Pedometers

One of the best things you can do when you start to walk is to keep a walking log/diary. Recording the time of day is important as you might find you are happier walking at a particular time of the day. Record the distance if you have a pedometer that tells you but it is just as good to record the number of steps.

Record whether you strolled, walked at a moderate pace or use a pedometer that tells you your walking speed. Don’t be discouraged if you are walking slowly it is still very good for you.

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High Gear FitWare FM

• FM radio (earphones included).
• Adapts to your stride length and provides estimates of calories burned, distance traveled and a countdown timer.

New Lifestyles NL 2000

• Uses “strain-gauge” technology that the manufacturer claims gives a more accurate step and calorie count and works better on very overweight people.
• 7-day memory (good for comparing workouts), a clock and calorie counter.

Read about other pedometers »

Not sure about you but I have a confession to make. I got all excited about pedometers and thought that walking 10,000 steps a day would be easy. I got myself ready to change my world and then… I realised I walked between 3000-5000 steps a day! A few people asked me if I had a beeper when they saw the pedometer and I proudly explained I was getting fit by walking more.

A few days went by and I tried upping this in a small way. Then I’d go off to work and forget to wear my pedometer, or it didn’t suit being worn with a certain outfit.

And then, I realised the pedometer was at the bottom of the hamper, attached to a pair of pants and I hadn’t worn it all week!

I must start wearing my pedometer tomorrow. Or did I say that yesterday?

Does anyone else have similar stories to tell?

While childhood obesity remains a concern, students at Greencastle-Antrim Middle School are taking nutrition and wellness one step further with Project Appalachian Trail Trek in the 2005-06 school year.

Students will literally monitor their steps toward health with a pedometer as they walk through the school year and mark their paths on Appalachian Trail maps in each classroom. The program was developed with a grant from Summit Endowment’s Investing in Tomorrow’s Community Health program and focuses on individualized health.

According to the school nurse, more than 25 percent of G-AMS students are overweight or obese. Project Appalachian Trail Trek was designed for the middle school as a way to focus on lifelong health and wellness.

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In a program called Live It, cycling great Lance Armstrong and other sporting figures will appear in posters encouraging children to be active.

Melanie White, a Coke executive who oversees its vending business in secondary schools and other youth markets, said the program was aimed at sixth graders. She said the company had determined that sixth graders would be the most receptive among its student consumers to its message,

White said Coke’s policy was not to sell any of its products in elementary schools or market to children under 12.

In each school, Coke will hand out pedometers to students and hold contests to reward students who log the highest number of steps in a week. Prizes will include radios intended to be worn during workouts.

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“I was sick and tired of being inside all the time.” That’s what prompted Barb Campbell to think about walking 250 miles from her.

That’s what prompted Barb Campbell to think about walking 250 miles from her home in Chaska to her birthplace in Letcher, South Dakota.

Ms. Campbell had delivered mail at the regional headquarters of an insurance company, walking four miles a day.

“I was curious about how far I walked delivering mail. I used a pedometer to figure it out.”

Barb Campbell began thinking, as she was delivering the mail, that her ancestors had walked for months to cross the prairie when they helped settle South Dakota. When her kids were little, it weighed on her mind that the trip to Letcher, took only five hours. Now that her kids are grown and gone, those thoughts became a challenge.

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• Pace yourself. Start slow and easy, gradually building up to your pace and distance. You should be able to maintain a “conversational” pace - one that enables you to hold a normal conversation while walking without feeling winded.
• Shoe sense. Purchase walking shoes at a professional shoe store, where trained staff can fit your exact type of foot.
• Proper gait. Your own particular style of walking, or gait, determines the distribution of the stress to various parts of your legs and feet. If you are experiencing discomfort - particularly back pain, kneecap pain, legs cramps or a sore Achilles tendon - it may be the result of a gait problem and should be analyzed by a physical therapist.
• Hydrate. As with all sports, hydration should be maintained - drink comfortably and don’t let thirst be your guide. Amounts vary depending on weather and walking conditions; sipping 8-12 oz. of water every 30 minutes from a hydration pack or water bottle is recommended.

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