How to Program a Pedometer

Pedometers allow you to measure the amount of steps you take and the distance you walk or run each day. They can help you track your workouts, especially if you prefer to run or walk through city blocks and neighborhoods instead of treadmills or tracks. Before you begin using your pedometer, you must program it so it knows what distance to measure each time you take a step.

Instructions

    • 1

      Reset the pedometer to clear any past or default information that doesn't apply to you. Do this by pressing the "Reset" button. Many times, this button needs to be pressed with a small object like a toothpick because it is indented into the pedometer to avoid an accidental reset. If there is no reset button, hold down all buttons on your pedometer for 5 to 10 seconds.

    • 2

      Enter your height and weight. Most pedometers have simple "Up," "Down," "Left" and "Right" buttons that help you navigate through your menus. Some have "A," "B" and "C" buttons. Read the instruction manual or play around with the buttons until you figure out how they work. Use these buttons until you reach the appropriate numbers for your height and weight and save them.

    • 3

      Find a large, open space and take 20 steps that feel normal to you. If you plan to use your pedometer for running, run those 20 steps. Make sure the pedometer registered the correct amount of steps. If it did not, adjust the location of the pedometer on your body.

    • 4

      Set your stride measurements. Measure a distance of 20 feet and see how many steps it takes you to walk or run that distance. Divide 20 by your number of steps to get the number of feet per stride. Enter this number into your pedometer and save it.

    • 5

      Set the clock on your pedometer. Use a cell phone, computer clock or another trusted watch to set the time. Adjust the hour and the minutes until the correct time is set. Make sure you didn't confuse a.m. and p.m. hours.