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45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
The pedometers could be better, May 30, 2009
Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars
This game is a neat idea, and it has been encouraging me to walk more. For me having something that tracks my activity is a motivator. When you haven't completed the 3000 steps a day (user adjustable at any time, 3k is default, but if you continually surpass the daily goal the game will suggest raising it) the pedometer blinks red, making me feel like I need to get out there and walk. Yesterday I went for a walk when I never would have before. So the game is nice if that sort of thing can motivate you. I would think if you have someone in your family to compete with it would be an even bigger motivator.
The little games are ok. Walking 10K steps gets you a picture. As you walk more the picture slowly fills in like a connect the dots kind of thing. It gives you hints as the picture fills in, and some of them are very hard to guess, obscure things. You can also see your daily activity in graphs, but it would be a lot more interesting if the pedometers worked better. Since the meters only register activity of at least 10 seconds, it doesn't count all those quick walks across the house or office that can add up.
The pedometers seem to be well built and tough. 4.5cm x 3.75cm and about 1 cm thick. A little light flashes red when you haven't met your target and green when you have. It shuts off by itself and the manual says the battery will last about 6 months with normal use. There is a large button on it used to sync it with the DS. Syncing is usually very quick and easy, you press the button for one second and it's done. I occasionally get an error and have to try again though. Never an issue though.
After syncing it runs through your day making little comments like "This is the earliest you have started this month" or "This is the longest walk you have ever gone on." It then compares your walking to an animal which usually seems pretty inaccurate. I went on an hour long walk in the day, but had a lot of short walks around the office in the evening. The game said I was very active in the evening although I had a huge block of aerobic steps in the day (aerobic=activity over 10 minutes).
The game also gives you a mini goal for the next day like do some stretching or cut fats out of your diet. When you sync the following day and tell it you are done for the day it asks if you completed your mini goal. Nothing happens if you do or don't, I guess it's just an encouragement to think about what you do and eat.
Each pedometer comes with a clip for attaching to your pocket. You need a small screwdriver to attach the clip. I have not yet used the clip myself and not sure if I will since putting the meter in my pocket is easier. Seems to work well loose in a pocket. It also has a place to attach a lanyard, although I have read that if it can swing on a lanyard you will not get accurate results.
At first I thought most of my steps weren't registering due to walking barefoot, something the manual warns against. But after further reading, as I said above, it only registers activity of over 10 seconds. I was seeing great lengths of inactivity, that were inaccurate because I was moving, but it was inconsistent movement so it didn't register. The game was saying I didn't move for 2 hours, which wasn't true. Stop and go stuff won't register. It did seem to log jogging even though the manual said it may not be accurate. I am not sure if it was accurate or not (It did not give me an error message as another reviewer has stated, I will try again at a greater duration and see what happens and change this review if necessary). I also ran in place for a few minutes and it logged that fine.
For walking outside on the road at a steady pace I found it to be quite accurate. I walked at the same pace for 20 minutes and the graph for those 20 minutes was even for the whole duration. No spikes or drops. I walk at a fairly brisk pace also, and the game had no problems with it.
A major drawback for me is that there is no off button on the pedometers. I cycle to work sometimes and with a pedometer in my pocket all the shaking it gets from the road registered thousands of steps. If the pedometer is lying horizontal (for instance in a bag on the bike's rack) it isn't supposed to register as well, but it still does register some. Not as much when it's my pocket though. So unless I have a place to lay it somewhere flat on the bike, it greatly skews the number of steps I supposedly took for the day.
Also the game does not measure miles walked. A minor drawback but at least you don't have to calibrate the pedometer because of it.
Overall I am happy with it. I just really wish it had an off button so I could better results when biking to work. For me the game is helping me get more exercise, even if it's just walking.
Update: I have to say I have enjoyed seeing my walking patterns everyday and I am walking just to make sure I reach my goal in the game. I still have not had any errors after almost a weeks use due to jogging or fast movements.
I looked into getting a real pedometer today, specifically this one: Omron HJ-720ITC Pocket Pedometer with Advanced Omron Health Management Software. It seems to be a full featured pedometer that you can upload your daily stats to a PC. I read the reviews and read the manual for it. The Omron has much of the same warnings of inaccuracies as the games pedometers (may not be accurate with high impact, jogging, etc). You can't switch it off, but you can read your daily steps on the unit unlike the game's meters that just blink a light. The Omron resets at 12 AM the games at 3AM. The Omron's included software looks to be far better than the DS's though, but much more straight forward. The Omron is cheaper, but the DS game gives you two meters and is meant more as a family fun game that might interested kids over a real pedometer.
After looking at a few pedometers, the game's included ones seem pretty typical except for not being able to read you exact steps on the unit. They all have their inaccuracies. When I grow sick of PT: Walking, I just pay pick up a fancier meter.
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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
It's encouraging me to walk more already!, May 28, 2009
Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars
I've only had the game for two days, but I am quite pleased I got it. One of the things I like is that the pedometer is so small and can easily and discreetly clip to my waistband (or on other clothing). You can set a goal for the number of steps you take each day and the flashing light goes from red to green once you achieve your goal (the faint light only flashes while you are walking). When you upload your steps, you can see your activity by the hour for each day (there are also other graphs so you can see your information in a few different ways - you can see your weekly activity patterns, monthly activity patterns, average steps, etc.). The game also has 100 images that you unlock by achieving a certain amount of steps. For example, after you walk 10,000 steps, you unlock the first picture, and 10,000 more steps unlocks the second picture (I haven't unlocked this one yet). You can also compare your steps and records with other family members or use wi-fi to see how your records compare with those of other people. You can import a mii from the wii or else create one in the game. Aside from seeing your records in various ways, unlocking images, and editing your mii, there isn't much to do with the software. However, the fact that the pedometer is so easy to carry around and that you have little goals to meet definitely motivates me to walk more. I would highly recommend it if you don't already use a pedometer regularly. However, if you already use one, I doubt this game would really increase your motivation.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Rrainer and Motivator for Walking!, June 13, 2009
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
I've had this Trainer since it came out and it told me 2 days ago that its known me 10 days now and enjoyed everyone of them! I have to say I have really like it too! I just started working at home and wanted to make sure I got the proper exercise each day. I've had a pedometer before, but just noting that my steps were up to 5000 did nothing to get me to increase my walks. This little gadget let me import my Mi and now I have a familiar look as I hear about my day. Some people have mentioned that they had trouble getting an accurate count with socks or bare feet...I did not. I like being able to quickly look at the trainer during the day and seeing red or green. When I see green early in the day; I get a big smile. I now always make sure I make the goal for the day. At night when I check in I'm told what kind of an animal my walking resembled that day...deer, ant, and others; plus it gives you little reminder tips for the day (eat more vegetables, eat less sugar, stand straight when you walk etc.. I like to look at my calendar and see my walking graph rising, never less for me! The data I submit is saved for 5 years. I like the way it encourages me to up my goal when I met mine for some. I would not be this interested with a simple pedometer. I am a retired adult. When the software communicates it gives a squeaky sound for the voice, that I could do without. I have had an error message a few times when I tried to load my data; but I know that's because I wasn't holding it dead on. When I went back one step and tried again it worked smoothly. I am sold on this product and would recommend it to anyone who likes this type of trainer. I paid $45.00 for it and feel it was worth it.
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