Not Up To The Task

I had to raise the question of whether the pedometer was accurate.

The answer: probably not.

I think my pedometer is better suited to count the steps during a walk. But when it comes to counting all the steps taken in one day, it isn’t cut out to handle that kind of responsibility.

I’m not just speculating here, I have actual facts to back up my conclusion. I tested the accuracy by enlisting the help of my favorite co-worker. She has a pedometer too. So on the first day she wore both hers and mine. And at the end of the day the results were: hers at 6703 and mine at 7787. So on the second day I wore both. And at the end of the day the results were: hers at 2644 and mine at 1849.

When you compare that on the first day when my favorite coworker wore them, mine was 1084 higher... and on the second day when I wore them, hers was 795 higher... these results leave me with nothing, but a headache so the great pedometer experiment will have to be reevaluated. Perhaps I’ll take it back up in the warmer weather when I can use it strictly for walks.

What the heck did I expect for $15.00?

The Great Pedometer Experiment

I thought a good way to approach the exercise thing was to figure out how much I was getting while doing nothing out of the ordinary. Why overlook the many steps I take during the day? They are no different than if I were walking them in a park or on a treadmill. So I decided to wear a pedometer to see how many steps I took during my workday.

The first workday I took 4,685 steps. Not bad considering I just did my normal work routine, disregarding the few extra steps I had to take because my favorite coworker decided to HELP by taking my closer parking spot.

But a number wasn’t enough. I needed a scale to measure it on. I searched and ran across this good one*:

1) Under 5,000 steps/day may be used as a “sedentary lifestyle index.” (blogger thought: okay, I just feel they want to say lazy, because honestly when you see “low active” in the next one - what else is there to conclude?)

2) 5,000-7,499 steps/day is typical of daily activity excluding sports/exercise and might be considered “low active.”

3) 7,500-9,999 likely includes some volitional activities (and/or elevated occupational activity demands) - (blogger’s thought: this is just the 50-cent version of someone choosing to exercise or their work requiring them to exercise more) and might be considered “somewhat active.”

4) 10,000 steps/day indicates the point that should be used to classify individuals as “active.”

5) Individuals who take more than 12,500 steps/day are likely to be classified as “highly active.”

Keep in mind I only counted steps taken during work, so to say I’m in the “sedentary” category seems a little harsh. If I were to breakdown my steps by hour, I averaged 625 steps/hour. Times it by 15 (average hours I’m awake) and you get 9, 375 steps/day. Now I’ll keep in mind I don’t walk as much when I'm at home, so that number is probably high. But I don’t necessarily think its sufficient grounds to bump me out of the “somewhat active” category.

I think the only way an accurate conclusion can be made is if I wear a pedometer for a complete day. Problem is, the second day I tried to wear it to work, I accidentally knocked it off my pants. After it hit the floor, it didn’t want to count for me. I guess it figured if I was going to be careless, I didn’t deserve its services.

I’ll give it the weekend to go over its options: working for me or the trash.

*Sports Med 2004; 34(1):1-8

“How many steps/day are enough? Preliminary pedometer indices for public health.”

Tudor-Locke, C and Bassett DR Jr