Pedometers are simple devices that use an integrated circuit and a built in motion sensor to count the steps you take while wearing one. They are best worn on the hip for accuracy as this conveys the motion of your walking directly to the pedometer. What about pedometer accuracy? Although pedometers are never 100% accurate the best ones are around 95% accurate. A cheaper pedometer will usually be less accurate as they may record steps as you move your body even when you are not actually walking. The motion sensor in the more expensive modles is much more accurate an records motion by sensing vibrations as you step and your feet hit the ground rather than side to side motion as the cheaper ones do.

A modification of some pedometers is the use of a swing arm which moves like a pendulum as you step and records each swing as one step. Some of the pedometers that use this method allow you to adjust the swing arm sensitivity so that you can increase the accuracy.

Pedometers then need to distinguish between step movements and movements that you make resulting from other actions such as moving from side to side or standing up etc and this is not always possible to do accurately. This results in the pedometer counting more steps that you actually take. Although the more expensive pedometers are usually more accurate you should not expect 100% accuracy from any of them. However is you arer aiming for 10,000 steps per day for instance a deviation of plus or minus 5% (i.e. 500 steps) is not really too significant. So bear this in mind when assessing how you are doing in your goals.

Pedometers have become increasingly popular as a means to increase physical activity an there is no doubt that they work very well in doing this. A goal of about 10,000 steps a day is a good one to aim for although it may take you some time to achieve this if you have been largely inactive previously. ALways make sure you put it on as soon as you wake in the morning and keep it on until bed time. This way you will get a more accurate count. Set a realistic goal by monitoring your regular activity then adding 500 steps to this. Once you have achieved this number of steps for a few days increase it again. Check half way through the day to see if you are meeting your goal and increase the steps if you are falling short. Simple things like taking the stairs or parking further away from your usual parking space can make a big difference to the number of steps you take. keep a journal with your daily achievements but don’t despair if you drop below your goal occasionaly. This happens to us all!

Using a pedometer can really have a big impact on your health and weight as it motivates you to take more physical exercise but in a gentle way. Although pedometer accuracy varies even ac cheap pedometer will be good enough to give you added benefits and help to kep you motivated.