Over the years, I’ve had a few different pedometers. Most have been cheap. Some only count steps; some are difficult to calibrate. When I decided to buy pedometers for my wife and me, I did a little research, starting with Amazon.com. I chose the Omron HJ-112 Digital Pocket Pedometer .

I like the fact that with the press of the Mode button, I have the following information for the current day: total steps taken, total aerobic steps, calories (kcal) expended, and miles walked (to the hundredth of a mile). At midnight, the Omron rolls today’s info over to “1 day ago” and starts over automatically. Pressing the Memory button displays separate info for each of the prior seven days.

Note that the Omron is always on – there is no power button. The benefit is that you can’t forget to turn it on. I regret the continuous power usage, although it is minor. If only there were rechargeable button-type batteries or if the Omron drew its power from motion. Next generation.

The Omron clips to your belt, waistband, pocket, or earlobe (kidding). You can also easily slip the Omron out of its clip and carry it in your pocket or purse – it is just as accurate carried that way.

There is some evidence that walking as few as ten minutes at a sufficiently fast pace can have a beneficial effect. The current recommendation is to walk 30 minutes cumulatively at 100 steps per minute or more every day. That is not race-walking but it is more than a stroll. Three thousand aerobic steps per day is the goal. (With my stride, that’s about 1.5 miles.) Another goal is 10,000 total steps (any pace) per day. The Omron will help you track your efforts to meet these goals.

Note that the Omron counts a pace of 60 steps per minute as aerobic (below the 100 steps per minute guideline). However, because it tracks minutes at that pace or faster, you can easily see whether or not you’ve achieved 100 steps per minute.

Regarding calibration: You don’t have to calibrate steps per mile if you don’t care about the accuracy of the mileage indication. The owner’s manual explains the easy steps to calibration. I refined my calibration by carrying a GPS on several walks.

I’m not thrilled to endorse a product, but this one is good enough to overcome that reluctance. My wife and I both like having our own pedometer and it has definitely boosted our walking. I haven’t lost much weight in the four months I’ve had mine, but I have moved my belt in another notch and enjoyed the neighborhood a bit more.