A pedometer that counts the number of steps you take is a good motivational tool to keep moving. Knowing the distance you travel in a day and the number of calories you are burning through your movement can be even more of a carrot to keep going. Some pedometers convert the number of steps you take into a calorie-burn estimate. Keep in mind, however, that the number on your display is just an estimate, not a hard-and-fast fact.
Accuracy
Your pedometer uses a pre-programmed formula to determine how many calories you are burning with each step. However, it does not take your age, gender or the intensity of your walk or run into account. That means even the most accurate pedometers really are giving you only a rough estimate on calorie burn, notes Tedd Mitchell, lead author of "Move Yourself." Also, you burn more calories going uphill than walking or running on a flat surface or downhill.
Types
If you enter your stride length and weight the credit your pedometer gives you for burning calories much more likely to be accurate than with a device based on averages that does not require you to input such data. Your weight is a factor in calculations because the more you weigh, the more calories you burn when you move. For example, a 110-lb person walking at a moderate pace burns 175 calories per hour compared to a 200-lb person walking at the same pace, who burns 318 calories per hour. Your pedometer also uses a formula to convert your number of steps into distance. On average, 2,000 steps equals one mile, but your stride length can alter this number.
Testing Your Pedometer
Check your pedometer's accuracy in relation to distance and calorie burn by walking on a track and comparing the readout to what you do. Walk four laps on the inside lane of the track to equal one mile. Walking at a moderate pace, use the following formula to gain your own estimate on calorie burn: 0.029 times weight in lbs. times time in minutes. For example, if you are a 150-lb person who took 20 minutes to walk the four laps on the track, or single mile, you've burned 87 calories based on this formula.
Display
Don't expect to see your calorie count change with each step. For example, if you weigh 155 lbs and have a stride length of 28 inches, it will take about 2,250 steps to go one mile. You burn an estimated 107 calories in that mile, thus you burn one calorie about every 21 steps.
Considerations
A number of issues can affect your pedometer's accuracy in recording steps. One is poor placement. A correctly fastened pedometer is secured to your waist directly above your knee. The type of waistband you attach your pedometer to and your waist size -- if it is large -- also may affect accuracy. If you are walking very slowly, you may not get credit for all of the steps you take because the vertical movement of your hip may be too slight to trigger its step counter. How well you follow the manufacturer's instructions is another factor, as is whether you accurately measure your stride length before inputting it.
References
- University of Arizona Extension: "Pedometer and New Technology"; Jamie Wise and Kay Hongu; 2009
- University of Arizona: Weight Management, Healthy Eating and Walking
- "Move Yourself"; Tedd Mitchell et al.; 2008
- "Principles and Labs for Fitness and Wellness"; Wener W. K. Hoeger and Sharon A. Hoeger; 2009
- Mayo Clinic: Walking for Fitness? Make it Count With a Pedometer
- "Walking the Cape and Islands"; David Weintraub; 2006
Member Comments