Distance Pedometer
New Study Shows Using Pedometers Can Help You Live Longer
Can using a cheap pedometer save your life?
An alarming study published by the BBC in January 2010 has solidly proven what doctors have been warning for decades – that our sedentary lifestyles are killing us. The study showed proof that people sitting for more than four hours a day cause their bodies to send the same shutdown signals that are sent out at death.
Computers, televisions, office work, and commutes cause most of us to not move about as much as we should.
How much exercise is needed to counter this new threat?
Not much! Experts have concluded that strict exercise regimes can actually hurt rather than help because people rarely follow through and stick with them. It is better to do only a little consistently every day rather than in bursts with long unmotivated gaps between workout days.
To be not be considered “sedentary” and at risk for metabolic shutdown, you need to walk at least 5000 steps a day or more. This equates to roughly a little over 2 miles a day, much of which comes from just normal daily activities.
To be considered “active” and in an increased metabolic state for Weight Loss or fitness, you need to walk 10,000 steps a day or more. This may sound like a lot, but it adds up quick.
How do you know when you are doing enough?
Pedometers are small step counting devices that you wear on your belt to track how many steps you have walked every day. More advanced models can be put into your pocket and will record distance, speed, and even calories burned.
A study done in 2005 by Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise showed that people that own pedometers are three times more likely to walk 5000 steps or more a day. Having a cheap pedometer on your hip or in your pocket reminds you daily of your goals and helps you get a feel for your progress.
When do you wear a pedometer?
Pedometers are not just for fitness, jogging, or running. Many people wear pedometers on their belt around the office, when they go shopping, or just when going about normal activities.
Which pedometers are best?
There are cheap pedometers ($5 – $10) that are simply Digital Step counters with one or two buttons on them. These are not highly accurate but are fine for just tracking daily activity. People that are more serious about walking may be interested in more advanced models that have memories to chart goals – some even connect to your computer via USB so you can upload your results to groups on the web.
If you are interested in weight loss, be sure to get a Digital Pedometer that tracks your calories burned during each walk or workout, these can be purchased for around $30.
How to use a pedometer?
For cheap pedometers, you must first set your stride distance. This is the distance of a normal step which will vary slightly between people of different heights. Once set, you must wear the pedometer on your belt as level as possible to ensure that it “clicks” with each up and down movement when You Walk.
Advanced units like Omron pedometers can be placed into your pocket and you do not need to worry so much about them being level on your belt. Expensive models even use GPS signals to track your speed and distance moved throughout the day, these can be placed anywhere.
In closing
Pedometers are obviously not miracle devices, but if a cheap Step Counter can make you more informed about your level of activity and keep you motivated about walking more than 5000 steps a day to counter metabolic shutdown, they may very well help you to live longer!
|
|
Omron HIP Pedometer … |
|
|
ACCUSPLIT AE170 Pedometer with Steps, Distance, and Calories Burned $23.99 Increase your fitness level by walking and keeping track of your steps with the easy-to-use Accusplit AE170 pedometer. By walking just 2,000 more steps a day, you’ll be on your way to a healthier you. The AE170 counts up to 100,000 walked or jogged steps, computes the distance traveled in either miles or kilometers, and computes the calories you’ve burned during your activity. Other features inclu… |
|
|
Polar S1 Foot Pod $129.95 With the Polar S1 Foot Pod, you can track your speed, distance, pace and average speed on a compatible Polar heart rate monitor (HRM). The Polar S1 combines inertial technology and DSP (digital signal processing) to provide accurate speed/pace and distance data. Worn on top of your shoe, it offers excellent water resistance. It’s compatible with Polar S625X, S725X, RS200 and RS400 models. It comes… |
|
|
Sharper Image Talking Pedometer with Music and Clock (EB300) $19.95 Clips to shirt or waistband…. |
|
|
GSI All-in-One Sport Pedometer/MP3 Player for Walking/Running/Jogging/Hiking/Exercise, Counts Steps/Distance/Calories, Clock and Timer Functions, Includes Earphones $49.99 Great new item From GSI, designed for the walker/Hiker/Exerciser. A complete Pedometer system combined with a High Quality Mp3 Player – in one small sleek affordable device. Take to the streets with music and enjoy the experience…. |
|
|
Oregon Scientific Pedometer with Distance Counter $25.63 … |
|
|
Pedometer accuracy under scrutiny.: An article from: Running & FitNews $5.95 This digital document is an article from Running & FitNews, published by American Running & Fitness Association on January 1, 2004. The length of the article is 468 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.Citatio… |
|
|
An experimental determination of the best missing-value recovery method in assessing physical activity using pedometers. (Measurement).: An article from: Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport $5.95 This digital document is an article from Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, published by American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) on March 1, 2003. The length of the article is 6573 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immedia… |
|
|
DMC-03 Multifunction Pedometer with Steps, Distance and Calories … |