Are pedometers worthwhile?

ian4239316

When using three pedometers on a walk, each recorded completely different totals of steps! Any thoughts?

Motor_Election

How much do they differ? I recently bought a very cheap one that has an integrated heart rate monitor. I have no idea how accurate the step counter is, but I bet it's pretty consistent compared to itself so as long as I'm not comparing my steps to anyone else that might be using another step counter, I should be fine

Lillymoo01

Count out 200 steps a number of times and see which pedometer is most often the closest

jemhh

For me, a pedometer is a great tool to ensure that I get plenty of activity. Whether or not they are completely accurate is not a big deal. In other words, I may aim for 8000 steps but in reality 7200+ is good. I don't care about 7900 vs 8000.

WholeFoods4Lyfe

I wear a FitBit, so it's a pedometer, but it also tracks my HR and my sleep patterns plus some other fancy apps and what not. I actually love it. I don't expect it to me the most accurate, but I will say, I occasionally will walk say, 100 steps, count them out and then check my FitBit and it is generally right on. My husband has a barebones FitBit that he keeps in his pants pocket and has done the same experiment and finds his pretty accurate as well.

Seffell

Walking is my main exercise so I use a pedometer (app on my phone). 10k steps are 300cals for me to eat. Gimme!

All apps and a fitbit which I have used show consistent steps (well it's to be expected).

stanmann571

ian4239316 wrote: »

When using three pedometers on a walk, each recorded completely different totals of steps! Any thoughts?

How long a walk, how completely different?

What brands/make/model?

Where mounted? Wrist, belt, ankle?

Over the course of a day, my Garmin and Misfit are consistent within about 10% over 10-15K steps daily. Obviously stairs, or bag carrying can impact this, but unless their each mounted in exactly the same place on your body, there will be inevitable variation.

Lounmoun

I have gone from taking less than 3,000 steps a day to 7,000-8,000 steps most days. Without a pedometer I would exercise spradically and spend the rest of the day sitting. With a pedometer I have increased my daily activity level. There are a lot of benefits to being less sedentary.
When I use my pedometer, I have it clipped to my shirt and I can see it is recording a step as I take it so I feel it is accurate enough. I'm not in a competition or anything so the purpose of my pedometer is just to help me move more.

Aaron_K123

Does having a pedometer encourage you to walk more than you otherwise would? If yes then keep it, if no then don't. Accuracy isn't actually that important because to be honest the exact number of steps isn't what matters....its simply being more active than you were that matters.

kshama2001

I found the MapMy* app to be most unreliable, both in terms of distance (will oddly blank out) and calories - way too high. My FitBit One and Omron pedomenter readings were not identical, but in the ballpark.

But, like Aaron says:

Aaron_K123 wrote: »

Does having a pedometer encourage you to walk more than you otherwise would? If yes then keep it, if no then don't. Accuracy isn't actually that important because to be honest the exact number of steps isn't what matters....its simply being more active than you were that matters.

cwolfman13

I figure my Fitbit Charge 2 is relatively accurate, but really that's not particularly important to me...it's a general indicator of my overall general activity...the exactness of that activity isn't really that important. What's important is that I'm more generally active in my day to day and my Fitbit reminds me to get up and move throughout the day.