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How serious are you about your physical and mental health, is a question of grave concern? Walking is said to be known as the biggest cure of all diseases but how to know what is the right number of steps you require to make sure your soul is residing in a healthy body? Our experts came across various health questions on QUORA in relation to walking and other physical exercises, what interested them the most was the queries in relation to use of certain instruments that would facilitate them to know the right number of steps walked by them i.e. the use of this instrument renownedly known as the Pedometer.

A pedometer is an instrument that measures the number of footsteps you take or travel the distance using the feet. The number of steps taken into consideration can be while you are simply walking, jogging or doing pace running. Previously used by sportspersons to keep a track record of their fitness training, Pedometer went onto becoming a household instrument to be used by every individual interested in keeping a record of his her steps.

Following are the top 6 Questions related to Pedometer on QUORA, our experts have answered to make it convenient for all the interested users:

pedometer

Question 1. How does Pedometer measure number of steps?

Pedometer follows a single formula for calculating the distance traveled i.e. (Distance= No. Of Steps* Step Length). Earlier being an electromechanical device, it has been evolved since it’s first version came into the market.

Mechanical Pedometers

They were simply based on the movement of the body and often needed to be placed exactly at the part which is specifically in motion, i.e., either the feet, legs or waist near the hips. They recorded the number of steps using the pendulum theory of motion. These kind of Pedometers were more of an analog watch, every time you moved to and from your body titled from side to side and so did the pendulum shifted from side to side making each complete swing to be counted as 2 steps taken.

Electronic Pedometers

There are so many technologies being used in the latest Pedometers as of today. These are surely the MEMS technology. Microelectromechanical System (MEMS) uses software and inertial sensors to notify the motions created by the body. This electronic Pedometer uses an LED or LCD display to show the number of steps walked, distance travelled, calories burnt.

More sophisticated Pedometers use the accelerometer or GPS satellite Navigation to make sure you get the accurate distance traveled instead of depending upon body motion sensors to calculate distance traveled.

Question 2. Can a Pebble Watch act as a pedometer?

Yes, of course. With the growing advancements and lesser connectivity issue, your own Pebble Watch can definitely act as a Pedometer. Previously the base models of a Pebble watch displayed the number of steps you walked at the jerk of the arm and a second jerk would bring the home page display back. Later as the evolutions took place, more and more sophistication came up into the smartphone industries and so in the watches industry. The compatibility of Anroid and IOS devices along with these Pebble Watches increased, which made use of apps that rely on the Pedometer Theory to count the distance travelled and calories burnt etc further became simpler and all this information could be displayed on the small screen of the Pebble Watch.

Question 3. How Accurate is the phone as a Pedometer?

smartphone pedometer

No device in itself is 100% efficient. Devices tend to evolve, technical advancements and mechanisms ought to shift a bit and that’s the reason the newer the technology the accurate the results turn out to be. The Pedometer theory is quite vividly visible since the Iphone 5s variant and has continued onto the 8th generation. The basic Apple Motion Coprocessor is the same in all generations yet the difference comes with the integration of Motion Coprocessor Chip, which ranges from M7 to the latest being A9 SoC processor. The mechanism of Pedometer in iphone is studied on the basis of movement, the jerks and to and fro motion of the iphone body. This is the reason it doesn’t stand as accurate even with the new generation modified iphone because the sensors being so sharp might calculate a jerk also as a movement of the body as of a step being taken. There is always a scope of 10% inaccuracy.

Question 4. What is the difference between a Step Counter and Pedometer?

Step Counter and Pedometer, yet do the same basic function of counting steps yet their complexity differs.

• While Step Counter only calculates the number of steps taken, Pedometer on the other hand measures the amount of calories burnt, the distance travelled etc.

• While in a Step Counter you need not fill any additional information, just switch it on and walk and rest is its job. On the other hand, in a Pedometer you really need to fill up the length between your two steps, in order to calculate accurate distance traveled, and also you need to enter your weight to get the exact figure of calories burnt.

• Accuracy merely depends on the device the lesser the complex more is the accuracy. You can check the accuracy of the two devices by taking a minimum of 100 step count. There would obviously be some variety, if the variation ranges between 90-110, then it’s perfect.

Question 5. How frequently you have to walk to start losing weight?

Your walking differs from person to person, age groups and also physical health. We have summarised for your clear understanding the basic walking requirements:

For Women:

Age Group: 18-40
12,000 Steps per Day
Age Group: 40-50
11,000 Steps Per Day
Age Group: 50-60
10000 Steps per Day
Age Group: Beyond 60
8,000 Steps Per Day

For Men

Age Group: 18-50
12,000 Steps Per Day
Age Group: 50 and Beyond
11,000 Steps Per Day

Question 6. Which is the cheapest wearable fitness device?

Certain things needed to be paid fairly so that you better get the best out of the price possible. Cheapness is not always the solution to get a product in hand sometimes you really need to pay for the specifications. Yet a genuine price charged is the best price charged. Following we have a list of gadgets with moderate prices that have proved to be outstanding in their performance.

Curiosity Bluetooth Smart Band & Fitness Tracker

Wearable like a smart-watch, with an OLED display, this watch band does a lot more work than just acting as a Pedometer. It keeps a check on not only how many steps you walked but also how many calories your burnt, how many floors you climbed. Apart from walking it keeps a check on your sleep as well and signifies the hours you have taken a sound sleep. Besides this, it also mentions about the alerts on your phone as it is compatible with both IOS and Android Devices. Can be charged with any normal USB port, no additions required.

Curiosity-Bluetooth-Smart-Band-&-Fitness-Tracker

GOQii Fitness Tracker with Personal Coaching

This Fitness tracker is definitely better than the previous one. All Specifications are more or less the same yet We have three detailed analysis to prove this fact. Firstly, it comes with a coach helpline that to which is free for the first 3 months of the purchase, this subscription is totally voluntary and you can opt out any time, Moreover, you can even exceed the purchase of this coach after the end of 3 months. Secondly, it comes with doctor assistance for making sure what kind of physical exercise complexity you require while doing your day-to-day tasks. Lastly, it comes with a superior battery life of up to 4 days with only charging once.

GOQii Fitness Tracker with Personal Coaching

Omron HJ-321 Pedometer

This one’s a simple pedometer with a 3-dimensional sensor to record every moment of the feet. It gives best results while placed on the waist, so as to note down every forward and backward movement of the body. It does not just count steps but also keeps a check on calorie burnt and also has a storage capacity of 7 days for the medical health history and distance covered. Though it’s quite sensitive to movement there is some variation in the number of steps walked, rest it’s a value for money article with up to 95% accuracy in results.

Omron-HJ-321-Pedometer

Captcha Lenovo A6000 Plus

Comes with additional features of Bluetooth connectivity along with Heart Rate Sensor. Being waterproof is the only additional feature it has on its specifications rest it’s just as the same as the previously mentioned watches, with calculating steps taken, distance covered, Mileage and Sleep Patterns. With the 3 added features it’s price is accurate.

OMNiX Fitness Band

As the price rises so does the complexity and specifications of the product and for this reason, they are rightly called to be value for money for the extra additions in the services provided. Besides the ordinary Pedometer function, heart rate count, connectivity, it should be extensively used by high-end sports person for it’s the best for them. The add-ons include Cycling Mode, Rope Skipping Mode, Jumping Jack and Sit-ups Mode. Each to identify the intensity of the exercise.

OMNiX fitness band

Fitbit Charge 2 Wireless Activity Tracker

Fitbit is the oldest and strongest player of this Fitness Pedometer Wrist Watch. This isn’t just a simple smart watch or Pedometer or something it’s a lot more than this. Pulse Calculator, with an ability to multi-tasking Sports Connectivity, Social Media Connectivity, Alerts of Breathing Sessions between training, Alerts to Move if you are at a stable position for a while and lastly records sleep patterns. Comes with interchangeable bands to be worn on more formal occasions as well. Accuracy= 98%

Fitbit-Charge-3-Wireless

Pedometer can really do wonders if you inculcate it into your lives. Its accuracy differs from brand to brand and also its complexity of usage yet 10% to 15% of variation is acceptable. Go forth to buying the accurate Pedometer.

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