First pedometer

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RoyBeck
RoyBeck Posts: 947 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Bought my first one today. Once clipped onto my shorts or joggers can I take it as red that it will be as close to 100% accurate as can be? Is it accurate on a treadmill too I assume so? It cost £10.

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  • dondimitri
    dondimitri Posts: 245 Member
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    I haven't used mine on a treadmill yet. However, outdoors, once I had my stride length dialed in, it was very close to my GPS reading.
    I actually used my GPS distance reading combined with the number of steps registered on the pedometer to fine tune the tread length which is entered into the pedometer. Once that was done it was quite accurate and repeatable.

    My guess is that it would be accurate in the gym also but comparing it against the treadmill could be misleading if the treadmill distance is not accurate itself. I'm curious to see what others say about this.
  • GZA78
    GZA78 Posts: 3
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    I agree about it being misleading on the treadmill. I've got a Fitbit and Weight Watchers pedometer and they both give different readings on the treadmill. I've taken to using "Runkeeper" on my outdoor runs and it works well
  • RoyBeck
    RoyBeck Posts: 947 Member
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    My aim is to quit the gym and stick to road walking if the pedometer is accurate?
  • RoyBeck
    RoyBeck Posts: 947 Member
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    Just put my pedometer on my shorts and played the wii for 20 minutes playing tennis and I burnt 42 calories. I'm not going to add them to MFP totals but nice to know and I play this 5/6 nights a week so I'm sure it'll all add to the cause eh?
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,620 Member
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    I'm using a cheapo pedometer supplied by a fitness challenge at work. It was really inaccurate when I clipped it to my waist, but works much better clipped lower down the leg on my sock.
  • RoyBeck
    RoyBeck Posts: 947 Member
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    Can I ask how you knew it was inaccurate then and how it's more accurate now?
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,620 Member
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    I was just counting steps for a fitness challenge at work, so not calories. I would work out for 65 minutes on the elliptical trainer, and the pedometer would say I had taken maybe 200 steps. My estimate would be 65*60*2=7800, if I take 2 steps a second. Also a 2 km walk would get logged as 10 or 20 steps. Since wearing it lower down the leg, it seems to register steps better.
  • CountryClintDPT
    CountryClintDPT Posts: 1
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    If you have a smart phone, I recommend the AccuPedo Pedometer app. I mean, you'll have your phone with you at all times anyways. Plus it's one less thing to carry, and it's free. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.corusen.accupedo.te&hl=en
  • RoyBeck
    RoyBeck Posts: 947 Member
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    I was just counting steps for a fitness challenge at work, so not calories. I would work out for 65 minutes on the elliptical trainer, and the pedometer would say I had taken maybe 200 steps. My estimate would be 65*60*2=7800, if I take 2 steps a second. Also a 2 km walk would get logged as 10 or 20 steps. Since wearing it lower down the leg, it seems to register steps better.

    Sounds like yours was out by thousands!! I walked on the spot for a minute yesterday counting 125 steps and took the ped off my shorts and it said 123 so I'm happy hopefully.
  • RoyBeck
    RoyBeck Posts: 947 Member
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    What do you guys think? I walked 10/12 minutes from home to gym and the pedometer said I burnt 55 calories. Then did 45 minutes on the treadmill at level 7/15 gradient on 4.8kph and the treadmill said I'd burnt 127!! I was walking faster on the treadmill so I know it's wrong so should I stick with using the ped fir street walking only?

    Incidentally the treadmill said I'd burnt 460.
  • RoyBeck
    RoyBeck Posts: 947 Member
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    Bump?
  • dondimitri
    dondimitri Posts: 245 Member
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    What do you guys think? I walked 10/12 minutes from home to gym and the pedometer said I burnt 55 calories. Then did 45 minutes on the treadmill at level 7/15 gradient on 4.8kph and the treadmill said I'd burnt 127!! I was walking faster on the treadmill so I know it's wrong so should I stick with using the ped fir street walking only?

    Incidentally the treadmill said I'd burnt 460.

    At 3mph (4.8kph) a 180 pound man would burn approximately 100 calories per mile or 100 calories per 20 minutes. (300 calories/hour).
    Not knowing your pace or weight I could only say that the reading of 55 calories per 10/12 minutes "seems about right".

    I'm confused about the other numbers: First you said the "treadmill said I'd burnt 127" and then said the "treadmill said I'd burnt 460". So we have to pick one or the other. :smile:

    So given that at 4.8kph you're burning approx. 300 calories per hour (assuming your weight is around 180 pounds) I would have expected the treadmill to report approximately 200 calories if you were at zero incline. It appears you were at a significant incline so that number could easily double.

    I'm thinking that the 127 calorie number seems low. The 467 calorie number seems a little more reasonable but to me seems on the high side. That's right at 10 calories per minute. For me to hit 10 calories per minute on the treadmill I use I'd need to be at about 4 mph at an incline of 7 out of 20. (I was about 185 pounds when those numbers were taken.)

    Question: What pedometer do you have?
  • RoyBeck
    RoyBeck Posts: 947 Member
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    Thanks for your reply. It says sport line on it it isn't the most advanced and cost £10.00 but I'd still expect it to be fairly accurate.

    I walked to my gym and it burnt 55 calories in 10/12 minutes. Then on the treadmill for 45 minutes it said 127 despite the built in counter on the treadmill saying I'd burnt 460ish. That's a difference if over 330 calories! I weigh 247 lbs.

    Which one do I trust?
  • RoyBeck
    RoyBeck Posts: 947 Member
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    I think ill leave the pedometer for street walking. If the treadmill says 500 for the purpose of MFP ill input 400.
  • dondimitri
    dondimitri Posts: 245 Member
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    I'm not sure which one to trust. Knowing that you weigh 247 the 127 number seems quite low.
    I think the treadmill number seems more reasonable.

    Not all pedometers can correctly deal with inclines may be one of the problems...

    Not sure where you go from here... good luck!
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,620 Member
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    Sorry I haven't read the last couple of posts. I was on a fitness for diabetics course (where we were all overweight) and the nutritionist quoted 300 cals per hour for walking was a reasonable ball park figure. Adjustments necessary for weight and speed.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,620 Member
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    if you don't want to invest in a HRM, I would try to borrow one for a session on your typical workout so you can calibrate calories accordingly. I start using a HRM a month ago, and the differences between burns reported the HRM and by cardio machines were pretty dramatic.

    My typical workout is 65 on the elliptical targeting a heart rate of 140-150, sprinting for 20 seconds if necessary to stay in the zone.

    Polar FT4: 530 cals
    Machine Reading: 780 cals
    MFP Database: 926
  • dondimitri
    dondimitri Posts: 245 Member
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    if you don't want to invest in a HRM, I would try to borrow one for a session on your typical workout so you can calibrate calories accordingly. I start using a HRM a month ago, and the differences between burns reported the HRM and by cardio machines were pretty dramatic.

    My typical workout is 65 on the elliptical targeting a heart rate of 140-150, sprinting for 20 seconds if necessary to stay in the zone.

    Polar FT4: 530 cals
    Machine Reading: 780 cals
    MFP Database: 926

    wow, huge differences...

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