When you're aiming to lose weight or just get in better shape, walking can be one way to do it, whether it be walking on a treadmill or going out for a stroll on your lunch break. But if you want to get a sense of how much walking you're doing throughout the day, you may want to use a pedometer. Like most pedometers, the Omron brand pedometer requires you to enter in some basic information before use, so that you'll get a more accurate reading of the steps you've taken.
Measure Stride Length
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Step 1
Draw a chalk line on the ground and then set the back of one foot against the line.
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Step 2
Walk 10 steps, using your normal stride length, and then make a mark at the front of your toe after the 10th step.
Step 3
Measure the distance between the two marks in inches.
Step 4
Divide the number by 10 to arrive at your stride length. Then convert that number to feet and inches, keeping in mind that 12 inches represents 1 foot. For example, if your stride length was 16 inches, you'd represent that number as 1 foot 4 inches.
Enter Your Information
Step 1
Put a fresh battery into the device by removing the back cover with a small screwdriver, pulling out the old battery with a thin stick and then setting a new battery in the battery slot with the "+" side facing upward. Replace the battery cover and tighten the screw. This will cause the device to turn on and display a flashing time indicator in the bottom left corner of the screen. If you don't need to replace the battery yet, you'll still need to remove the battery, as that is how you refresh the data on the device.
Step 2
Press the "Memo/up arrow" button to move up to the current hour. Look at the AM/PM indicator to the left of the time and set the time to the correct time of day. Press "Set" when the correct hour is displayed. Then press the "Memo/up arrow" button again to set the minutes to the correct time. Press "Set" when the correct minute is displayed. Following that, the weight indicator will flash in the top right corner of the screen.
Step 3
Press the "Memo/up arrow" button until your correct weight, in pounds, appears on the screen. Then press the "Set" button to set that weight. Following that, the stride length indicator will display in the top right corner of the screen.
Step 4
Press the "Memo/up arrow" button until the correct stride length is indicated on the screen, in feet and inches. If your stride length was 16 inches, you should have 1.04 displayed on the screen. Press "Set" when you've arrived at the correct number.
Step 5
Clip the pedometer onto your belt or put it in a front pocket to begin counting your steps.
Things You'll Need
Chalk
Measuring tape
Tip
Press the "Set" button and hold it down for 2 seconds to change the time, weight and stride length settings. Pressing "Set" again will move on to the next setting, so if you don't have to change the time but you want to change the weight, press and hold "Set," and then press "Set" once again to skip over the time setting.
Warning
Walking 10,000 steps per day can put you in the "active" category, but that number may not be right for everyone, suggests a study conducted at Arizona State University. The number may be too high for elderly people, and too low for children -- so if you're concerned about health, it's best to get a recommendation from your doctor.