Friday Fitness: Fitness Gadgets - The Pedometer

If you are looking for the most inexpensive and one of the most effective gadgets to improve your activity level and help you reach your fitness goals…look no further then the pedometer! It is one of the simplest gadgets but can have a HUGE impact on overall activity during your day.

The pedometer is a step counter that is worn on the waistline, halfway between the hip and belly button. As you walk and your weight shifts, a pendulum swings back and forth, registering your step.

A meta analysis of over 26 studies found that those participants who wore a pedometer throughout the day logged an average of 2,000 to 2,500 more steps a day than those following the same programs but did not use a pedometer!

The general recommendation for the amount of steps to accumulate each day is 10,000. Everyone’s stride is different but it works out to about 2,000 steps to a mile. This is a great goal to aim for as you are getting started. Log your steps each day and try to see where you can improve and get more steps. Try setting goals for total daily or weekly steps then celebrate your success. Below you will find some suggestions for getting more steps throughout the day. What are some other ideas you can come up with? Get creative, then get out there and walk it out!

• Walking all the aisles at the grocery store before you begin shopping


• Parking in the furthest out spaces in the parking lot and walking in


• Return your shopping cart all the way to the building


• When running multiple errands, park in one central location and walk


• Thermal walks!


• Walking meetings at work


• Get off the bus a few stops early and walking the rest of the way in


• Don’t stand around and wait for the bus or elevator...pace around!


• Use restroom, copy machine etc. on furthest side of office


• Take the stairs


• Instead of emailing, walk over to the person’s desk


• Hide the remote control


• Walk into the restaurant instead of using the drive thru (gives you more time to think about healthy choices)


• Take your pet for an extra long walk- they will love it!


• Sign up for a local charity walk


• Instead of happy hour, walk for an hour along the track with your friends

And remember fitness must be fun; otherwise we won’t keep it up! Check out this video of how a Metro station encouraged riders to use the stairs instead of the escalator!