Below are some frequently asked questions about pedometers. Click on a link below for the answer.
- What do Pedometers Measure?
- Can Pedometers Measure All Types of Activity?
- Do Pedometers Measure Anything Else such as Distance Covered?
- Are Pedometers Accurate?
- Where Is the Best Place to Wear the Pedometer to Assure Accuracy?
- How Many Daily Steps should be Accumulated Everyday?
- What is that sound the pedometer makes? Is it broken?
- How do I know when to replace the battery in my pedometer?
- I have dropped my pedometer in the toilet or it went through the washing machine. What do I do now?
- Does my pedometer count steps when the door is open?
- Can I place my pedometer in my pocket or on a lanyard around my neck?
- Does the pedometer count running steps?
- Where do I place my pedometer if I am wearing a dress?
- I press the reset button on my pedometer and nothing happens.
- When I reset my step count, does that reset all the other counters like exercise time and caloric expenditure?
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What do Pedometers Measure?
Early pedometers were mechanical and used a moving lever arm to count steps. Electronic pedometers now detect movement through a spring loaded, counter-balanced mechanism that records vertical acceleration at the hip. Pedometers measure the number of steps a person takes throughout the day.
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Can Pedometers Measure All Types of Activity?
No, pedometers can't measure all types of activity. Because the pedometer is not waterproof, it can't measure swimming activity. Also, the pedometer doesn't accurately measure activities on wheels such as bicycling, skateboarding, and rollerblading. Since most of the activity people accumulate is overland, pedometers are still one of the best ways to measure physical activity for young and old alike.
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Do Pedometers Measure Anything Else such as Distance Covered?
Yes, depending on the model of pedometer. Walk4Life has a number of different models of pedometers. They can measure distance covered, caloric expenditure, exercise time and one model even has a time of day function. Here is some information on each of these different functions
Distance Covered. To measure distance covered, the average length of the step must be entered into the pedometer. The pedometer then calculates distance covered by multiplying the step length times the number of steps. A common question is whether the pedometer can tell different lengths of steps. The answer is no. Stride length varies depending on terrain and speed of movement. Steps become shorter in length when walking uphill or on rough terrain. Steps become longer when walking downhill or when walking quickly. Therefore, when entering a stride length into your pedometer, enter the length of stride you most commonly take throughout the day. Also, understand that distance covered will be inaccurate if you accumulate in a setting different from where you established your average stride length. This is one reason we recommend exercise time as the best measure of daily activity (see below).
Caloric Expenditure. Many people want to know how many calories they burn through their physical movement. To measure energy expenditure, it is necessary to enter both weight and stride length into the pedometer. In its simplest form, caloric expenditure is calculated by multiplying body weight times the number of minutes of activity. An assumption that a moderate to vigorous walk is being done is also used in the calculation of total caloric expenditure. Since the speed of movement may vary greatly throughout the day, caloric expenditure is usually the least accurate measure on all pedometers.
Exercise Time. Walk4Life pedometers are one of the few brands of pedometers that measure exercise time. Every time a person moves, the pedometer starts accumulating time. When the person stops, the timing function stops. This is the most accurate measure by pedometers because it is not affected by stride length or movement speed. At the end of the day, the total amount of exercise time accumulated is displayed in hours and minutes. Another reason this may be the best measure to use for monitoring activity is that it corresponds to most of the activity guidelines for adults and children. These guidelines are all listed in minutes of activity per day. For example, the NASPE Activity Guidelines for Children by Corbin and Pangrazi (2004), recommend 60 minutes or more of physical activity every day of the week.
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Are Pedometers Accurate?
Activity recommendations in terms of daily minutes of physical activity for youth (Corbin & Pangrazi, 2004) and adults (USDHHS, 2000) have created an interest in accurately measuring personal movement. The pedometer is an objective activity measuring instrument that has been studied by a number of researchers. A recent study (Crouter, et al., 2003) evaluated the validity of 10 different electronic pedometers and found them to be “most accurate”. A similar study (Schneider et al., 2003) examined the reliability and accuracy of 10 pedometers over a 400m walk with similar results.
Pedometers are less accurate when people move slowly (less than 4 km/h) or walk with an uneven gait (Crouter et al., 2003). Pedometers depend on a fairly consistent up and down motion with each step and an uneven or slow gait may not create enough movement for the pedometer to measure. Pedometers overestimate distance covered at slower speeds and underestimate actual distance at higher speeds. Caloric expenditure is usually overestimated (Crouter, et al., 2003). These errors in distance and energy expenditure are not surprising since they are all based on consistency of step length and walking speed. Throughout a day of activities, it is most likely that both step length and walking speed will vary.
Undercounting errors may also occur with highly obese students because of the placement of the pedometer. On these students, the orientation of the pedometer is often turned away from the vertical plane and moved toward the horizontal plane by excess body fat around the waist. If the pedometer is not parallel with the upright plane of the body, its accuracy is affected. The next section explains how to find an accurate placement point for difficult cases. In spite of these limitations, pedometers are still one of the most accurate and reasonably priced tools for measuring physical activity.
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Where Is the Best Place to Wear the Pedometer to Assure Accuracy?
Pedometers are designed to be worn at the waistline directly in line with the midpoint of the front of thigh and kneecap. This positioning will be accurate for the majority of users. However, our work has shown that it will not be the best placement for 20 to 30 percent of users. Therefore, the first step that should be taught to students is to find the placement where the pedometer measures most accurately. The following protocol will assure the pedometer is measuring accurately.
- Place the pedometer on the waist band in the line with the midpoint of the thigh and kneecap. Open the pedometer without removing it from the waist band and reset it to zero steps. Begin walking at a normal cadence while counting the number of steps you are taking. Stop immediately when 100 steps are reached. Open the pedometer and check the step count. If the step count is within three steps of 100, this placement is an accurate location for your pedometer. If the step count is less accurate, try the next step.
- Move the pedometer toward the outside of the body so it is positioned slightly in front of or over the hip. Open the pedometer, clear it, and take 100 steps as described in step 1. Again, if the step count is within three steps of 100, this new placement will be your most accurate measurement spot. If not, try another placement (see the next step) and repeat the step test. This placement seems to work better for some females and overweight students.
- Pedometers must remain in an upright plane (with the pedometer display perpendicular to the floor and parallel to the body) in order to accurately register step counts. Another factor that confounds accuracy is loose fitting clothing because it absorbs the slight vertical force that occurs with teach step. In these cases, placement at waist level behind the hip and on of the back is often accurate. Another alternative is to use a Velcro belt to assure the pedometer is maintained in an upright position (Available from Walk4Life). Repeat the 100 step process until an accurate placement has been identified.
back to top How Many Daily Steps should be Accumulated Everyday?
There is no simple answer to this question. A number of alternatives are possible for making such a determination. A common approach is a “one standard fits all” approach. Application of this approach is based on a single standard and assumes that it will work for all types of people regardless of age, gender, or health. The most often referenced standard is 10,000 steps per day (Hatano, 1993). This standard was designed for cardiovascular disease prevention but has grown in popularity. It is a simple and quick way to tell someone what their goal should be. A standard for children that is often mentioned is 11,000 steps/day for girls and 13,000 steps/day for boys. This standard is used for the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PCPFS, 2004) which is awarded to students who meet these daily standards over a six-week period.
The problem with a single standard goal is that it doesn't take into account the substantial individual differences between people of all ages and gender. A predisposition to be active may make it much easier for some students to reach the step criteria while others may find it next to impossible because they are naturally less active. How many steps should we set for a standard? Should it be set high so only those already active individuals can reach it? Should it be set low so the majority of people are able to reach the goal? Should it be set high enough to provide a proven health-related benefit? If you accumulate more than 11,000 steps, is there any point in moving beyond the 11,000 step threshold? If you accumulate 4,000 steps each day, does 11,000 steps seem an impossible goal? When all is said and done, setting one goal that applies with equivalent efficacy to a large population is a difficult proposition at best.
A better approach is the baseline and goal-setting technique (Pangrazi, Beighle, & Sidman, 2003). This method requires that each individual identify their average daily activity (baseline) level. For elementary school youngsters this requires four days of monitoring pedometer step counts (or activity time) and for adolescents and adults, 8 days of activity monitoring (Trost, et al., 2000). The reason there is a longer period of monitoring among older individuals is that their days are much more variable than young children. Since older students and adults have more control over the use of their time, eight days offers a more accurate baseline level.
After the baseline level of activity has been established, each individual has a reference point for setting a personal goal. The personal goal is established by taking the baseline activity level and adding 10 percent more steps to that level. For example, assume a baseline of 6,000 steps per day. The personal goal would be 6,000 steps plus 600 more steps for a total of 6,600 steps. This will be the personal goal for the next two weeks. If the goal is reached for a majority of the days during this two-week period, another 10 percent (600 steps) is added to the goal and the process repeated. For most people, a top goal of 4,000 to 6,000 steps above their baseline level is a reasonable expectation. Using the example of 6,000 baseline steps here, a goal of 10,000 to 12,000 steps would be the ultimate goal.
This baseline and goal setting approach takes into consideration the fact that all individuals are unique. It gradually increases personal goals so they seem achievable to even inactive individuals. Most individuals are interested in establishing their baseline levels of activity and this can be a good way to increase activity levels among young and old.
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What is that sound the pedometer makes? Is it broken?
No. That is the sound of the lever moving up and down and making contact with the step counter. The pedometer is working fine.
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How do I know when to replace the battery in my pedometer?
The pedometer will no longer show numbers in the display. Usually the battery will last 1-2 years, depending on how much you use it and how active you are.
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I have dropped my pedometer in the toilet or it went through the washing machine. What do I do now?
Try taking the battery out and let it dry thoroughly. Then put a new battery in the pedometer. Often it will work just fine. If not, you need a new pedometer.
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Does my pedometer count steps when the door is open?
No, because the pedometer counting mechanism is in the door. When you open it, the mechanism is no longer in the vertical plane (parallel to the body) so it will not count. Open the pedometer to check and clear display; close it to resume counting.
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Can I place my pedometer in my pocket or on a lanyard around my neck?
Yes, you can place it in those positions, but it may not be nearly as accurate as you would like. Pedometers are sensitive to very small up and down body movements. A less than firm placement makes it more difficult for the pedometer to sense that movement. If you choose one of these placements, check the accuracy of the placement as described in the section above using 100 steps.
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Does the pedometer count running steps?
Yes, it will count your running steps. However, if you are looking at distance covered are calories burned, it will not be accurate because the length of your stride is much longer when you are running.
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Where do I place my pedometer if I am wearing a dress?
It can be placed on your underwear or pantyhose. If you choose to do that, it is usually most accurate if you place the pedometer with the clip to the outside of your body. That will keep the face of the pedometer near your body and make the counting more accurate.
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I press the reset button on my pedometer and nothing happens.
The Walk4Life pedometer has a delayed reset button to avoid accidental resetting of the pedometer. You must hold the yellow reset button down for 2-3 seconds for it to reset itself.
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When I reset my step count, does that reset all the other counters like exercise time and caloric expenditure?
Yes. Pushing the reset button will reset all counters in your pedometer. However, your stride length, body weight, and the time of day will not reset.
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