Pedometer

[Philfran]

Does anyone know if it is possible to buy a basic pedometer? I only want to know how many steps I have taken each day around the house & garden. I used to have one that was perfect. It broke about 10 years ago & I’ve been hunting for a replacement ever since. I can’t use the ones with fiddly little buttons (arthritis) so anything I have to enter data in is out. Anything that clips on is out (I’ve smashed at least 4 that didn’t stay clipped). The watch ones cost a fortune & don’t work unless you swing your arms. I just want some way of making sure my step rate doesn’t drop too much during lockdown. Since I had a working pedometer, I’ve used knowing how far it is to various places to keep track of my walking but can’t do that now as they are all crowded places. I never lost weight without walking & am finding it very difficult as I can’t risk bringing anything back to a vulnerable husband.

[moreless Administrator 7 stone]

I bought one years ago and it was absolutely useless! Check and see if your phone has one, but gauge your steps by the length of time you're walking. As a rough estimate, 7.5K is approx 10,000 steps and will take roughly an hour and a half. Make a point of walking for 5 mins an hour.

Join our Fit is Fun Club to keep you on track healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

I hope this helps

[Philfran Visitor in reply to moreless]

I can’t work out how to do that at home. I’ve been shifting furniture, clearing out, loading a skip, gardening- lots of steps but no way to measure them. In normal times, I do around 10,000 a day but that’s because I walk everywhere. All the stuff I’m doing is stop/start “walk down garden, get spade, walk to border, dig hole, fetch water, carry compost, plant, clear away”. I’ve tried counting as I go but I always forget where I’ve got to. Thanks anyway.

[moreless Administrator 7 stone in reply to Philfran]

You only have to time yourself. I've done it many a time. Just walk around the house and garden for 5 minutes every hour.

[Philfran Visitor in reply to moreless]

I’ll do that, thanks, but I still want to know how much is built into

a normal day. I’ll do a mix of all the suggestions.

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone in reply to Philfran]

I use the Active10 app on my phone. It records how many minutes you spend walking, and how many of those are 'brisk'. If it's a question of building up your regular activity, minutes is just as useful as steps

[Philfran Visitor in reply to BridgeGirl]

I’ll look into that, thanks. It means living in jeans (pocket big enough for phone) but I can do that!

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone in reply to Philfran]

Yes, it does mean having your phone on you all the time. I just use it when I go for a "proper" walk. That's what interests me so I don't count otherwise.

[Philfran Visitor in reply to BridgeGirl]

Thanks but it’s more a question of knowing what my baseline is. I feel as if I’m on my feet all day but I’m not sure how much is movement & really want to know where I’m starting from.

[Subtle_badger]

If you are carrying your phone, that's your answer. Any recent phone can install a step count app. Android has Google fit built in, and it works quite well. Apple Health is much the same.

I found this mountainwarehouse.com/pedom...

Amazon have some for under £10 too.

If I wanted a pedometer now, I would ask on my neighbourhood WhatsApp group. I bet there are dozens in drawers of people who have moved on the FitBits etc.

[Philfran Visitor in reply to Subtle_badger]

What a brilliant idea! WhatsApp here I come. The good bit about lockdown is that I’m in my street, ward & city groups - one of them must have a pedometer.

[Subtle_badger in reply to Philfran]

I'm sure you will get one. I have one in a drawer somewhere.

Or at least I used to have one and I don't remember binning it.

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone in reply to Subtle_badger]

Inspired idea, Subtly_badger. There are some bizarre things being offered for free or cheap on my local Facebook groups, too, and they all seem to get snapped up

[RG07 Maintainer]

decathlon do a basic pedomter for about £7 but that was a couple of years ago which is clip on though I used to find it sometimes dropped off my trouser so I prefer the keyring type and attach it in my trouser loops or on skirts the loops that can hook onto coat hangers

[Philfran Visitor in reply to RG07]

👍