iPod's Forgotten Feature

Let's face it, we LOVE LOVE LOVE our iPods. We can now carry our entire music library with us wherever we go. But for the workout enthusiasts in us, we may have overlooked the built-in pedometer.

Like most people, you probably take your iPod to the gym, to the track or to your workout destination and move to your favorite tunes. But if you are walking or running, you can use iPod's pedometer feature to track your distance. All you have to do is click on Menu until it won't go any further and you will see the pedometer feature. To activate, just press the center button and Voila! You will now be able to track your steps, but also the amount of calories that you burn.

Being that the iPod displays the steps taken and not the miles, 2000 steps are equivalent to one mile. So you know that if you take 6000 steps during your workout, you have walked or run 3 miles. What is nice about this feature is that you can attach your iPod to your clothing as you go about your day and track your number of steps. This information can play a vital part in improving your health.

How many steps should you walk daily?

Would you believe that some studies show a correlation of the amount of steps walked daily with death rate? This could mean that the more sedentary lifestyle you live, your lifespan is decreased. In a pedometer study conducted by Dr. Catrine Tudor-Locke, she found:

• Less than 5000 steps per day may indicate a sedentary lifestyle
• Between 5000 - 7499 steps is typical of daily activity, excluding sports / exercise and may be considered "low active"
• Between 7500-9900 probably includes some exercise or walking and may be considered "somewhat active"
• At 10,000 steps per day, you are considered "active"
• More than 12,500 steps daily, you are considered "highly active"

The women who participated in this study averaged 5210 steps daily - or low active. Many of us fall into this "low active" category but we do not have to stay there.

Getting Started

Clip on your iPod, activate the pedometer feature and track your daily steps. If it is under 7500, add a daily walk to your routine. Put on your running shoes and walk several times around your neighborhood, a track, or running trail. Try to increase that number to over 10,000 steps daily. You will not only feel better, but walking / running increases your heart rate, burns calories and tones your legs.

So turn on you favorite tunes and start walkin'!