Pedometers have been around for more than 200 years, according to the article Pedometer, History and Uses on Buzzle.com. Roman soldiers, thought to be one of the first users of pedometers, used the device to track how far they marched. Leonardo da Vinci even painted drawings of a pedometer-like device in the 15th century. Today, pedometers are a simple way to monitor your activity level each day.
Motivation
University of Missouri's Missouri Families Extension indicates that frequent use of pedometers motivates wearers to walk further distances and makes fitness goals. An example might be someone who thought she was active but with a pedometer found out that, she only walks 1,000 steps a day. Pedometers help people reevaluate their current fitness goals and allow them to take steps to make themselves more active. Fitness is extremely important to a healthy lifestyle and by adding more and more steps each day you easily can reach 10,000 steps a day. The National Health Service recommends that the average person walk at least 10,000 steps daily. Keeping track of your steps on a daily basis in a diary or by using pedometer software can allow you to see where you are and where you want to be.
Physical Benefits
The American Institute for Cancer Research performed a study that involved 400 women given pedometers; the goal of 10,000 steps per day proved the importance of pedometers and physical benefits. After eight weeks, the women reported that they had more energy, experienced illness less frequently and experienced weight loss according to the AICR. If you do not have a pedometer, it is impossible to track the amount of physical exercise you do daily. The pedometer helped the women reach the assigned goal of 10,000 steps. The 400 women met the goal and were able to experience the health benefits of walking.
Assessment
Using a pedometer will allow you to assess your current activity level and make changes if necessary. It is a good idea to establish your typical activity level. Simply wear the pedometer and go about your day as normal. Use this base to challenge yourself and increase your activity level until you reach 10,000 steps each day. Some pedometers will even keep track of the total distance traveled and the calories burned, which can put the 10,000 steps into perspective. That is about 300 to 400 calories, according to the National Health Service. Some pedometers even allow have the ability to upload your steps into a software program. Allowing you to keep better track of your activity level and even graph it.
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