What is a Pedometer?
Portable and usually electronic, a pedometer counts steps. The mechanical sensor begins counting steps as soon as you activate the device. Newer technology uses MEMS inertial sensors. These give a more accurate step reading with less false readings. Some pedometers track both steps and calories burned during the walk.
Some even display the calories burned away. The pulse-reading feature helps monitor your heart rate and tells you the time as well. Alerts that sound and actual time of running or walking is displayed along with the best feature, the pedometer that talks to you and informs you of the results.
How a Pedometer Works
Pedometer measures the physics in body motion when a person has movement such as walking. The body fights the gravity pull and the body core accelerates and decelerates. The noticeable change in motion by the foot strike causes a level to move inside the pedometer. The level is suspended by a spring and closes the circuit to count the step.
What is an accelerometer? A strain gauge deforms because of inertia and the extent of the deformation measured in time verse acceleration. The accelerometer knows how hard or soft each step is when walking. The pedometers should remain horizontal to operate correctly.
The different approaches applied to make a pedometer work are geared towards the electronic and mechanics, no matter what, these units all feel movement. Every time the lever moves up and down, a count is registered.
Piezoelectric Accelerometers
Sensing transducers known as Accelerometers have an electrical signals to the speeding up of shock, motion and vibration. The force generated to acceleration, this comes forth from Newton’s law of motion. The piezoelectric measures static acceleration and has limited resolution, it also works only with low to medium frequencies. The accelerometer remains critical to measurement. These remain so quiet because of no moving parts. This type remains top of the line above the spring mechanism.
Coiled Spring Mechanism
At each step, you take the spring mechanism lever arm moves downwards and close the contact resulting in a step count. The long lasting spring lever became more accurate than the hairspring. The battery life and accuracy makes this coiled spring mechanism unique. This type of pedometer makes a clicking noise at every count.
Hairspring Mechanism
The hairspring mechanism lasts for approximately a million or so step counts. After a while, the spring becomes weak and starts over counting your steps. Hairspring is used in most pedometers today and need to be replaced when the spring becomes loose.
Using the Pedometer
You may need to try different locations to wear the pedometer since they are sensitive to movement. In order to work the unit needs to be horizontal to the ground. You need to calibrate the pedometer before you begin to use it for accurate results. Wearing a pedometer on your waist allows monitoring of the hip movement. This area is where you will get the most accurate results. Counting steps and converting them into distance can be accomplished with most models but entering your stride.
Some convert calories from steps and all pedometers have a different formula. They do not however take into consideration the sex and age of the person wearing the pedometer. Pedometers work best for walking; the stride is not measurable when running due to different variations in your running pattern. In this case, when you run use the number of steps instead of stride.
For a pedometer that measures the calories burned, you need to enter your weight. If you find the distance to be correct and the steps counter off for the steps, you may need to reenter the appropriate stride. By entering the wrong information into a pedometer, the results give a false reading. The directions that come with the pedometer show you exactly how to measure the distance and stride in order to enter the proper information for the proper results.
Technology and the Pedometer
The sensor, which is mechanical with software applications, detects and count steps without missing a beat. The little lead ball that comes in most models is vital to the operation of the pedometer. Placing the pedometer on a belt near the waist usually gives accurate results. Placing anywhere else may lead to false reading giving inaccurate readings.
The pedometer that talks to you about walking results when walking and listen to music, by use of a headphone. Listen to music and check your distance and calories burned and the steps walked. These talking pedometers offer time elapsed between walking steps, measures the progress and stores up to seven days of information. Technology allows you to do many things with a pedometer included with talking to you and listening to music.
If you have a single function or multi function pedometer is up to you, but to be a good tool for fitness you may consider a multi function unit. Multi function batteries last for about two years when you use it as a fitness tool and no music device included.
Technology Provided in Electronic Devices
Ipods and cell phones have stepped up the plate with the new innovated technology offering pedometers in phones and ipods. Most of this technology includes placing a sensor in the shoe that supplies a wireless communication to the device in question. Some of the cell phones offer a phone, music and the pedometer. The phone monitors distance or calories burned.
