This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Tracking Steps
If you don’t use a pedometer, you probably have no idea how many steps you take in a day. For reference, there are roughly 2,000 steps in a mile. Ten thousand steps a day, roughly 5 miles, has been the popular baseline goal for maintaining a healthy weight and is recommended by the American Heart Association. Some fitness trackers use this as a default value. Ask your doctor for a specific baseline for your personal health needs to get you started. A fitness app and/or tracker can help you know approximately how many steps you take in a day.
Apple Health App
If you have an iPhone 5s or later that runs iOS8 or later, you can use the preinstalled Apple Health app to track your steps. The information is neatly presented in graphs. Beginning to track your steps is easy. The following examples are shown on an iPhone.
Tap the Health app on your iPhone.
Tap Health Data.
Tap Fitness.
Tap Steps.
Tap Show on Dashboard to the On position.
Tap Dashboard to view your step data on the main screen and start stepping. The Health app is able to detect which activity you are performing.
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Fitbit
Depending on the device that you have, you don’t need a Fitbit tracker to manage some basic activities. You can track steps and distance on your iPhone using only the free app when you carry your phone. MobileTrack uses motion sensors in your iPhone 5s, 6, and 6 Plus to enable you to track steps. As of this writing, Android and Windows Phones require a Fitbit tracker. Pair the Fitbit tracker with the app to unlock all the features Fitbit has to offer. Download the Fitbit app from the Google Play Store, the App Store, and the Windows Phone Store, and then set up an account by answering a few personal questions and verifying your email. Allow the Fitbit app to access your motion activity during the setup process. After the setup, you are taken to the Dashboard where you can access your step information.
Setting Up MobileTrack Account
Use the following steps to set up a new MobileTrack account so you can use the Fitbit app on your iPhone for tracking steps.
- Tap the Fitbit app on your iPhone.
- Tap Join Fitbit. A list of Fitbit trackers appears.
- Tap No Fitbit Yet?
- Tap Set Up Your Phone.
- Tap Let’s Go to fill out some information about yourself. Follow the prompts on the proceeding screens, and then tap Next Step at the bottom of each page. The Main screen appears when you are finished.
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Tracking Activities
After you have set up a MobileTrack account, tracking basic activities such as steps on your iPhone is easy.
- In the Fitbit dashboard, tap the plus icon in the top-right corner of the screen.
- Tap Track Exercise.
- Tap Allow to allow Fitbit to access your location while using the app.
- Tap in the top field to switch to the activity you want. Walking was chosen for this example.
- Tap Start to begin the activity.
- Tap the Pause button.
Tap and hold the Finish button to view an activity summary that shows your steps along with other data from the activity.
Tap Steps. Your steps are broken down into days and weeks. You can view your steps for the day on the graph. The default daily goal is 10,000 steps.
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Google Fit
Google Fit is a free Android app that is optimized for smartphones, tablets, and web portals. Although it can connect with a wide range of apps and fitness trackers (including Android Wear devices) to gather higher-level tracking data, Google Fit doesn’t need additional apps and devices when it comes to the basics. The app can use the sensors already built in to your device to automatically detect activities including running, cycling, and walking. You can set goals and keep track of how often you meet them. If you have a current Android device, this app may already be installed. If it’s not, download it from the Google Play Store. Setting up your Fit profile includes providing some basic information about yourself and allowing activity detection. The set-up process walks you through step by step.
After you set up your profile, follow these steps to track your daily steps with your Android phone.
- Tap the Fit app on your Android phone. You might need to open the Apps menu to access the app. The main screen opens showing your progress toward your activity goals.
- Tap inside the circle to cycle through the various activities until you reach “( ) steps today.”
- Tap the Menu button, which looks like three vertical dots in the upper-right corner.
- Tap Settings.
- Tap the default Active time under Daily goal.
- Tap Goal Type, and then choose Steps.
- Enter the number of steps you want as your daily goal, and then tap Save. You are now ready to track your steps and progress to your goal. Go back to the main screen to view your steps.
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S Health
S (Samsung) Health is a personal trainer and lifestyle companion that enables you to track your fitness endeavors, including your weight, diet, and even sleep. If you have a Samsung phone running Android OS 4.4 or higher, it might be preinstalled on your phone. S Health is free and works with non-Samsung, Android phones as well, so you can go to the Google Play Store and download the app. As of this writing, there is no version for Apple (iOS) devices. The app makes it easy for you to track activities including running, hiking, biking, and various exercises by using your phone’s built-in trackers. You can track your steps using the Pedometer function that uses your phone’s motion sensors.
After you set up your S Health profile, follow these steps to track your daily steps. These steps are shown on an Android phone.
- Tap the S Health app on your phone. The main screen opens.
- Tap Steps.
- Tap More.
- Tap Set target.
- Drag the slider to set your daily step goal.
- Tap the previous screen arrow until you return to the main screen. Now you’re ready to start walking.
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