How to Use a Pedometer for Measuring Cadence

For the person who walks for casual exercise, all that's really required is to put on a comfortable pair of shoes and get walking. For the race walker or the person looking to significantly improve his fitness level, however, it might be necessary to be a bit more methodical about the process of walking. One way to monitor your progress is to measure your cadence, or the number of steps you take per minute. You can do this by simply counting the number of steps you take in a minute's time, though you can also try it using a pedometer.

Things You'll Need

  • Stopwatch
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Instructions

    • 1

      Reset your pedometer to "0" by pressing the device's "Reset" button. Don't start walking just yet.

    • 2

      Start walking and press the "Start" button on your stopwatch at the same time. If you don't have a stopwatch, you can also use a phone timer or watch with a second hand to monitor the time. Walk normally, at the same speed you normally do, or the speed at which you walk during exercise.

    • 3

      Stop the stopwatch at the one-minute mark and stop walking. If you're using a clock, stop walking when one minute has passed.

    • 4

      Note the number of steps on your pedometer. This is the number of steps you've completed in a minute's time, also called "cadence."