The pedometer watch can be a complicated device at times. It has many different settings and each individual brand of watch comes with separate functions and terminology. Hopefully you will have received a small manual when you originally bought your particular pedometer watch but here are some few basic steps all pedometer owners must take when using our pedometer watch. It’s not just about setting up the mechanics of the device as you would with work out equipment like flat weight benches; it’s about taking full advantage of those mechanics so as to push our fitness routine to the next level.
Calibration:
The calibration process is the first step for any pedometer watch owner. When you take the watch out of the box for the first time you’ll find it a blank slate. It has no idea who you are, what your body type is, or how fast you move. You’re going to have to get that information into the watch originally so that it will know you enough to keep track of your movements for the next time.
Think of it like the Control group in a science experiment. Without a base line control group (i.e. your original calibration) the pedometer watch has no idea what any movement means. It needs something to compare it to.
The actual process of calibrating a watch differs from watch to watch but it has some basic principles. You can find the nuts and bolts step by step guide to calibrating your personal pedometer watch in the owner’s manual. Basically, you put the watch on for the first time and then you take a few steps. This will establish a base line from which all future steps will be judged.
Walking/Running:
For most watches you can track separately your casual daily steps and your dedicated work out steps. What you want to do is decide which one of these you’re going to pay most attention to. Are you going to be a dedicated power walker and only track the stride you do while you’re in work out clothes jogging along the side walk? Or will you wear the watch constantly and track every step you take while at home, at the office, or around the neighborhood?
Each person is different. Personally, I only track my work out regimes. I don’t really care about how much I’m walking around every day on a casual basis because I’ll be doing that anyway. What I care about is being more disciplined about my work out and tracking my progress with the pedometer watch when I’m in run mode is a great way to stay motivated.
Goal Setting:
Speaking of staying motivated, goal setting is a huge factor in succeeding with your fitness regimen. When you set realistic goals you are more likely to strive to achieve them. Just by setting them out in a direct and understandable way it is committing to them and will be more difficult to quit.
The pedometer watch is a great utility for goal achieving because you can set hard goals and keep track of your progress with it. For beginners I would set your goals for maybe 500 steps per day. Make sure you wear your pedometer watch whenever you are walking and then make a note of the number of steps you took each day. Some watches even allow you to save this data on the watch itself and look back on it when you want to.
Eventually you’ll find that if you slowly increase your daily walking goals you’ll end up walking for miles without even noticing it. This is how marathoners build themselves up for the competition. They will over time achieve small goals so that when the big race day comes they have been training for it and their ready.
Pedometer watches will help you to stay motivated as you continue on the path to a healthier lifestyle. Use them to keep track of your progress and feel good about yourself when you achieve something. Keep up the good work!
