Eric Tapley

Since early this year I’ve been walking almost every day to ensure I get some exercise. It’s a good low-key way for me to work my way back to health. My long-term plan, once I’ve rebuilt my strength and lost some weight, is to then get back to hiking, camping, cycling and running.

In addition to the health benefits I’ve found walking to be a great way to explore a new city or town, a good way to get out of a bad mood (especially if something nasty goes on at work), or a way to get out of my regular environment and find a way to think through a problem in a different way. One of my fondest memories is exploring San Francisco a few years ago when I visited by walking around for 8 hours a day.

For me, at least, exercise without measurement makes it difficut to gague progress and keep to a routine. So for the past few months I was using the Walking Advantage Sportline 340 pedometer which I wore all day long and used to track every step I took. I really liked it - small, simple, accurate, and inexpensive. It was not very durable, however, so recently while getting out of the car I slid against my hip and in the process crushed face and clip on the 340.

Kate was nice enough to pick up a more robust replacement for me, the 345 model. It’s a bigger model with a much stronger clip so I don’t think I’ll break this one. It also counts calories once you’ve input your weight, which will be nice since I’m trying to get back in shape and lose some weight.

I’m still looking for a good way to track and report on my daily progress. I’m aiming for a minimum of 10,000 steps per day with a goal of at least 12,000 per day. I’m going to look to see if there’s a Nike+iPod-like system for walkers. (If you know of one, let me know.)

In the meantime I’m back at it now that my poison ivy is healing. I’ll let you know how my progress goes.

And today? 11,442 steps so far.

Walking Advantage Sportline 340		Walking Advantage Sportline 345