Step Beeper
I gave my wife one of these as a birthday gift.
The first time that she went walking with it among friends and fellow walkers, they all wanted to know what it was, how it worked, and how to get it.
I call it a "step beeper".
And I liked it so much that I bought one for my own running and walking.
What is it? Technically, it is a portable metronome.
It is smaller than a pager and runs on a battery.
It has a digital display, some buttons, and a spring-loaded clip.
How does it work?
The tempo is to musicians what cadence is to runners and walkers -- the number of steps per minute that you want to take.
For example, I used to take 125 steps per minute on average when walking.
How do I know? I repeatedly counted my steps out of boredom when on the road by myself.
But now I use my step beeper to get me to consistently walk many more steps per minute.
Setting the beeping pattern is analogous to deciding whether you want a sound such as tick-tick-tick-tick, tick-tock-tick-tock, or tick-tick-tick-tock.
Personally, I like the "tick-tock" pattern because it is like "left leg-right leg".
The volume that I choose depends on my mood, the noise on the road, and whether I am running or walking with others -- who may not want to hear my step beeper.
Why should I use one? Running or walking outside around cars or bicycles is dangerous with an MP3 player plus earphones in your ears.
This step beeper gives you the rhythm that you want to sustain your cadence -- without endangering your life.
You could eliminate the above safety hazard by using an MP3 player with speakers instead of earphones.
But what if you want to walk or run with others? Do they like your tastes in music? If not, or even if they do but you want to have good conversations during your walk or run, then consider using this step beeper instead to help you to maintain your cadence.
How much does it cost? It is much less expensive than a sports watch.
So buy one today, and start walking or running to the beat -- or beep!
The first time that she went walking with it among friends and fellow walkers, they all wanted to know what it was, how it worked, and how to get it.
I call it a "step beeper".
And I liked it so much that I bought one for my own running and walking.
What is it? Technically, it is a portable metronome.
It is smaller than a pager and runs on a battery.
It has a digital display, some buttons, and a spring-loaded clip.
How does it work?
- You set the tempo.
- You set the beeping pattern.
- You set the beeping volume.
The tempo is to musicians what cadence is to runners and walkers -- the number of steps per minute that you want to take.
For example, I used to take 125 steps per minute on average when walking.
How do I know? I repeatedly counted my steps out of boredom when on the road by myself.
But now I use my step beeper to get me to consistently walk many more steps per minute.
Setting the beeping pattern is analogous to deciding whether you want a sound such as tick-tick-tick-tick, tick-tock-tick-tock, or tick-tick-tick-tock.
Personally, I like the "tick-tock" pattern because it is like "left leg-right leg".
The volume that I choose depends on my mood, the noise on the road, and whether I am running or walking with others -- who may not want to hear my step beeper.
Why should I use one? Running or walking outside around cars or bicycles is dangerous with an MP3 player plus earphones in your ears.
This step beeper gives you the rhythm that you want to sustain your cadence -- without endangering your life.
You could eliminate the above safety hazard by using an MP3 player with speakers instead of earphones.
But what if you want to walk or run with others? Do they like your tastes in music? If not, or even if they do but you want to have good conversations during your walk or run, then consider using this step beeper instead to help you to maintain your cadence.
How much does it cost? It is much less expensive than a sports watch.
So buy one today, and start walking or running to the beat -- or beep!