Working With A Pedometer
It is not often that people hear something about pedometers and therefore it is not inconceivable that people who have heard of those devices can’t say for sure what they are used for or how they work. Pedometers, which are also referred to as stepometers, just measure the distance traveled by the person wearing it and that regardless of whether they are walking or running. The distance measured is based on the movements of the hips, but before a conversion can be made the length of a stride has to be entered. For women that is on average 2.2 feet and for men around 2.5 feet.
Pedometers are portable and only have to be attached to the waistband of the wearer in order to be used for the entire day. Since the necessary calibrations are already entered into the pedometer, the distance traveled can easily be calculated using the number of steps taken during the day. The good thing about pedometers is that they don’t have to actively be monitored while worn and that makes them hassle free.
The history of the pedometer goes back a long way. The invention of the device is credited to Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the US. He did not patent the idea and so it is unclear whether he designed it or just responsible for making it popular. The initial pedometer worked much like a pendulum. It was tied on the waist and collected readings as the person was walking or running. Similar inventions go back even further than that into the 15th century where roman soldiers used a similar device to ascertain how far they had walked. It is important to note however, the readings in these times were not as accurate as they are now.
So who uses the pedometer? The single greatest reason for using the device currently is medical. Doctors are requesting some of their patients to use the device to ascertain how much effort they are putting into their daily leaving. It is common with patients who are trying to get into a regular exercise routine for health reasons. Technology has even gone a step further to make it such that the information collected from these devices is posted directly to a server online, where the doctors can monitor the patient’s progress.
A pedometer can also just be used by those wanting to exercise and who want to make their routing more effective. Using this device enables the person to keep track of the exercise program. Knowing about it lets the person to set goals that are realistic and which are based on personal thresholds.
Pedometers can also be used to collect data for research, because they now are part of some GPS and GPRS capable devices which enable data to be posted online. There a few medical research companies that use pedometers to aid with studies on human behavior and their routines. This is usually a voluntary program and people can choose to participate or not.
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