Many of us don’t enjoy going to the gym but do wish we had an easy way to increase the amount of exercise we are taking. One way to stay fit and healthy is to walk more and you can help to achieve this by using a simple pedometer to count how many step you take each day. A pedometer will count the number of steps you take and the distance you have walked and, by setting yourself realistic goals, you can slowly increase how far you walk daily.
In the past pedometers were not especially accurate but today’s models are much better and give a very accurate measure of your daily step rate. Some pedometers can even be dropped into a purse or pocket and still accurately count your steps!
Will a pedometer really be a help in increasing the amount of walking you do every day?
In many trials reported by the Journal of American Medicine this was indeed the case. In twenty six different trials physical activity of the participants using a pedometer increased, on average, by 25%. This level of increase is significant and would really have a beneficial effect on the health and fitness of those who achieved it.
One important thing to do is to set a realistic goal for the number of steps you want to achieve each day. It is recommended that you aim for 2000 steps daily but it may take you a few weeks to reach this goal. Monitor your usual amount of activity for a few days using your pedometer than set a goal 10% higher each day until you achieve this level.
There are some simple means you can take to increase your step rate. Walk to the local shops rather than drive or if this is not realistic at least park further away! Take time to walk around the park each day. Not only will you walk more but you’ll enjoy the stress free time out of a busy day. use the stairs at work or at the mall instead of the elevator. I’m sure you can think of lots more ways to walk more each day!
As noted earlier, many models today do not have to be clipped to a belt but can be carried around with you in a purse or in a pocket and are still accurate. For example the Omron HJ-720ITC Pocket Pedometer allows you to do this and has many other features which make it worth paying a little more for. It keeps a 42 day history in the unit which can be uploaded to your PC with free software available from Omron’s site. The data is displayed in charts which really helps you to keep motivated. Read more about this pedometer at Omron HJ-720ITC Pocket Pedometer Review
In conclusion we would really encourage anyone who wants to keep fit and healthy to walk more and using a pedometer is an easy way to keep track and encourage you to achieve a higher level of fitness.