An alarming study published by the BBC in January 2010 confirms what doctors have been warning for decades – that our sedentary lifestyles are literally killing us.

The study proved that people sitting for more than 4 hours per day can cause their bodies to send the same shutdown signals that are present in the brain at death.

Computers, televisions, office work, and driving cause most of us to not move about as much as we should.

How much exercise is needed to counter this new threat?

Not very much! Experts have concluded that strict exercise regimes can actually hurt rather than help because people rarely follow through and stick with them. It is better to do a little exercise consistently every day rather than in bursts with long unmotivated gaps between workout days.

To be not be considered “sedentary” and at risk for metabolic shutdown, you need to walk at least 5000 steps a day or more. This equates to roughly a little over 2 miles a day, much of which comes from just normal daily activities.

To be considered “active” and in an increased metabolic state for weight loss or fitness, you need to walk 10,000 steps a day or more. This may sound like a lot, but it adds up quick.

How do you know when you are doing enough?

Pedometers are small step-counting devices that you wear on your belt to track how many steps you have walked every day. More advanced models can be put into your pocket and will record distance, speed, and even calories burned.

A study done in 2005 by Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise showed that people that own pedometers are three times more likely to walk 5000 steps or more a day. Having a cheap pedometer on your hip or in your pocket reminds you daily of your goals and helps you get a feel for your progress.

When do you wear a pedometer?

Pedometers are not just for fitness, jogging, or running. Many people wear pedometers on their belt around the office, when they go shopping, or just when going about normal daily activity.

Which pedometers are best?

Cheap pedometers ($5 – $10) are simply digital step counters with one or two buttons on them. These are not highly accurate but are fine for just tracking daily activity.

People that are more serious about walking may be interested in more advanced models that have memories to chart goals – some even connect to your computer via USB so you can upload your results to groups on the web.

If you are interested in weight loss, be sure to get a digital pedometer that tracks your calories burned during each walk or workout, these can be purchased for around $30.

How to use a pedometer?

For cheap pedometers, you must first set your pedometer stride distance. This is the distance of a normal step which will vary slightly between people of different heights. Once set, you must wear the pedometer on your belt as level as possible to ensure that it “clicks” with each up and down movement when you walk.

Advanced units like Omron pedometers can be placed into your pocket and you do not need to worry so much about them being level on your belt. Expensive models even use GPS signals to track your speed and distance moved throughout the day, these can be placed anywhere.

In conclusion:

Pedometers are obviously not miracle devices, but if a cheap step counter can make you more informed about your level of activity and keep you motivated about walking more than 5000 steps a day to counter metabolic shutdown, they may very well help you to live longer!

Obviously people of different heights will have different sized steps, and running, jogging, or walking can make a difference in how much distance is traveled too.  Setting a Pedometer is simple, you need to follow the instructions that came with your model, but most require you to measure at least one “average step”.

First, you need to understand that the “step length” is the distance between the heel on one foot to the heel on your other foot during an average step.

Here are some of the ways to measure a step length:

1. Using a tape measure, measure a distance of 10 feet and then while walking at normal speed, count how many steps it takes to cover that set measured distance.  Your step length in inches will be 120 inches (10 feet) divided by the number of steps.
2. Pour some water into a puddle on your driveway.  Start away from the puddle and walk at normal speed through the puddle and keep walking.  You will be able to measure the distance on the wet footprints from the heel on your left foot to the heel on your right foot.

If you cannot use one of the methods above, you can get going quickly with a rough estimate of (your height x .413 for women) or (your height x .415 for men).  Note: this is the most inaccurate way to “guesstimate” your step length but its still better than nothing!

Rating: 1.5 out of 5 stars

The Sportline 330 pedometer is a low cost and popular option for those just looking to casually count steps taken throughout the course of a day.

The pedometer comes with a walking book, reinforced belt clip, and is popular because there are no adjustments to make.

Unfortunately, lots of users complain of the Sportline 330 Pedometer resetting itself unexpectedly or just dying outright, prompting the need for a replacement.

Rather than purchase a less-than-reliable pedometer, consider looking at the high quality Omron HJ 112.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

The Omron HJ 112 Pedometer is one of the best selling and most popular on the market.

The most important feature on the HJ-112 is the “dual sensor” technology which allows it to be used in a pocket or purse even, rather than clipped onto your belt like other pedomters.

The Omron HJ-112 does the expected in tracking your steps but then goes further by tracking distance traveled, calories burned, and even “moderate” steps and distance.  Moderate steps are steps taken at a moderate pace, more for fitness than just normal walking throughout the day.

The Omron HJ 112 keeps a 1 week record of your activities so that you can monitor your walking, plus it resets itself automatically to start tracking a new day at midnight in case you forget.

The battery in the Omron HJ 112 lasts for approximately 6 months at 10,000 steps a day, which is considered quite active.

This advanced pedometer separately displays aerobic steps and minutes that start counting after 10 minutes of continuous walking with more than 60 steps a minute.

Get the latest price for Omron pedometers on Amazon.com.

Here are some of the features on the best selling step counters on Amazon to help you compare walking pedometers!

Some features that you may want to look for to compare pedometers:

1. Ability to work in a pocket or bag, not just on a belt clip.
2. Calorie and distance tracking.
3. Ability to read different planes (the pedometer does not have to be level to get proper readings like many others).
4. Speed measurement.
5. Memory to record data from previous walks.

There are some incredibly cheap deals for pedometers, many times the replacement battery will cost more than the cheap pedometer itself!  Be aware that as with most things, you get what you pay for.

If your goal is simply to count steps around the house, a pedometer for under $10 will do the trick.  If you plan on using it for fitness or weight loss, go for the $30 – $50 price range.

Here are some highly advanced models for comparison:

Omron HJ 112:

Features:

A good way to stay on top of free offers like that is to sign up for updates at www.slickdeals.net and other freebie sites.

You can also find nearly free pedometers on www.pedometersusa.com where prices can be as low as $1 each and free shipping!

Don’t expect the free step counters to be too accurate, but its still a good start and you can always upgrade later if you stay interested.

We will be posting offers for free pedometers below as they show up on Twitter or RSS for freebie sites!

Promotional pedometers are simply digital step counters that have your company name and logo on them.

These low-cost devices make a great gift to employees and offer a unique and classy way to promote your brand name.

By giving away logo pedometers for promotion, you show that you are interested in your employees’ or customers’ health.

Benefits of giving away promotional pedometers:

1. It encourages your employees to walk and promotes better health.  A healthy employee is far more productive, happier, and misses less work.
2. Pedometers are proven by medical studies to make people want to exercise.
3. People are far less likely to discard or lose a pedometer over the typical “swag” like ink pens, business cards, and magnets.
4. There is a good chance that people will wear your gift on their hip all day long, constantly reminding them of your brand and exposing it to others in the office.
5. Pedometers are a classy and professional way to advertise – even better than promotional USB drives which is the current trend.

Promotional bulk pedometers are surprisingly low-cost and are a very functional and entertaining way to promote your business name!