Measured Strides Away From Pre-Prediabetes
by kaku armah
Under normal circumstances, I would not even dream of owning a pedometer. However, things changed for me during the World Diabetes Day celebrations in New York. At one event, I had my A1c checked, and it was 5.9 percent. Good? Bad! On one hand, I have not been diagnosed with diabetes, but on the other hand, that number is higher than I'd like. I had tested at 5.2 percent and 5.9 percent on two different machines on the same day so I keep convincing myself that these values are more a reflection of imprecise A1c measurements - and not because of my routine ice-cream comfort scoops before bed. After three days of celebrating diabetes awareness in New York, I decided to take a more proactive stance, concluding that I was teetering on the edge of what I like to call "pre-prediabetes". I picked up one of many free pedometers from the Novo Nordisk booth (thank you!) and became a step-counter. Armed with the iPod-shuffle sized device strapped to my belt, I now can keep track of how much I move.
How does a bottom-dollar pedometer work? It has a tiny mechanical sensor that "counts" steps by taking into account how much the body shakes when walking. The shock from feet hitting the ground or a hip movement is sufficient to move the step counter forward by one unit. More advanced pedometers allow you to set body weight and step size. Mine is a more bare-bones model, featuring a single button marked "R" for reset. I think that's pretty much all I need.
I have to tell you, the first few days of owning a pedometer were eye-opening. I thought I was hitting the American Heart Association (AHA) target of 10,000 steps a day without even trying - but my pedometer showed only a measly 450 steps. In my frustration, I gave the pedometer more than a few "accidental" shuffles while I sat watching television at the end of the day. It wasn't entirely my fault. I stayed just a few blocks from the United Nations building, where a lot of the events were taking place; hence my low mileage.
The next day, I decided that circumnavigation was going to be the only way to put up a good score - I was already becoming competitive. In a day, I became the most inefficient walker in the city. I actually contemplated going up all the down escalators instead of taking the stairs in the UN building, but the surly security guard - with his surly baton - convinced me otherwise. Needless to say, I posted numbers in the high 3,000s at the end of the day. Still not at the AHA target, but I figured I was on the right track.
Fast forward three weeks and I'm back in San Francisco, pedaling my bike up from Fulton Street to Divisadero Street. This goes without saying, but I will say it anyway: When San Franciscans say up, they mean UP! There are some days when the only thing that keeps me from simply walking my bike is the little pinch under my belly button from my Peddie (yes, that's what I named him), and I don't care if he does rhyme with Teddy. Since there is less shock registered from riding, I usually don't get very accurate results; so I devised a simple formula where I just multiply the value on the pedometer screen by a "fatigue factor" when I get home, and that seems to be pretty "accurate." Not the most scientific procedure but it makes me feel better about the hills I have to conquer everyday.
I have saved the best news for last. The most steps in a day that I have recorded so far is 7,452! And this was the day after Black Friday when I went to engage in a bit of retail therapy while taking a break from studying for the GREs. Having a pedometer is a great excuse to shop, if you want my opinion. That said, I did return home for an amazing shrimp salad, so you can forget about grabbing a quick bite at some fast food chain just because you are out shopping.
Do we really need to have constant reminders to do basic things like walking, drinking enough water, flossing, and checking traffic before crossing the road? It almost seems inane that I need some element of competition in order to actively engage in healthy living. But hey, this seems to be working for me so I'll roll with it - or should I say stroll with it.
We will be back in a future issue of diaTribe doing a head to head test of two pedometers. If there is a particular device you have been eyeing and would like to see in a future test drive, please contact us at comments@diatribe.us. As always, we'd love to have your input.
