Pedometers: Your Ideal Companion

How far do you walk on a typical day?You might be surprised at the mileage you clock up pottering around the house, going to the shops and strolling to work or schools.

Walking a little bit more is a great way to improve your health and fitness. How can you keep track of your walking? Simple just wear a handy little gadget called pedometer.

A pedometer is a device, usually portable and electronic or electro-mechanical, that counts each step a person takes by detecting motion of person's hips and thus estimates the distance walked. Used originally by sports and physical fitness enthusiasts, pedometers are now becoming popular as an everyday exercise measure and motivator. It is often worn on belt and kept on all day.

How a pedometer works

Every time you walk your body tilts to one side and you swing a leg forward then your body tilts the other way and you swing the other leg forward too. Each tilt of the hips and shift of the legs is a step. Assuming each step is pretty much of same length, to count number of steps all we need to do is count number of times our body tilts from side to side. This is what the pedometer counts or records.

Pedometers can be mechanical or electrical. Earlier pedometers were entirely mechanical and they worked a bit like pendulum clocks. Recent more sophisticated pedometers work entirely electronically. They measure your steps with accelerometers. These are microchips arranged at right angles that detect minute changes in force as you move your legs. Nowadays, it is very common to find its integration into personal gadgets like smart phones.

Types of pedometers

Waistband and pocket pedometers

These include old-styled spring mechanisms that must be worn in perfectly vertical position to get an accurate step count.

Wristband fitness trackers