If you have an activity band, or you have your smartphone in your pocket all day, tracking your steps is simple and straightforward. But what if you don’t have a fitness tracker that analyzes your physical activity? Do you know how to get the step insights from your phone? Do you want to? We’re here to help! Let’s outline the ways you can enjoy the Are You Ready, Feet?™ dashboard without a fitness band on your wrist.
No Band Needed, Download a Fitness Tracker
Searching the word “pedometer” in the Apple, Google, or Microsoft app stores will bring up a plethora of options for tracking your steps just by carrying your phone. These apps can highlight the times of day you are most inactive, and help motivate you to get moving!
Health, by Apple, is already installed on your iPhone and uses a phone’s motion processor to track your steps and “flights climbed.” Google Fit, for those with Android devices, also counts steps taken, and for Windows phones, you’ve got Microsoft Health. All of these apps are free, and all record movement while your phone is in your pocket, purse or hand, just like a pedometer would. They all also give you the option to input activities you did when your phone wasn’t nearby. You can use the results from these activity trackers to log your steps in the Are You Ready, Feet?™ portal!
The popular apps MapMyRun or MapMyWalk are great fitness tracker options for those who want a better understanding of how their usual routes affect their daily activity. You can get creative and drop a pin on your phone’s map application at the beginning of a walk, to see how far you’ve gone by the end! There are lots of fun ways to track walks or runs, and each step counts. Every time you log activity on your Are You Ready, Feet™ dashboard is one more chance to win exciting prizes. So get moving!
These stats are a great source of data for you and your doctor. It’s a great thing to start a discussion about your healthy habits, and you should show off when you get it right! On your Ready Feet dashboard, you can select “View All” underneath your activity log to see your full progress report, which you can print out and bring to your next wellness visit. Your doctor will be so impressed by your success!
Track Steps With a Pedometer
A quality pedometer is a great way to track steps without having to worry about keeping your phone with you at all times. Your basic step-counter can hook or clip onto a shirt collar, belt buckle, shoelace, or pants pocket! Often times, even the most retro-looking pedometer will also offer a calorie count. With a five-star review on Amazon, this option from PINGKO will display your distance traveled, while only costing you $9.99. A savvy savings from your popular fitness band, which can often run upwards of $100.
Pedometers are a simple alternative to fancy smartwatches and fitness bands if you’re not thrilled by the idea of wearable technology or recharging your step counter. By having that number available to check throughout the day by using a reliable pedometer, reaching the CDC recommended 10,000 steps feels a whole lot easier.
Count Your Minutes or Miles
If you want or need to forgo the assistance of anything that runs on battery, don’t worry, you can do that too! Any and every movement counts for your Ready Feet! You can log a walk to the store or a walk around the house as a timed activity, so you get the credit you deserve. After counting how many minutes it takes to walk from your car to your front door, choose “minutes” when you enter the portal and log how long it took you - and watch your progress on your journey across Long Island!
While you go about your day, make sure you know how much you’re moving! Look at this handy chart from Prevention.com, that includes how much walking you get done while doing chores like shopping and yard work!
It’s so rewarding to see your hard work displayed in front of you to show friends, family, and even your doctor. Knowing how much movement you accomplish in a day is sometimes surprising! And once you understand how far you get, we know you’ll see how easy it can be to get even further. The benefits of moving more are endless. The Are You Ready, Feet?™ portal can add to those benefits, as every logged activity gets you one step closer to winning a prize! Join the movement today!