Pedometer

Pedometer is a device, usually portable and electronic or electromechanical, that counts each step a person takes by detecting the motion of the person's hands or hips. Because the distance of each person's step varies, an informal calibration, performed by the user, is required if presentation of the distance covered in a unit of length (such as in kilometers or miles) is desired, though there are now pedometers that use electronics and software to automatically determine how a person's step varies. Distance traveled (by walking or any other means) can be measured directly by a GPS receiver.

History

Leonardo da Vinci envisioned a mechanical pedometer as a tool for calculating the distance traveled by foot soldiers. The first significant deployment of pedometers, known as "manpo-kei" (meaning "10,000 steps meter" in Japanese), was in Japan in the 1960s.

Function

Pedometers work on the principle of motion detection, most commonly by means of a mechanical sensor. Some pedometers also include a facility to record other data, such as blood pressure, heart rate, and sleep quality.

Health benefits

Regular use of a pedometer can increase physical activity and improve health outcomes. A systematic review found that pedometer users increased their physical activity by 26.9% over baseline.

See also

• Accelerometer
• Actigraphy
• Activity tracker
• Fitbit
• Odometer
• Treadmill

References

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