The emergence of the 10,000 step theory has led to the popularity of apps that help users count how many steps they have taken in a day. There have been numerous studies showing that people who walk 10,000 steps a day are healthier, have lower cholesterol levels, and are less likely to develop heart disease. However, followers of the theory often overlook the fact that walking slowly will do nothing for your health. You need a fast step that significantly increases your heart rate. That is why it is best to only count the counter data when you are walking fast or jogging.
In general, software pedometers work no worse than smartwatches like the Apple Watch or fitness trackers like the Mi Band. The accuracy of measurements is close to the 99%. If you have a treadmill, use it to check or just go for a walk with your smartphone in your pocket. Once you get home, compare the distance you have covered using Google Maps. So, here are the best pedometers for Android that kind of hint that it's time to go for a walk.
Step Counter Pedometer
Step Counter from Leap Fitness is a pretty nice pedometer with good functionality and an interface in Russian. Working with it begins with setting a task for the day. Then you can see reports on the average number of steps taken per day, the total number for different time periods and the number of calories burned.
The calculations are not based on GPS data, but on smartphone sensors. This means that the phone will drain more slowly. Step Counter also has a function with a reminder to drink a glass of water to replenish the daily fluid intake in the body. The application is free, but it shows ads that can be disabled for 180 rubles.
Google Fit
Google Fit — Google's answer to Apple Health. Google Fit not only acts as a hub for information from various fitness apps, but it also collects its own data. Just install the app and sign in with your Google profile. The pedometer feature will then launch automatically.
There is also a calorie counter and a Move Minutes metric. The latter shows all your activity time throughout the day. Depending on its readings, Google Fit gives you Heart Points (points are earned by any load with an increase in heart rate). When developing the latter metric, Google actively collaborated with the American Heart Association. The interface is translated into Russian.
Move Minutes only counts minutes when you take more than 30 steps per minute. That is, regular movements around the house will not be counted. Likewise, Heart Points are earned when you walk at a brisk pace or run. All this is done by Google Fit, one of the best pedometers for Android. Other features worth mentioning include journaling and setting Move Minutes goals.
Pedometer
IN Pedometer A typical set of pedometers is included: a counter of burned calories, time spent on a walk and average speed of movement. Pedometer also displays information in the form of visual graphs, taking into account your gender and weight, and can give useful recommendations on burning calories. Unlike other applications, Pedometer will start counting steps only when you start the countdown yourself. If you want to use the pedometer not only during walks, but throughout the day, then it is better to choose some other application.
Pedometer puts very little strain on your smartphone battery and offers several interface themes to choose from. For greater savings, you can set the start and end times of the program in advance. If necessary, you can adjust the sensitivity of the sensors to calibrate the distance calculation when you are riding a bike or car.
Pacer
Pacer — is an application from the developer Pacer Health, which is not just a step counter, but a multifunctional weight loss assistant. When you first launch it, you will need to specify your age, gender and weight. After that, to motivate yourself, you can set your own goals or use ready-made templates from the developer.
Along with statistics, you can see personal trends in terms of weight, steps, and calories to get a clearer picture of how fast you are moving toward your goal. You can join a ready-made competition or create your own, for example, among colleagues or friends. If you don’t know where to go to find 10,000 steps, you can open the “Routes” item and see where other app users are walking in your city.
Premium members can connect their Fitbit and Garmin to Pacer. Once connected, your daily steps, distance, and other activity data will automatically sync from your Fitbit or Garmin to your Pacer account.
Samsung Health
If you have a Galaxy Watch smartwatch, you've probably already used the app S-Health from Samsung. But even if you don’t have a Galaxy Watch or a Samsung smartphone, S-Health is still a great fitness app with a built-in pedometer function. Like most other similar apps, you’ll be prompted to enter your weight, gender, height, and other data immediately after installation.
Once you specify them, the app will automatically start counting steps. By default, you will have a goal of 10,000 steps, but you can set any other value. The app also counts the total distance covered during the day and the number of calories burned, counts the time spent sleeping, water consumption, food consumption and much more. Although S-Health is pre-installed on most Samsung smartphones, any Android user can download it for free.
Accupedo
Peculiarity Accupedo Pedometer in its widget, which constantly displays the number of steps taken. The widget can also be configured to display the distance traveled, minutes spent, calories and other information. The countdown starts automatically after you take ten steps. So trips from the room to the bathroom or kitchen will not be counted. When the countdown starts, you will receive a notification.
Don't forget to make sure that steps are counted, because Accupedo may not work when the screen is off. To solve this problem, you need to test all detection methods. At first, my steps were counted poorly, but after I set up synchronization with Google Fit, everything worked.
Argus
Argus — is a multifunctional health and fitness tracker. Walking alone will not guarantee good health. It only gives an effect in combination with other actions. Argus does a great job of not only counting steps, but can do much more. For example, it tracks your overall activity, counts calories and monitors sleep cycles.
There is a built-in exercise guide and even a barcode scanner to help you track your calorie intake. There is also a dedicated social network with millions of active users to consult with or just chat with.
Fitbit
Did you know that the app Fitbit for the smart bracelet of the same name can be used without it? If you use the "MobileTrack" function, it will work perfectly with just one phone.
What's so special about Fitbit? First, it has a very nice interface. Second, it has very rich functionality. For example, you can take part in numerous competitions or keep a training record and a food diary. You can also turn on the "Adventure" mode, where your walks will be compared with the length of certain routes. For example, with a hike in Yosemite National Park.
Runtastic Steps
Company Runtastic offers a range of health and fitness-focused apps. There are separate options for counting steps, tracking your runs, cycling, and sleep cycles. All Runtastic apps communicate with each other and are compatible with Google Fit.
Runtastic Steps will count active minutes spent walking, number of steps, calories burned. There is a setting for daily goals. The cost of Runtastic Premium starts at 180 rubles per month. The free version is good enough, but it is better to spend money on premium. The paid version will open up many new features, such as determining routes, planning a diet, keeping a food diary and much more.