Can a Pedometer Be Used for Running?

A pedometer is a great device to keep track of your fitness. You can use it for either walking or running. However, not all pedometers can be used for running because only certain models are equipped to do so.

  1. Walk or Run Detection

    • A pedometer is a device that uses digital motion sensor technology to measure your steps, distance and calories. Only those that are equipped with a detection technology to differentiate between walking and running can effectively be used to track your running speed, distance and burned calories.

    Speed and Distance

    • Aside from a pedometer that can distinguish between walking and running, you should also choose one with accelerator technology which measures both movement and speed. This enables the device to keep up and measure your running speed and distance.

    Features

    • Look for other useful features in a pedometer such as burned calorie counters, built-in stopwatches and countdown timers to help you track your running workouts more efficiently.

    Calorie Counter

    • The calorie counter allows runners to keep track of the calories burned per workout. Some pedometers let you set up a profile to enter weight and average stride distances. This function will enable you to obtain results that are more accurate for distances and calorie burning estimates for your runs.

    Considerations

    • As a runner, you may want to track your progress or performance over time to see whether you are achieving or maintaining your statistic goals. Some models are equipped to store running stats data over a period of weeks or months. This way, you can see your improvements which can help motivate you to gain better results.