| Omron Pedometer Monitors Your Health Goals |
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| Monday, 29 October 2007 | |
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An item that is easy to overlook when it comes to productivity is getting enough exercise. We get consumed in a project or find excuses to skip exercise. Later, the lack of physical activity catches up with us and we have less energy to get things done. I found a pedometer that keeps me motivated. It is the Omron Pocket Pedometer (HJ-720ITC). This pedometer also comes with health management software so you can track your goals and progress.
For people that know me, getting pedometers is routine. I’ve been using them since 2000. I first bought a SportBrain as a gift for John. I was so impressed with the device I bought one too. It kept track of my walking activity and I could synchronize the results to their website. That company went offline and I was left trying to find not just a replacement, but the best pedometer. I’ve gone through many brands and models. These ranged from free pedometers at McDonald’s to costly ones from REI. Most of these pedometers were mechanical units that had a series of annoyances such as:
Omron HJ-720ITC: The High Tech Pedometer Comes of AgeThe Omron pedometer isn’t the first high tech unit. They have fixed most problems found in mechanical pedometers such as placement. This pedometer is more flexible as to where you can place it as it uses sensor technology. For example, I place it in my front jeans pocket.
Although all pedometers count steps, this device stores up to 41 days worth of data. At midnight, the display automatically resets for you. And yes, that means this pedometer also displays the time. You can cycle through the previous week by using the Memo function. The Omron HJ-720ITC also displays other data elements. By pressing the Mode button, you can cycle through the following data items:
What Gets Measured Gets ManagedThe feature that I most appreciate is the ability to sync my data to my PC. This was the area that SportBrain pioneered using a paid subscription model. While I miss some of the community aspects of SportBrain, I prefer maintaining my progress on my computer rather than a 3rd party website. I also appreciate that I can export the data as a CSV or PDF file. The screen snap below is my data from my first week. While reviewing the data, some items stood out which I’ve labeled. (1) Yes, I forgot to put in on until the afternoon. I now place the Omron pedometer on the same hook as the house keys. (2) It’s not just about counting steps. I like to get out daily for walks and to do errands. However, the first route I used to get my morning coffee was short of the 10-minute aerobic condition. I now take a different route, which is long enough to qualify for aerobic activity. (3) The software lets you set goals based on different criteria. A series of emoticons in the far right column indicates if I’m on track. While I met my goal for aerobic walking time, I was short on total steps and distance.  Click to enlarge There are some software improvements I would like to see apart from the name(HJ-720ITC would not have been my first choice). For example, I would like to be able to make note entries on various days. I think this capability would be important for people training for athletic events. People who are serious about their speeds may be disappointed that the information is not available. I would also like to add my items to monitor. For example, if I have another health goal to do flexibility exercises 3 times a week, it would be nice to be able to track that in this program. The good news is the software can track your blood pressure results from various Omron blood pressure monitors. I’ve been happy with this Omron pocket pedometer. The biggest complaint I have is that I wish the health management software loaded faster and didn’t require a password. Overall, the Omron HJ-720ITC has survived the first week of testing with flying colors. I would say this is a pocket pedometer that goes the distance. Software Version: 1.01
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| Last Updated ( Sunday, 11 May 2008 ) |
