The Chronic Consumer

As part of my efforts to lose some weight, I’ve decided to follow the 10,000 Steps program. The concept is simple: you should strive to take at least 10,000 steps every day, which is the approximate equivalent of 5 miles. This is is supposed to represent the minimum amount of extra activity/exercise that you need on a daily basis, but I’m not sure if that claim is accurate or not.

Anyway, in order to follow the 10,000 steps program, you need a good pedometer. I had a hard time choosing one because it’s hard to tell whether or not the device is accurate, but finally went with a mid-range model from Yamasa, a Japanese manufacturer. It cost around $25. I saw cheaper options for $10, and more expensive ones for about $50.

The pedometer has three display settings: Steps, Distance, and Calories, and I’m sure you can guess what kind of information is displayed for each of the settings! To get the calorie info, you have to input your age and weight first, which took about 5 seconds. The device also displays the current time.

This Yamasa pedometer has a clip so you can attach it to your pants. The instructions say that the device also works if you just carry it around in your purse or pocket, but I haven’t tried that, so I wouldn’t know.

So far, I like my Yamasa pedometer well enough, but I don’t think it’s totally accurate. For example, I’ve tested it by counting my steps as I walk and seeing if my numbers match the display. I’ve done this both for short distances (20 steps or so) and slightly longer distances (100+ steps) and have gotten mixed results. Sometimes the numbers are accurate, sometimes not. When they’re not, the mistakes can be on the plus side (the device counting too many steps) or on the minus side (not counting enough). It’s weird.

Overall, this pedometer is good for giving me a rough estimate of how far I’m walking every day. At least I’m far more aware of having to get up and move around when I’m wearing than I was before, so even if I’m not taking exactly 10,000 steps, I’m definitely getting close. And it’s surprising how much extra movement is needed to hit that goal!

If you’re looking for a pedometer to help count your steps, this one will serve just as well as any other. It’s not 100 percent accurate, but from what I’ve read, none of them are.