An inevitable trend in the evolution of pedometers is the ability to upload information to your computer. This is not going to catch on immediately with the average community walking program, but as peoplae grow up with technology it will seem logical to store and graph their walking data on their home computers. There are also obvious medical and research uses to be able to analyze walking activity of patients and subjects and natural corporate applications.

Speakwell is planning a testing series of pedometers with upload capabilities, but until we complete this we are not able to provide objective data. This article will help raise your awareness level about some of the currently available products.

1. Walk Styles The WalkStyles Dash Trak pedometer retails on their web site for $129US (which includes a heart-strap monitor for recording heart rate). It is a typical, full-featured pedometer (steps, distance, calories and stopwatch) and comes with a USB cord to link to your computer. Possible concerns:
   1. The lithium battery needs to be charged every 1–3 days
   2. It does not appear to be compatible with Macs
   3. After the first month, which is free, you will have to pay $9.95US a month to access the WalkStyles web site as a member. Check with this site.

    


2. Sport Brain iStep X Pedometer Series
   
   I would recommend getting the iStep X1 or X2 rather than the iStep X, which only displays step count on the pedometer. You can purchase an iStep X1 on the SportBrain website for the reasonable price of $39.95US. The X1 and X2 display steps, distance, calories and a clock and have a USB interface for graphing and recording your walking performance. Possible concerns:
   1. It’s bulky, which might be fine for sports attire, but maybe not for a well-dressed man or woman in business clothing
   2. The plastic clip could be improved
   3. You need to become a member to access the SportBrain web site, but the Silver membership is apparently free. I had difficulty in signing up as a new member or ‘SportGuest’, but this could be due to my technical deficits

   The ‘Features Tour’ on the SportBrain home page gives some good illustrations of the type of information, which can be displayed on your computer.

    


3. Omron HJ-720IT
   
   There are a lot of things I like about the Omron HJ-720IT. In previous testing I was always impressed with the accuracy and design of the Omron pedometer line. The accuracy of the HJ 720IT comes from its use of accelerometer technology. This means that in addition to being worn on your belt, it can be placed in a pocket, worn around the neck like a necklace or carried in a bag. (Its sister product, the Omron HJ112 was rated number one in accuracy by both Consumer Reports and Speakwell). With the USB cord you can display a lot of information on your computer. The HJ 720IT tracks steps, aerobic steps, fat burned, distance walked and calories burned.

I have met with Hiran Perera, the CEO of Walking Spree, where we talked about the use of new web technology for pedometer applications and about the various corporate and consumer programs offered by WalkingSpree. They are a Canadian company that markets the HJ720IT pedometer that uploads data to a fun and interactive website. WalkingSpree has gone beyond the statistical reporting of walking data. Member community support is encouraged with Walking Clubs, blogging, forums and coaches’ tips. A member can upload other activities such as swimming or cycling to get a full picture of the calories burned. A food tracker is offered that displays the calories consumed and nutritional details. Online fitness & nutritional coaching adds a new dimension to this pedometry functionality. The one-time cost of the pedometer is priced at CAD $59.95 while lifetime access to the website, activity tracker, dashboard, walking clubs and community support is priced at CAD $50, with both items packaged together at CAD $99.95. Access to nutrition and online coaching as an optional add-on is priced at CAD $8.95 per month. WalkingSpree is very active in the US as they are now the multi-city sponsor of the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Our US readers can go directly to WalkingSpree.com for US pricing.

The good news for my Well Newsletter readers is that you can receive an additional $10 discount from WalkingSpree if you simply insert SPEAKWELL in the promotion code at their website shopping cart.

Summary

I have described 3 examples of the new uploadable pedometers. They are gaining increasing acceptance in the corporate world, where the expense of the pedometers and web site membership can be more than offset by increased productivity and decreased health care costs of employees. I am surprised that none of the products I have described are compatible with Macs, but I am sure this will soon be rectified. There is a tendency of companies to market their pedometer and software packages rather like a cell phone or cable TV, in that they like you paying a monthly fee to access all the goodies. (I’m actually surprised that I haven’t found a cell phone that includes a pedometer, along with the camera and MP3 player.) There is little doubt we will find increasing number of PC and Mac compatible pedometers in the future.

Beyond Pedometers

The ultimate high-tech package is designed more for runners than walkers, but it gives us a glimpse into the future. All you need is an iPod Nano, a pair of Nike+ shoes and the Nike+ iPod Sport Package. The Nike+ shoes have a built-in pocket under the insole engineered to house the Nike+ iPod sensor. You can not only run or walk to your favorite tunes but, if you choose, get real time spoken feedback on your performance. After the workout, everything can be uploaded to your computer from your iPod Nano.

Technology is wonderful but we must still remember that accelerometers, pedometers and chips in your shoes will be ineffective unless we keep putting one foot in front of the other.

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