Can you recommend a pedometer?

Question

I'm doing a bit of running, and I'd like to have an idea of the distance that I've covered. Any thoughts on an accurate pedometer that is good for running and walking?

thanks!

Answer 1

Any pedometer will do the job, you can get them quite cheaply, and some places give them away if you look hard enough (offers on things for example)

To use a basic pedometer you run a mile at your running pace, then note how many steps it took you, after that you know thet running that  many steps will be about a mile. Repeat the trial 1 mile runs and average out the number of steps to get it more accurate. Do the same for walking.

Thats for a basic one. To work out how far you have gone you have to do some sums but you can do that.

The next ones up, obviously cost a bit more, will do thew sums for you and tell you how far you have walked (about £15), not sure if they can do 'multisport' - swapping between run and walk

Then next ones up can do things like estimated calories burned based on your weight and distance burned and maybe the speed you go (number of steps a minute)(from about £20)

Then you can go up a level, to more expensive ones, Timex does one that is quite compex and worn on the wrist like a watch. These sort of learn what you do when you walk or run with clever stuff. The apple do an ipod addition that is like this.

Then above that you have a GPS system (quite expensive - mine was £160), these are quite accurate with the distance you have covered because they dont rely on your footsteps (that go shorter going up hill, longer going down).

They all work fairly well.

As an alternative you can buy a map and bit of string - wind the string round where you have gone (or are planning to go) and then measure the string when it is straightened to give you the distance - the advatage of this is that you can sit inside before you go out and decide "I want to go 5 miles" and find a circular route that will be 5 miles. You can do this online with something like mapmyrun, and with a bit of effort googlemaps.

Anyway, I think if you decide what kind of pedometer you want - just steps covered and you do the sums, one that does the sums for you or one that does more then its all down to your preferences of the model (looks, size, cost etc) becasue that are all pretty simular accuracy

Answer 2

http://www.pedometersusa.com/pedometers-...

real cheap

real good

these arent so cheap but good too:

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/p...