Using A Pedometer
It is not often that people hear something about pedometers and therefore it is not inconceivable that people who have heard of those devices can’t say for sure what they are used for or how they work. Pedometers, which are also referred to as stepometers, just measure the distance traveled by the person wearing it and that regardless of whether they are walking or running. The distance measured is based on the movements of the hips, but before a conversion can be made the length of a stride has to be entered. For women that is on average 2.2 feet and for men around 2.5 feet.
The pedometer is a portable device that is simply attached at the waistband and can be ignored for the rest of the day. Given the calibrations already in the device, it can easily calculate the distance you have traveled each day, by using an approximation of the number of steps that you took. Since you do not have to monitor it actively, it is a comfortable and worry-free method of collecting data on your movements.
Pedometers have been around for a long time and similar devices were even used by Roman soldiers to see how far they have traveled. The first modern pedometer was inventing by Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States. Since he didn’t patent the device, it is not for certain if he invented it or just made it popular. Originally pedometers worked like a pendulum, were attached to the waist and steps were counted as the wearer would walk or run. Modern pedometers are much more accurate, though.
The next question to answer would be who uses a pedometer and one group who makes use of this device is doctors. This enables them to collect information on their patients, such as to assess how much effort a patient is putting into their daily exercise. Such information is important and even more so if the patient needs to start a regular exercise program because of health reasons. Pedometers with advanced technology are even able to take the information collected on the patients and post it directly to an online server and that allows the doctor to easily monitor the progress a patient is making.
Another reason for using the pedometer is simply exercise. Some people are using the pedometer to make their exercise routine more efficient. Using the pedometer, the user can be able to monitor his/her exercise program more closely. One can also be able to set realistic goals to increase their exercise threshold based on the information that they have collected using the device.
Pedometers can also be used to collect data for research, because they now are part of some GPS and GPRS capable devices which enable data to be posted online. There a few medical research companies that use pedometers to aid with studies on human behavior and their routines. This is usually a voluntary program and people can choose to participate or not.
For those who are in need of more info on walking, check out this blog for more details about exercise.