What are the benefits of using a pedometer? A pedometer is a device made to detect motion in a person’s hips or arms so that it can count the number of steps you take in a day. Even though a typical person doesn’t have the same step stride, most of the newer pedometers automatically determine the variations in a person’s step so that it can calculate your stride so that your steps are accurately counted.
Many people realize that exercising is good for you, but not everyone makes time to exercise regularly. Health experts recommend that everyone exercise at least 150 minutes a week. If you aren’t currently exercising, you should check out my tips on how to go from a sedentary lifestyle to exercising. A pedometer or exercise tracker is a great way to learn how active you are.
Learn more about the benefits of using a pedometer.
Motivation
Did you know that people who wear a pedometer are more motivated to exercise? According to Harvard Health Publications, people who wore a pedometer average 2,000 steps more each day.
Set New Goals
Once you figure out how many steps you take on an average day, you can easily work towards new goals. Goals are a great way to help you increase your activity level. Most people aim to hit 10,000 steps a day when they receive their pedometer. You can aim to meet that each day or you can work towards new daily goals.
Exercise Doesn’t Have to be Vigorous
Many people often think that they should be exercising vigorously, that you have to break a sweat, that you need special equipment or costly memberships, or special clothing, or that you will need to take a shower afterward. You can simply start walking more. Walking has great health benefits and it is low impact. It is something that everyone can do easily.
I don’t want to discourage you from doing vigorous exercise. You can use most pedometers for running and other activities. If you do other forms of exercise, you can easily add it to your fitness tracking app, such as MyFItnessPal.
You Don’t Have to Exercise All at One Time
A pedometer is a great way to track your exercise on a daily basis. The great news is you don’t necessarily have to exercise for 30 minutes all at once. You can break up your workouts throughout the day.
Try these easy ideas to increase your exercise or the number of steps that you take in a day. You can try parking a bit further from the office, take the stairs instead of riding the elevator, or go walk to your co-worker’s office instead of picking up the phone to call them.
Every Step Counts
The great thing about wearing a pedometer all day long, you are able to track all of your steps. So even when you aren’t exercising you can easily track all of your daily activities.
Sleep Tracking
Some of the fancier pedometers can now track your sleep. Health experts recommend that you get 8 hours of sleep every night. The sleep tracker is able to give fairly accurate feedback on your daily sleep patterns. It will allow you to see if you are getting quality sleep. If you aren’t getting adequate quality sleep every night, it could affect your long-term health and you should talk to your doctor if you consistently see a pattern.
The great thing about the pedometers on the market today, they are able to connect to your smartphone and other apps for even greater benefits. Start using a pedometer today and started gaining the benefits of using a pedometer.
