So every year we all make those resolutions about losing weight, exercising more, and eating less you know the ones. Two weeks later we drive past the Fitness Club, hang our clothes on the work out apparatus, and not remember what we said after all it is too cumbersome.
For me, I am one of those people who, needs to know, has to assess things. To know I am making progress and although stepping on the scales once a week is the ultimate test how can you analyze activity during the week to make sure you’re getting enough exercise? I determined I needed to track how far I walked each day as a evaluation of my activity level. I also knew by setting myself a target I would compete with my ego to beat it.
Last year I tried out one of those super-cheap pedometers that was being giving away and found it was absolutely useless. It only recorded about half the steps I took, but counted every single little bump I hit when driving my car. An interesting, but ultimately futile experimentation.
Over the months I reviewed a slew of pedometers, and decided to go up-market and settled on the Omron HJ 112.
Whats Included The Box
The unit comes with the following:
Main Unit CR2032 battery Mini-Screwdriver for battery insertion 6 strap Clip for strap Belt holder Instruction Card Warranty Card
Features of the Omron HJ 112
After setting the date and time you need to input your weight and stride distance. Your weight is used for calorie calculations and your stride distance for calculating actual miles walked (The conversion from steps to miles). Based upon these settings the device can then measure and calculate the following.
Steps Taken Aerobic Steps taken Miles Traveled Calories Consumed
The Aerobic steps taken is an appealing addition as it tracks steps taken when you have exercised continuously for more than ten minutes at a rate of greater than 1 step per second.
The HJ 112 keeps track of previous data for seven days, so by pressing the memory button you can compare today’s achievements to the preceding week. A very effective feature if you actually want to keep a diary or log of your activity. You should also notice that the unit automatically resets to zero at midnight, so you don’t have to remember to do it yourself in the morning.
Using The Pedometer
Although you can slip the pedometer into a pocket or a purse (as long as you keep it moderately upright) Ive found the best position for it is either clipped to my belt or to the inside of my pants pocket. The item actually has two unrelated motion detectors, so unless its positioned parallel to the ground or swung around like a pendulum you will get an accurate analysis. The actual clip is small very small, so if you bend over you can push the pedometer off the belt. Since there is also a safety strap you should fasten that as well to keep the HJ 112 safe and secure. It has never totally fallen off during exercise.
One added benefit, especially if you’re using it at work, is that it is totally silent.
Accuracy
The device is amazingly accurate ” Ive tested it walking, on a treadmill , going up and down stairs and jogging ” and each time it has been accurate to within one counted step. There is a maximum settable stride length of four feet ” so if you have long legs and are a serious runner it may not track the distance accurately ” although rest assured it will track every single step you take.
Motivation
As mentioned in the previous section I keep the device mainly on my belt ” even at work. The HJ 112 is a stylish burnished metallic unit, about 2 height by 1 wide and at first glance could be mistaken for a cell phone.
I set my particular goal to 10,000 steps a day ” which is a challenge unless I work out every day on my treadmill or walk the dog several times. I have found that the feedback helps me add steps into my everyday routine. By not parking in the closest parking spot, taking the stairs and so on I can add almost 2,000 steps a day. 2,000 steps is about 1 mile which equates to just over 100 calories. Do that every day and that’s equivalent to losing a pound a month just through incremental exercise!!!
What Do I Think?
If you are at all serious with reference to purchasing a pedometer the Omron HJ 112 is worth a serious look. It is rated the number one pedometer by consumer users and is definitely a great fit for me!
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