How to Set the Stride on a Pedometer

The pedometer was created so when you exercise, every step you take is taken into account to determine how many calories you have burned. The stride information on your pedometer is how far you go when you take a single step. If your stride distance is programmed incorrectly, you might be getting more or less exercise than you believe. Follow simple steps to correctly set the stride on your pedometer.

Things You'll Need

  • Pedometer
  • Track or measurable distance
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Instructions

    • 1

      Determine the distance you're going to walk. The longer the distance, the more accurate your stride setting on your pedometer will be. Make sure you walk on a flat surface--if you are walking up and down hills, your stride will be inaccurate.

    • 2

      Walk the area. Count every step that you take as you walk the given distance. If you do not, it will affect the answer you get for your correct stride length.

    • 3

      Divide the distance you walked by the number of strides you took. The result is the length of your average stride. To be even more precise, you may choose to walk the given distance several times and average the numbers you get for the length of your stride.

    • 4

      Take the number you calculated, and program it into your pedometer. Make sure you punch in the number using the correct unit of measurement. If you measured in meters, make sure you program your pedometer for meters. Likewise if your measured distance was feet.