Whats the BEST Pedometer? Should I Count my Steps??

Whats the BEST Pedometer and why? I'm looking into new options since I'm always having issues with my fitbit syncing. I'd ideally like to put on the letter that was sent directly to MFP.

Purpose of Counting Steps? I guess I just naturally did it when I started this goal of losing weight, but I don't actually know what the purpose of counting your step is other than just to keep track of exercise? But then I recently heard that your daily walking shouldn't be counted as exercise so I guess I'm a bit confused now....

Replies

  • playmadcats
    playmadcats Posts: 199 Member
    edited August 2016
    My first one many years ago was a rosemary conley (sp). That was great, When I started walking again I went through several cheap ones, found they stopped working after few days, if they ever worked at all, or were terribly inaccurate. Would count six steps at once, if I sat down, but half the walking steps wouldn't register unless I stamped my feet down.
    Latest one was a Tanita, That was brilliant until I accidentally put it through the wash. However at just under the £20 mark rather than replace it decided to put money towards Vivofit instead.

    Although your normal step,s eg around the house, at work etc are included in your activity level. Counting steps can help, if your getting too few steps a day can always have walk round the block, to up them a bit (I work a split shift on Fridays and my step count is always lower that day).
    I don't generally log walking round the village , however if I go for a long walk, (usually over an hour) Yes I do log that as it isn't a daily thing.
  • Bruja924
    Bruja924 Posts: 51 Member
    Will Vivofit sync to MFP?
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    I would say Fitbit Zip is the best in my experience for the purpose of counting steps. It's small, discreet, you don't need to bother with charging it every few days, it's not affected by arm movements so the step count is more accurate, Fitbit as a brand is popular so it syncs well with many different services including MFP, and this particular tracker is on the cheaper side to boot. It may not scratch the gadget itch if you like shiny gadgets and techy knick-knacks, but it does exactly what it needs to do and does it well.

    The purpose of counting steps is to track your activity level. Activity level shouldn't be counted towards exercise if your activity is fairly consistent and you are using a TDEE calculator to estimate your calorie burn. MFP offers the option to add any extra activity as exercise if you are set to sedentary. This could be helpful if your activity level is not consistent, and it could also be helpful if you want to find out what your actual daily activity looks like (for example, my current step count is considered "lightly active" and used to be "active" a few months ago).
  • playmadcats
    playmadcats Posts: 199 Member
    edited August 2016
    Yes, usually do it through my phone.
    To be honest it was a lot more than I wanted to pay originally, but its been worth it. Also handy as this model is waterproof so don't need to worry about it when swimming or doing aqua classes.
  • Bruja924
    Bruja924 Posts: 51 Member
    I had a fit bit zip, but the dog ate it. :|
    I currently have a fit bit HR, but I don't feel it's really accurate. A friend of mine told me that I should wear it on my ankles so it could be more accurate, but if I do that I don't think it will measure my heart rate which defeats the purpose of me getting the HR in the first place.
  • Justme_1
    Justme_1 Posts: 104 Member
    I stopped using vivofit and have a Polar A300 now. Its larger on the wrist, but it has the Heart rate monitor accessory. The app also divides up your movement activity in hours. Sleep, sitting, low, moderate, and intense activity. Worth a look
  • playmadcats
    playmadcats Posts: 199 Member
    It is worth looking around for the right one. Next year I may upgrade to a better Garmin or Polar due to the swim options. However its just something im looking at.
    My Ffirst activity tracker after a range of pedometers was a misfit, which unfortunately conked out after first night. (hated the tracker but did like the ap for it). My lodger has later version of the vivofit, yet its wasted. He loved it the first couple of weeks but hardly glances at it now. He may as well have bought a pedometer at couple of quid.
  • marm1962
    marm1962 Posts: 950 Member
    I am not sure what fitbit everyone is using that is having so many issues syncing to mfp, I had an issue on one day and one day only, my flex syncs all the time.
  • Bruja924
    Bruja924 Posts: 51 Member
    marm1962 wrote: »
    I am not sure what fitbit everyone is using that is having so many issues syncing to mfp, I had an issue on one day and one day only, my flex syncs all the time.
    I have the HR. It is not syncing at all. As of now, I'm using my iPhone to track my steps, but its very inaccurate because I put it down and walk away to do something all the time.