk. They don’t offer a warranty, their componentry is suspect and the longevity isn’t there,” says Manny Schulz, a Colorado supplier who markets a line of Health Measures step counters through America on the Move.
Even some pedometers made by brand-name manufacturers have proven unreliable. Researchers at the University of Tennessee tested 13 and found only five that measured up. Five others undercounted the number of steps, while three others overcounted.
Other studies have found discrepancies related to the user’s pace, with units typically reading more accurately at 4 miles per hour than 2 mph – or, in some cases, the reverse. And critics often point out that the calculations of distance traveled or calories burned fail to account for variations in terrain, temperature, body size and other factors.
To verify a pedometer’s basic step-counting accuracy, experts advise, set its readout to zero and take 50 steps. If it registers less than 49 or more than 51, it fails the industry standard of no more than 3 percent off the mark.
But be sure, too, that you wear it correctly – on your hip, at roughly the top of the crease in your pants. “Some are more forgivable than others,” says Thompson, “but in general, it’s got to be upright and close to your body. There’s a couple that you can wear in your pocket, but they’re pricey – over $25, and most people don’t want to pay that much.”
Also, be sure the pedometer stays attached. Some come with spring-loaded clamps, which appear to work well. Others, with less reliable plastic clips, need to be secured with short “leashes,” or cords that can keep them from getting lost when they’re dislodged – as commonly happens when shorts or pants are lowered on bathroom breaks.
As for features such as lights, FM radios or MP3 players, consider how much they will add in weight, bulk or battery drain. And if you can’t live without knowing exactly how far you’ve traveled, consider getting a small global positioning unit instead.
“They are going to cost more – they average over $200 – but the advantage is that they are very accurate, sometimes down to 10 meters, and they measure elevation gain (or loss), as well,” says Seth Levy, a staffer with the American Hiking Society, a trail users’ advocacy group based in Washington, D.C.
“The nifty thing about GPS units is, you can put them anywhere – on your belt, in your pocket or in your backpack. And it doesn’t matter whether you’re walking, hiking, running, kayaking, mountain biking or road biking – they’ll work for a variety of activities.”
Staff writer Jack Cox can be reached at 303-954-1785 or jcox@denverpost.com.
Extra measures For more information visit:
walking.about.com. for a general discussion of various aspects of pedometers
pedometers.com. for reviews and images of specific products
consumerreports.org (enter “pedometers” in the search box)
americaonthemove.org. for additional helpful information
To order an AOM pedometer, call 877-866-8663.
Ways to increase your step count, as suggested by AOM: Take a walk on your lunch hour, walk your dog, park farther from your workplace, march in place while watching TV, host a walking meeting, start a walking club, walk with your family after dinner. -Jack Cox
