Omron Walking Style II Pedometer

I have an Omron pedometer while my spouse has another brand. The Omron is a bit bigger than a lot of other pedometers, but their performance is better than most if you search the net and look at independent reviews- Omrons rank at the top! A few features you'll probably find useful: -it works even if you put it in your pocket -it can track your steps, total distance, as well as the calories your burned -has a 7 day memory -buttoms are easy to press -it has a safety clip to avoid dropping it I have to say that these pedometers are probably one of the best (and most fun) ways to stay in shape and lose weight. Set up is easy, and once you're done with that, there's nothing left to do but to do it! So how much should you walk? The most common recommendation is 10,000 steps a day- which is equivalent to about 5 miles. They get the 10,000 number from studies showing that adults who get this much exercise a day are healthy. However know too that some research is beginning to show that some populations might need more, or can get by with less. For instance children may need more steps than this and some older adults may not be able to sustain 10,000 steps/day (one study found that a sample of HEALTHY older adults involved in weekly exercise programs reached an average of about 6,500 steps- suggesting that older adults may be able to get by with just 6,000 steps a day or so). So what if you just want to lose weight? Well, I suggest starting out by first seeing how many steps you get on an average day at your current weight. Then, try to add steps each day, working up to 10,000 over time. See where your weight is at when you reach the 10,000 step level, and if you still need to lose more, try to add another 2,000 steps a day. Keep in mind that each 2,000-2,500 steps is about a mile, or 100 calories for a 150-pound person. So if you're looking to drop a few pounds, or to simply get fitter, try a pedometer! Also recommend The Sixty-Second Motivator for anyone who needs more motivation to stick with an exercise program.

I have had several pedometers before and they have all stopped working after a while. I had begun to think that they were all so cheap and cheerful that no manufacturer could be bothered to make one robust enough to last more than a couple of months. So I tried this one, following the reviews, as a last resort. Firstly, the set-up - I have no idea what the review below is on about, but it is so simple to get working that my inquisitive 7 year old daughter did most of it for me. As to the functions, it tells you steps and calories and distance walked - all the usual stuff. The really good bit is that when I got on my stepper machine, it recognised the difference from normal steps and started counting these as aerobic steps. Pressed the button once and it told me how long I did them for. Pressed it again and it had also added them into my total steps for the day. Pressed the other button and it told me how many steps, aerobic steps, calories, distance and time I did yesterday. Press it again and it gives me the same information for the day before that. You really don't need a maths degree. Is it accurate? Well it counted the same number of steps as my stepping machine, with the added degree of difficulty that it counted them from my waistband and not from my foot pressing up and down, so I was impressed. I went cycling and it counted each complete turn of the pedals as a step and ended up recording the same distance travelled as the gizmo on my bike. If I walk from the bedroom to the bathroom, turn around on the spot and then walk back, it counts all the steps, so unlike many pedometers it recognises every step you do and not just those when you are striding out across the countryside or similar. I'd say its accurate enough. And finally, 2 extra features which really clinch it for me. Firstly, it has a safety clip, so if it pops off your waistband when you sit down, the safety clip saves it hitting the deck and breaking or getting lost. Secondly - and here's the big one - it counts accurately from inside your trouser pocket as well as your waistband, so at last there's no need to advertise to the world that you're counting your steps if you don't want to. Simply the best pedometer I've ever owned. Would give it 6 stars if I could.

I have just started using this in the past few days, but can already see what a difference this is going to make to my (previously dwindling) exercise regime! I used to be very trim, and a regular runner - but weight (and lethargy) has just crept up on me over the last year or so. I'm heading off on holiday in two weeks' time, and need to get half a stone off - and fast. My plan is to walk, run or cycle for at least an hour every single day before then, as well as cutting down on eating calorific rubbish (obviously). I've been out running, and also cycling, but need to get out there for a long walk each day. What this little gadget does is make very, very clear the direct relationship between effort and fitness/weight loss. This wee thing tells you not only how many steps you have completed (which my rickety old one used to do), but also the calories burned, how many of your steps were aerobic (and, believe me, you put more effort into making them aerobic when you know they're being counted!) - but (best of all) tells you how many grams of fat you've burned away! This is great, because it makes you think very hard before you eat some more of those goddamn grams. When you can see how hard you have to work to get rid of that big tablespoon of Haagen Dazs, or 'just a few' squares of Cadbury's...you really do think twice before scoffing it in the first place. A work of genius - and if even I can master the settings, then it has to be 'user friendly'! Will report back in a fortnight........ UPDATE (22.7.10) OK, it's nearly holiday time, and: I've been out walking every single day since I bought the Omron; I've lost 6lbs (yay!); I can walk 5 - 7 miles (quite fast!) no problem at all. Best of all, I feel much fitter, much trimmer, and also feel full of energy and good health. Counting the steps and the miles become quite addictive, and I am absolutely SURE that I would not have done all of this (or found it so much fun) if I didn't have the Omron to motivate me towards fitness. I can't recommend it highly enough - and I'm taking it on holiday with me (to try to walk off all the cocktails, rich dinners and chocolate mousses..!) If you need something to help you get up, get your walking shoes on, and out of that front door for a walk - consider buying the Omron.

I spent an extra £2-3 on the red one and it was totally worth it. The glossy red compliments the white well. The design of the omron 2 is small, light and looks good - not ashamed of having it showing either. It can be placed inside your clothes pocket, attatched to your trouser waist or pocket or wear it around your neck with the included strap. The setup took 5 mins, you do need the instructions for this one! You program the time, your weight, your stridge length to make sure you get the most accurate results. Its relatively simple when following the multi-language instructions. The omron 2 has a clear indication of your steps, a seperate mode for when exercising which is activated on its own too, a mode to calculate your calories burned and one showing distance walked in kilometres. It can also store your info in its temporary memory for a whole week! All together this is a reliable pedometer which i can use everyday. Miles ahead of its competition for terms of ease of use, design etc. Go for it!

This is the pedometer of choice for me. I have purchased multiple brands and have not been pleased with them. This pedometer is a winner simply by being able to be carried in a pocket or bag; it works and is accurate whether it is in your bag, your belt loop or in your pocket. I have tested this pedometer against others and I have found this to be very accurate. I love the fact that it can tell the difference between just regular steps and aerobic activity. It has a seven day memory and it tracks all of the vital stats for the day so that you can compare your week's activity. The safety clip is ideal and if you are walking the dog or get jostled in any way; you do not have to worry about losing your pedometer. This is a premium item; well made and fairly sturdy compared to others that I have seen and "owned". The batteries that come with the pedometer only last six months; so you might want to get extra batteries so that your pedometer continually works. I had that problem and was able to improvise with other store bought batteries. Additionally, there are some newer models that Omron has come out with that have more powerful features that some might be interested in; including more memory for a larger number of days and the ability to put the data on line. I would recommend looking at all of the models before buying: however, any model by Omron is better than the competition. Bentley/2007

At last a pedometer that works for hill-walking. I've tried four different pendulum pedometers in the past that have been reasonably accurate on the flat but all were hopeless for hill walking: always greatly under-estimating the number of steps and hence the distance walked. It must be something to do with the pendulum system not being able to cope with the ascents and descents of hills. I've just given the Omron pedometer a tough test on a walk with steep hill that rises 1000feet in 1 mile of distance. I clipped the Omron on one side of my belt and one of my older pedometers on the other side. The Omron correctly measured the hill ascent as being approximately 1.6km (i.e. a mile) whereas the pendulum pedometer measure 0.37km. Over the whole walk the Omron correctly measured the distance (I plotted it with dividers on an OS map) whereas the other pedometer only registered half the distance. The Omron gives an estimate of calories burned, but this only applies to walking on the flat. Hill walking can treble or quadruple the rate of energy expenditure. If you don't mind working in cm (to input you stride length) and km (for the distance covered) this is an excellent advance in pedometer design.

This is my 3rd pedometer. The others I've had were cheaper, belt clip ones which were never very accurate. This one is great. It doesn't start to count until you've walked about 4 steps so it doesn't count every little movement like my previous pedometers used to do. It also counts aerobic steps which is useful if you are walking for fitness. I even use it in place of a watch now (it's like the 21st century version of a pocket watch!). I did have to replace the clip after about 12 months as the original one broke, but I just bought a metal clip from a stationery shop and that has lasted well. I'd recommend this pedometer to anyone. In fact, I'm about to buy one for my Mum!

I've wasted money on cheap pedometers before, but I can tell you now that this little beauty is worth every penny. It's robust, easy to set up and (this is the important bit) accurate - which has been quite disturbing in my case, as I hadn't quite realised just how inactive I can be. As such, it has also been an invaluable tool for encouraging me to get out there and exercise, even if it's just a stroll round the local park. It's seven day memory is handy for keeping track of the week's progress, and the aerobic step count is great for showing you how much consistent exercise you've had. I've already been glad of the additional safety cord (when the main clip on device got jiggled out of place during a vigorous bike ride) which gives me extra confidence that the thing isn't going to go astray if I exercise hard while wearing it. It is easy to read too, with a clear unfussy display. If you want a good, well made accurate pedometer I wouldn't hesitate to reccomend this one.

Name confusion. Amazon and other retailers have muddled the name and so confused two physically and functionally similar but different pedometers made by Omron. The pedometer that Amazon is selling is the Omron `Walking Style II' pedometer (about £20) which comes in red, dark blue or white colours. This is not quite the same device as the top-of-the-range `Walking Style Pro' pedometer (about £30 +P&P, not sold by Amazon) which is a silver-blue metallic colour and can download your walking data onto a PC. Description. It's about the size and shape of half a large hard-boiled egg! The pedometer slides into a holder which incorporates a large clip which can be attached to your belt, a pocket (but not trouser rear - you'll end up squashing it) or hand bag. There's also an essential safety lanyard which helps prevent the device from making a bid for freedom, which it occasionally does. There is no OFF switch. It is intended to be worn every waking hour in order to count your steps. The handbook suggests the battery (CR2032, £1.30 for two Tesco-branded batteries) lasts six months. Whenever you change the battery, beware losing the tiny screw that holds the battery compartment closed or stripping the thread in the plastic casing. Features. Let me say from the outset, from other reports and my own experience, that both Omron pedometers are excellent and probably easily the best on the market in terms of accuracy, information recorded, quality and value for money. Both count your steps, distance (Km), time, calories (Kcal) and fat (g) burned during walking or jogging. The pedometers cleverly decide whether you're just, for example, shuffling around the kitchen or window shopping and avoid counting these steps which don't improve fitness. You'll need to be walking for at least four seconds before you are credited with the steps you've taken. If you walk continuously for ten minutes, taking at least one step per second, then the pedometer figuratively pats you on the back and counts all the steps as being aerobic. These are recorded separately from your overall number of daily steps. Number of steps each day. This was news to me, so I'll quote the handbook: `For long term health and reduced chronic disease risk, we should do 10,000 steps a day. For successful weight loss, this should be between 12,000 and 15,000 steps. If we want to build aerobic fitness, we should make at least 3,000 (preferably more) steady steps per day'. No wonder our hip joints need replacing later in life! In everyday terms, 10,000 steps equate to about five and a half miles - and every day! Walking Style II versus Walking Style Pro models. They both memorise readings from the last seven days which you can view on the LCD. However, the Pro additionally memorises the last 41 days which can be downloaded onto your PC with the supplied USB cable and Healthcare Management software. I find this permanent visual record very interesting and motivating. The software is well designed and very easy to use and instantly draws bar charts so you can see on a daily/weekly/monthly/annual basis whether you are reaching whatever targets you have set yourself for steps/distance/calories etc. I need these targets to encourage me to take all these walks; perhaps walking your dog is sufficient reason for you, in which case the basic Walking Style II would probably meet your needs. Finding a Pro model. The Pro model was not easy to find on the internet and there are several earlier models to confuse you. Conduct a Google search for the Omron-healthcare.com website and search for HJ-720IT-E2 (I think the `E' indicates the European model) which will take you to the Walking Style Pro facts page. From here, you can also download the excellent Healthcare Management software (free) which goes with the Pro model (not the Walking Style II). You will see on the facts page that this software is also used with the Omron M10-IT blood pressure monitor and the information from both devices can be portrayed simultaneously on your PC as graphs and a lot more. The software can keep track of hundreds of users, so was presumably designed for medical professionals; password protection of the data is available. In February 2008 when I bought my Pro pedometer, Omron Healthcare UK in Milton Keynes (who were very helpful) told me that only one company, Totally Fitness, was permitted to sell the Pro model in the UK; Totally Fitness said it was news to them and only wanted to sell a package called the Fitbug (£74.95) which comprised the basic Walking Style II pedometer and a proprietary bit of software that allowed purchasers to email their walking results to a fitness instructor who would then assess their progress. This is not what I wanted. On eBay I eventually found a German retailer called Mymedishop who sold me one for 37Euros (£28.46 at the time) but with an eye-watering 19Euros for P&P (£14.57 at the time), £42.94 Total. Getting over the shock, I rationalised that since the pedometer is worn all day, every day, in just one year this is 12 pence per day, less than half the price of the milk I slosh over my breakfast cereal - and I expect I'll be using the pedometer for more than a year. Too late, Totally Fitness then contacted me to say that they DID sell the Pro model at £34.95 + £2.95 P&P = £37.90. Choose your horse but make sure you get the HJ-720IT-E2 if you want the Pro model. Conclusion. In a nutshell, or half an egg, these Omron pedometers are excellent: intelligent design, interesting and useful, and encourage health improvement. Easily worth 5 stars.

I bought the Omron Walking Style II Pedometer as I retired recently and wanted to be sure that I was getting a decent amount of exercise every day. This product is perfect for me - it tells me how many steps I've taken (I've measured it over a certain distance and it is very accurate), how many aerobic steps I've taken, how many calories I've burnt (although I take this with a pinch of salt as it doesn't know whether I'm carrying two bags of heavy shopping home from Asda!), and how far I've walked. I just clip mine on to a belt loop on my trousers using the handy lanyard that comes with it and the pedometer hangs in my pocket. At first I was very much aware that it was there and looked at it several times each day but now I usually only check it at lunchtime and in the evening when I take it off. Buy one - you won't regret it.