A pedometer is a device, usually portable and electronic, to count each step a person makes.

Pedometers contain an internal lever that is triggered with your hip movements, counting each one as a step.

They are a simple device used by researchers and practitioners to assess and motivate physical activity behaviours.

Some also have features to estimate energy expended (Kcal) and distance travelled (miles or kilometres).

A good pedometer includes one in which you enter your stride length and body weight into the pedometers program.

It is important to recognize that pedometers are most accurate at measuring steps taken.

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Wearing a pedometer helps individuals more aware of their current physical activity level.

In fact, recent studies have shown that people who use pedometers tend to stay with their exercise program longer.

Used in combination with record keeping (e.g., FitMetabolism Walk Across Canada), pedometers prove to be an effective way to increase daily physical activity.

Pedometers give instant feedback and quickly remind you how your physical activity level is affected by simple changes in your day’s activities (e.g., parking further from local supermarkets, taking the stairs etc…)

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The graph below illustrates the expected values of steps/day for different populations (adapted in part from Tudor-Locke and Myers, 2001b).



Legend
1= 8-10 year old children
2= 14-16 year old adolescents
3= Healthy younger adults (~20-50 years)
4= Healthy older adults (>50 years)
5= Individuals with disabilities and chronic illnesses

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The pedometer may be worn on your belt or waistband of your slacks or skirt.

Make sure the pedometer is parallel to the ground (straight up and down). If it is tilted, it may not give you the correct readings.

Put your pedometer on when you first get up in the morning and wear it all day long. At the end of the day login to the FitMetabolism Walk Across Canada and enter the number of steps you take each day.

Sometimes the pedometer may shift as you are going about your daily activities so be sure to check the position of the pedometer during the day so it can accurately record your daily steps.

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More and more researchers and practitioners are acknowledging pedometers are low cost and accurate monitoring tools.

Pedometers are not perfect so we recommend that you wear your pedometer and perform an accuracy test.

Zero the pedometer and begin walking for 40 steps. Look at the pedometer to ensure that it is reading between 38-42 steps.

The pedometer should be placed on the hip of your dominant hand, in between the naval and your hip.

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Researchers have demonstrated many health benefits to increasing the number of steps each day.

With the accumulation of 10, 000 steps each day researchers have demonstrated the following health benefits:

1. Reduction in blood pressure
2. Improved glucose tolerance
3. Reduction in body mass
4. Improvement in lipid profiles (Reduction in cholesterol)
5. Improvements in body mass index

Tudor-Locke & Basset (2004) propose the following preliminary indices for pedometer physical activity:

Number of steps Classification

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