Pedometer watches are great, especially if you’re keen on keeping track of your activity and exercise levels. If you’re thinking of getting one, here are a few things to check before you buy.
1. Think about accuracy. If you’re not too worried about the accuracy of your times, distances ..etc, then you’ll have more pedometers to choose from. More accurate pedometer watches are fewer on the ground so you’ll be slightly more limited in your options.
2. Does it use one of the more modern sensor mechanism? This will affect accuracy too, so make sure you’re not getting a pedometer that uses the old type technology. Keep an eye out for mention of accelerometer and you’ll be safe.
3. Can it tell the difference between running and walking? It might sound an obvious question, but make sure the pedometer watch you go for can actually distinguish between different types of exercise. The better models usually employ some sort of delay mechanism which detects a specific type of activity for a short period of time before it counts it.
4. Can you customize the pedometer? It’s important that you can enter your specific body type, weight, movement style ..etc. This is essential if you’re going to track distance and calorie burning with any degree of accuracy.
5. Make sure the pedometer can keep track of your progress for however long you need it to. If you keep records by the month, there’s no pint getting a pedometer that only stores exercise information for 3 days. Double check it can save data for at least as long as you need to keep track of.
Those are the essentials, but it’s not the only thing you need to check. You’ll obviously want to shop around and make sure you’re getting a good price. Check if there are any special deals, especially around holiday times.
Personally, I’ve all but stopped using a normal pedometer. It’s not that there’s anything really wrong with them, but I’ve found the convenience of a pedometer watch, especially if it comes with a normal time function, has got me well and truly hooked. I think you’ll be hooked too.
for more information about pedometers as well as other health and wellness topics, see my other articles
