Picking the Right Pedometer

The 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.

The rating was based on multiple criteria, which included:

1. Accuracy
   1. At 3.5 mph
   2. At 2.5 mph
2. Ease of use

Features

1. Counts steps
2. Counts calories burned
3. Records distance
4. Clock

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.

Most of the 12 pedometers tested were reasonably accurate in counting steps at 3.5 mph, but proved less reliable at recording slower paced steps.

It's not clear to me why this guide chose to test 3 Sportline pedometers among the 12, as they were all unreliable and showed similar deficiencies, and there are many other brands on the market in which people would have been interested. When the State Journal-Register newspaper in Springfield, Illinois conducted 1000 step tests on 5 selected pedometers they noted that the Sportline 345 was "the most erratic of the bunch, sometimes miscounting by more than 18%".

Incidentally, the State Journal-Register found similar results to Speakwell when they tested the McDonalds 'Go Active Stepometer'. (This was free with Go Active Happy Meals until they went the way of the Beanie Baby and other transient promotions). They noted, "This basic step counter tested out better than some of the $20 (US) to $30 (US) models. The accuracy was off about 4% in our 1000 step test, but was very sensitive to movement and over-counted when worn all day".

Omron is a global medical instruments company with headquarters in Kyoto, Japan. In Japan, industry standards require that pedometers be accurate to within 3% of 'standard number of steps'. The US and Canada have no such requirements, which has resulted in numerous, inexpensive and totally unreliable pedometers being given away in cereal boxes and used for company promotions.

Omron HJ-105
At Speakwell, after extensive testing, we chose to market the Omron HJ-105 and the HJ-002. We actually prefer the HJ-105 to the HJ-112.

Omron HJ-112

Both the 105 and 112 offer an array of useful features, which include:

1. Most important: accurate step counting at both quick and casual pace.
2. Distance covered.
3. Calories burned.
4. A clock.
5. 'Aerobic' steps counted separately when walking or jogging at more that 60 steps a minute or for more than 10 minutes continuously. This is a useful function as it enables one to separate purposeful walking steps, from the day to day shuffling, stair climbing and random steps at home and at work.
6. A seven-day memory.
   This is another important feature if you are recording your steps each day. When we enter our steps onto 'P•E•D', we often do 4 or 5 days at a time using the pedometer memory.

First time users have to get used to the fact that the 105 and 112 automatically reset themselves to 0 at midnight, ready to record the next days steps.

Three things tip the balance in favor of the 105 for us:

1. Price. The 105 is typically about 1/2 the price of the 112.
2. The 105 has a hinged cover, which protects the instrument and prevents accidental resetting any of the buttons.
3. The 105 has a sensitivity adjustment, which sets it apart from nearly all pedometers in the market. This means that if your pedometer is over-recording or under-recording your steps, you can adjust the sensitivity up or down. Also, the sensitivity can be reduced if too many day-to-day incidental movements are being recorded as 'steps'.

The 112 has the advantage of being able to be carried in a small pocket or bag that keeps it upright and also has a small 'holster' to keep it upright on one's belt.

Omron HJ-002
The Omron HJ-002 is a basic step counter. It has a large display and accurately assesses step count. Like the 105, it also comes with a sensitivity adjustment. It is great for people who like things simple and is also very useful for school groups, who can use them as motivational tools, for science projects or a group walk across Canada or the USA. (P•E•D now allows groups to get cumulative totals for their step counts). The lower price makes it an attractive bulk buy for groups.

P•E•D

In the Speakwell offices, my executive assistant, Bev, and myself have been logging our steps together on 'P•E•D'. Since July 12 (a little short of 3 months at the time of writing) we have recorded over 2,000,000 steps and burned 100,000 calories. This was achieved by us both being conscientious to try and keep our step count over 10,000/day each. If you assume that we would have covered about 5000 steps/day in our normal working lives, this means that we've added over one million 'extra' steps during the period. This equates to 50,000 extra calories burned, which is 25,000 each. And that means about 7 lbs lost or, equally important, 7 lbs not gained. Just extend this over a 1-year period and it's clear why pedometers can be a key to weight control and health.

If you are interested in purchasing a pedometer, click here to go to WellMart.

Caught walking without your pedometer?

One observation I have made while walking is that I, and many other people, when they're walking purposefully, walk very close to two steps per second or 120 steps per minute. This means, if you go for a walk and forget your pedometer just multiply the minutes walked by 120 for a reasonable estimate of steps walked. Another useful tip is that there are approximately 2000 steps per mile and about 1250 steps per kilometer.

The Pace is Picking Up

At Speakwell we used to sell pedometers in ones and twos and, of course, we still do. However, we're getting increasing numbers of orders for pedometers in multiples of 50 and 100. After Martin spoke to the Kootenay Lake School District including the towns of Creston and Nelson we received the following letter.

Well, it was a great day and Martin did a wonderful job, we have had nothing but great feedback. One of the senior administrators has bought an Omron HJ-105 Pedometer for every teacher in the district and is going to organize a school by school competition. Our donut demand dropped off to nothing after his talk and we ended up with nearly 20 dozen donuts left over. Normally these would have been gone at the end of coffee break.

Not only are 350 teachers getting their own pedometer, but they're eating fewer donuts. They're on their way to the magic weight-loss formula of ELMM (Eat Less: Move More).

We also received a request for 180 pedometers from a Saskatchewan group (name withheld as we don't want to ruin the surprise), who are presenting employees with a pedometer each for Christmas. The pedometer really is the exercise device for all seasons.

Circle Canada with 'P•E•D'

Our two Speakwell computer specialists, Ron Nye (who is responsible for the award winning presentation of 'Well') and Luke Niedjalski (who's brilliant programming and code writing skills are combined with a clarity of thinking) are hard at work developing "Circle Canada". You'll soon be able to circumnavigate the country by walking, but to speed you on your way you'll have access to train rides, float planes, snowmobiles, dog teams, ferry boats and other modes of transport. Future plans include long distance swims, a Tour de France bike trip and some of the world's famous walks.

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