Pedometers
Jay Fisette, Arlington County Board Chair for 2005, kicked off the year with a rousing address that emplored Arlingtonians to walk more. At a subsequent County Board meeting, Fisette handed out a number of pedometers, and challenged his fellow Board members to put them to good use! "It's important for Arlingtonians to continue to get off their duffs and walk, bike, swim, and generally stay active. My pedometer is an incentive. It challenges me to walk more often, take the stairs more often, and to beat yesterday's record," Fisette said, adding, "It's not only healthier, it's often faster to walk!"
What are they?
Pedometers are devices - most a little smaller than a business card - that are placed on the body to determine how many footsteps a person takes. They have sensors that detect the body's motion with each step. Many people like Mr. Fisette find that by setting a walking goal - say, 10,00 steps a day - they create opportunities to walk more, which pedometers then track!
How are they worn?
Pedometers are generally placed horizontally near the beltline. They are often most accurate when placed in line with the knee, but some people find that they need to move the pedometer closer to their hip or mid-line for the most accurate count.
What do they do?
The pedometer features differ by brand and type, but most have similar measuring tools. Step-only pedometers simply provide only a step count -- they can be digital or mechanical. Most distance-measuring pedometers display, at the least, number of steps taken and miles walked. Many on the market also provide calories burned, time of day and elapsed time.
What are the most popular brands?
The following companies are some of the most well-known manufacturers of pedometers:
Omron, DigiWalker, Sportline, Freestyle, Walk4Life, New-Lifestlyes, LifeCorder, Oregon Scientific, Skeletone
Where can I get one?
In Arlington, pedometers are available at the following stores:
- Gotta Run Running Shop --
- Hudson Trail Outfitters --
- Pacers --
- Casual Adventure --
- The Walking Company (The
They are also widely available on the Internet, including the BlueCross Blue Shield WalkingWorks program, which offers pedometers starting at $3.96 plus shipping and handling.
A great tip:
Sometimes the instructions that come with pedometers can be baffling. Robert Sweetgall, author of 'Pedometer Walking', offers this great exercise to help measure your step length accurately.
"The Puddle Walk Techinque" -- Carry a pitcher of water and a tape measure outside. On level ground, pour water on any hard surface such as an asphalt driveway, sidewalk or road. Do a nice footdance in the puddle to soak the soles of your hoes. Walk away from the puddle at a natural pace with a natural stride, leaving a clear trail of wet footprints behind you. Be sure to step heel-toe, heel-toe, so as to leave a full-length heel-to-toe footprint. Then, use your tape measure to find the distance between the heel-strike of the left footprint and the heel-strike of the right footprint. This is your step length. Note: Since most pedometers record step length in feet, you will need to convert your measurement in inches to feet. (Divide your measurement in inches by 12 for the length in feet)".
For more information:
"Pedometer Fitness Fad Takes Off" - National Public Radio, Morning Edition, May 16, 2005. These days, millions of people are using pedometers, as public health campaigns and for-profit diet plans urge a daily target of 10,000 steps. NPR's Allison Aubrey reports on how this goal was set -- and whether it's worth following. Web version includes an accuracy ranking of a number of popular models, and link to audio commentary, "Taking 10,000 Steps."
"Walking Proof" - Washington Post, April 19, 2005. A review of a study published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sprots and Exercise regarding the effectiveness of the use of pedometers in encouraging physical activity.
"Walk the Healthy Way" - USA Today, July 9, 2003. All about "America on the Move," a national initiative with a goal of getting the masses to wear inexpensive step counters and walk an additional 2,000 steps (about 1 mile) a day, or cut out 100 calories.
Many other articles on pedometers are available at no cost to Arlington County Library patrons. Full-text stories from Consumer Reports, Wall Street Journal and other publications generally available only for a fee can be found by going to http://www.arlingtonva.us/Departments/Libraries/database.asp?lnsLinkID=976 and clicking on "Magazines and Newspapers" in the Subject list, then going to InfoTrac OneFile, Newspapers (ProQuest) - or another database of your choosing.
- submitted by Stephanie Campbell, MPH, Arlington County Assistant Health Promotion Manager. 703.228.1827.
