Physical Activity Monitor – Guide to Fitness

Being active is being healthy! But for those who are compelled to do most of their work sitting, exercising becomes a matter of concern. The rate of inactivity is directly proportional to rate of increase in obesity and possibility of its related diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular problems and other health hazards. Exercise is an important constituent in the therapy of these diseases and so, should be monitored. But how will you monitor how active you were throughout the day? Here, the activity monitors step in. Here are some activity monitors which you can make use of:

Pedometer

Pedometer is usually worn on the belt and kept all over the day. Its name is suggestive enough that it measures how many steps you take during the day. Pedometer is portable and electromechanical or electronic. It does its work by finding out the motion of the wearer’s hips. Originally meant for sportspersons, it has now become popular as everyday exercise calculator and motivator. It records how many steps the user has walked in a day and thereby the kilometers or miles (Distance = Number of steps x Step length). Nowadays, pedometers are integrated in consumer electronic devices, like mobile phones and music players.

Accelerometer

Accelerometer is basically a device to measure acceleration in anything, like vehicles, animals, machines or winds, and it can also be designed to measure physical activity. Technological advances have made it possible to wear minimally intrusive accelerometers to measure physical activity. There are different types of them, like piezoresistive, piezoelectric crystals and electronic piezoelectric sensors, most of which use some or the other spring mass system. The acceleration recorded is proportional to muscular forces and thus it can be translated in energy expenditure.

Why to Use a Physical Activity Monitor

Activity monitor is a good device to encourage your physical activity. It may break many of your misconceptions about being active. In addition, it may also guide you about how much you should walk or exercise. It is better to be disciplined regarding exercise, than being haphazard and a monitor brings about the discipline. You can set a target for yourself and can achieve it with the help of the activity monitor. And such an exercise can give you a lot of health benefits, the most important of which are weight loss, increased strength and energy, cardiovascular fitness and many more.

Now as activity monitors can be fitted into mobile phones and other daily usable devices, it is easier and more convenient to use them. Make the maximum of your activity monitor and be fit and fine!