A Training Buddy for the Pathetic...Me!
Written: May 03 '04
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Inexpensive, good features, durable.
Cons: Awkward to look at lcd screen.
The Bottom Line: Good Pedometer at a good price.
|
|
|
| mom4k's Full Review: Sportline TALKING PEDOMETER 343 |
Everyone needs a training buddy:
The Sportline 343 Talking Pedometer is my new training buddy. It’s a little pathetic, yet strangely satisfying. You see, in another life I was a competitive athlete, then coach, then part-time fitness fanatic. Sometime between the competitive athlete and coach, I had a knee reconstruction. As a middle aged mommy it is coming back to bite me - big time.
I have said good-bye to all of my past training buddies. With my knee giving me fits, I never knew when or how long I could stay with the pack. Recently, even my treadmill workouts have been less than successful.
Then my teenage daughter came home from gym class with a pedometer. It was a freebie Coca Cola had donated to the school. Apparently 10,000 steps is the magic number to be considered active. We all kept stealing it from her to see where we measured up.
One daughter took a mile and 20 minutes to set the table - do I really want this in my home? Apparently I do. On a recent trip to Target I decided to make myself an honest woman and quit stealing from my daughter. I purchased the Sportline 343 because...well it was the least expensive. I figured that at $10.99 it was worth a try.
What does this buddy do?
It counts steps, distance, calories, and elapsed time. And it does it all with more accuracy than past models. It has integrated an “intelligent counting” system. This is supposed to ignore false step counts.
OK, so the truth is it often counts the false steps, but doesn’t add them to the distance, calorie or elapsed time tallies. Yes, I am a little obsessive and have tested the pedometer against my treadmill. In straightforward consistent walking or jogging (with my stride) 2,000 steps is approximately equal to one mile. So, theoretically the sought after 10,000 steps would be about 5 miles. When I am cleaning the house, chasing my preschooler, or working at the office my step count to mile ratio increases. So the false steps are often counted but not added to the other tallies. I just remember that each day I want to get 10,000 steps and about 5 miles.
As for the distance and calories burned, those calculations are based on stride length and current weight. Both can be easily customized for individual users. (I will go over the buttons a little later.)
And did I mention that this pedometer talks? It also has an lcd screen that displays your progress. This is not a “clam shell” design, so you have to take it off, or twist and contort to view the screen, but HELLO, push a button and a not too annoying little voice will give you the scoop, no need to peek.
There is also an “auto voice announcement.” It will automatically tell you when you have gone 1,000 steps, or .5 miles, or 50 calories, or 10 minutes. The choice is yours. I recommend turning off this function when doing things like attending funerals. I am not sure which was worse, my buddy announcing my progress to the grieving family, or my inappropriate inability to stifle my laughter. (Ummm...I had really forgotten that I even had it on.)
So, how do you work this thing?
Pretty simple, really. There are two buttons on each side of the pedometer for a total of four buttons. The top left button turns the auto announcement off and on. The bottom left button clears the tallies. The top right button is the “talk” button. When pushed it will announce the total that is displayed on the lcd. If you keep it depressed, it will continue on to tell you the tallies of the other modes. The bottom right button is the “mode” button. Each time you push this button it advances through the functions. As it advances, that tally is shown on the lcd screen.
To set stride length, first determine what yours is. It is measured from toe to toe or heel to heel. It is suggested that you take 10 steps and divide by ten to be more accurate. Then hold down the mode until you hear “Enter your step length.” Use buttons on the right to increase (top button) or decrease (bottom button) your stride length. There is a range from 10 to 80 inches. Press the mode button again and you will hear “Enter your weight.” Use the same button to manipulate the weight. There is a range of 40 to 300 pounds. Press mode one more time at it returns to the normal display.
It runs on two AG13 cells, that are included. To replace them pull out the battery tray and look at the polarity markings. No tools are required.
The 343 has a spring loaded clip that attaches to your belt or waistband and off you go. Unless you have a high “Klutz Quotient” then you tend to knock it off with your purse or preschooler. My klutz end around is to put it on backwards, so the clip is on the outside.
If these have been less than durable in the past, that doesn’t seem to be the case now. Due to my high klutz quotient it has been dropped a lot, and it just keeps on working. There is a reset button on the back...the kind you have to use a paperclip on, should it freeze up. It’s been abused and I have never had to use that button.
How has it worked for me?
It helps me be accountable to be active. No excuses about sore knees, etc. because I can reach my goal 10 minutes at a time. I can “count” a good house cleaning, or playing tag with my kids. There are many good pedometers on the market, but for $10.99 this is certainly a great value.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
mom4k
|
|
Reviews written: 9
Trusted by: 3 members
About Me:
Mom w/4 Kids. Seeking Minivan Nirvana...
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.