More Thoughts on 10,000 Steps
:: Summer 2002
"The length of my walking is the length of my writing," Charles Dickens said, no wonder 'Well' is more voluminous than most online webzines. My 10,000 steps are a daily stimulus to unlocking and unblocking the thoughts stored in the protein stacks of my mind. I love my little pedometer, which is with me every step of my way and dutifully records the 'walk of life.'

Pedometer Update
:: Fall 2002
"Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart."
1. Pedometer Steps and Stats.
2. Karen Handford looks at the difference in her step count as a mother of 2 young children and during her working days as a Speech Pathologist.
3. Pedometer 101 - Easy instructions for new users.
4. Talking pedometers? You can find anything on eBay.

Let's Have a Value Meal
then Walk 5 Hours
:: Spring 2003
Using a pedometer has made me sensitive to just how many steps and how much time it takes to burn off the calories we can casually consume. In the summer 2002 edition of "Well" I went into the lab to test the accuracy of our pedometers and measure how many steps it took to burn off a given number of calories. A person weighing in the 180 - 200 lb (81.5 - 90 kg) range would burn about 500 calories walking 10,000 steps. (Lighter people burn a few less, and heavier folks a few more: see the table in "More Thoughts on 10,000 Steps" summer 2002) Therefore, as an approximation it takes 20 steps to burn off 1 calorie. If you know how many calories in a particular product, just multiply that number by 20 and you'll know how many steps it takes to walk it off.

The Artful Science of Step Counting
:: Summer 2003
There is a consensus among fitness and health professionals that the ancient art of walking is still one of the best, cheapest and safest ways to maintain or develop health/fitness, help stabilize or lose weight and to manage the daily stressors of life. The single best stimulus to walk, other than the pleasure of walking itself, is the pedometer. The pedometer allows you to be an informed walker by counting your steps, calories burned and distance traveled.

Pedometers Go Mainstream
:: Fall 2003
Pedometers are not new; the remarkable mind of Leonardo DaVinci designed a prototype. The concept of step counting really appealed to the Japanese, who used the term "Man-po Kei", which literally means "10,000 step meter". I found an advertisement for a primitive pedometer on a 50's matchbook cover, which I picked up at a New York flea market. But now with the combination of a sedentary society seeking movement stimuli, combined with the availability of cheap, mass produced pedometers from Asia we are in a position to put a pedometer on every belt or waistband.

The Not So Special K
:: Spring 2004
So far I have received individual reports on 36 Special K pedometers by email, phone call and personal interviews, only three could be interpreted as being really positive.

Walking the Talk : Words of Wisdom on Walking & Pedometers
:: Spring 2004
Put on your ped and do it,
get off your bed and do it.
Don't turn on the tube and say, 'Oh screw it'.
Let's do it. Let's just take a walk.

Walking and Pedometer Update
:: Summer 2004
Your pedometer will measure your steps each day, but does not keep a lasting record. (Although the new Omron HJ-105 does keep a 7-day cumulative step count.) Enter P•E•D, which will provide you with your own personal progress report. You can access P•E•D on the Speakwell web site. There is no charge for using P•E•D; you just click the P•E•D button, create your own password and enter your steps.

Omron on Top
:: Fall 2004
The October 2004 issue of a major consumer guide turned their attention to pedometers and we were happy to see that the Omron HJ 112 was the top rated pedometer.
Omron was the only one of 12 pedometers tested that was rated 'Excellent'. At Speakwell we've tested many pedometers, both on the treadmill and in informal 'real life' situations and have always been impressed with the Omron line of pedometers.

You're a Walking Miracle
:: Spring 2005
The human body/mind is a miracle, it's a miracle of design and engineering, and a biochemical masterpiece. Great artists, scientists and engineers are all amazed by its perfection. Simple everyday acts like combing our hair or running to catch a ball cannot be replicated by the most sophisticated technology known to us. Few people experience the birth of a baby without the word "miracle" slipping from their lips. Like it or not, dear reader, you are a miracle.

Omron Pedometers go to Everest
:: Summer 2005
Martin Luther King said, "I have been to the mountaintop" and so have our Omron HJ105 pedometers.
They went up Everest and though they didn't make the summit they were very, very high. One of the most successful advertising slogans for Timex watches was, "Takes a licking and keeps on ticking", so it is with Omron pedometers. Speakwell speaker Rob Dyke took some Omron HJ105s to Everest where they logged millions of steps in the cold, thin air.

Pick a Practical Pedometer
:: Autumn 2005
In many ways pedometers are like wristwatches. The primary function of a watch is to reliably tell you the correct time. If your watch canŐt be relied on to reflect the correct time, it doesnŐt matter what it looks like, whether it gives you phases of the moon, has an alarm feature and other functions, itŐs a useless watch. The same applies to pedometers, their primary role is to count and record your steps and if they donŐt do that, all the other design features and extras are irrelevant.