A pedometer helps you determine how active your life is by keeping track of the number of steps you take. Throughout the day, you probably walk a significant distance while performing typical domestic and work activities, but it's difficult to know for sure how much physical activity you are getting without a pedometer.
Function
A pedometer counts your steps, making it a useful tool for tracking physical activity. It detects body motion and uses that data to calculate the number of steps you take while wearing it. Many different models exist, but most clip to your belt like a pager. If you don't want to wear your pedometer on your belt, you can buy a model that attaches to your shoe, ankle or wrist instead.
History
Leonardo da Vinci invented the first pedometer. Although only drawings of the device exist today, it seems to have had a lever arm that attached to the thigh. As the wearer walked the lever arm shifted, which would rotate gears to count steps. Most modern pedometers also have lever arms that move up and down when people walk. The movement of the lever arm closes an electrical circuit, which an electronic display reports as steps.
Features
Simple pedometers track the number of steps you take. More expensive models might offer advanced features, such as calculating how many calories you burned or reporting total distance traveled in feet or miles. To enable your pedometer to perform these advanced tasks, you must enter your personal data, such as weight and stride length.
Expert Insight
If your model only reports the number of steps you've taken, you can use a simple calculation to determine how many miles you've traveled. Everyone's stride length is different, so perform a measurement first. Wear your pedometer while you walk at a normal speed on a quarter-mile track. Then multiply the number of steps you took by four to determine how many steps per mile you take on average.
Considerations
Generally, 10,000 steps in a day equate to the minimum amount of physical activity an average person should get, but the amount of steps you should take depends on your personal fitness goals. If you want to lose weight, for example, between 12,000 and 15,000 steps per day should lead to weight loss. Walking faster increases the fitness benefits.
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