How to Use Pedometers in PE

How much physical activity kids have impacts how active they will be as adults. Sadly, kids aren’t getting enough physical activity. Robert Pangrazi tells us how pedometers can motivate students to be more active, educating them for life.

Why Pedometers?

Pangrazi uses pedometers in his PE class and has benefited from the accurate readings of each student’s level of physical activity. Gopher’s FITstep™ Pro Uploadable Pedometer measures steps, activity time, and MVPA (Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity). This tool can help teachers, like Pangrazi, to see how active their class is.

How can you use Pedometers?

1. Find the best way to distribute and store your pedometers.

Numbering each pedometer helps keep track of them, so less pedometers go missing. Having both students and teachers measure their activity time helps teachers encourage their students while students gain responsibility for their activity time. Pangrazi uses the QuikID™ Pedometer Storage System from Gopher to hold and organize pedometers when they aren’t in use.

• Prepare your software and upload your data.

Adding students’ names and pedometer numbers into the software helps you track students’ achievements, and meet goals as a class. This can also be a great way to take attendance of your class. You can quickly see who uploaded their data or took a pedometer, allowing for more class time to be used actively.

• Analyze the data your class accumulates.

Posting student’s average activity levels can help motivate them to reach goals and be more active. In order for each kid’s data to remain confidential, you can post the reports anonymously, having people identified by their pedometer number rather than their name. Summaries can also be sent home to parents and students, strengthening communication and awareness of the importance of an active life.

Pedometers can be used for students of all ages and levels of ability. The data kids receive motivates and excites them to be more active. Some schools have kids wear their pedometers all day or even bring them home if desired, engaging activity beyond PE class.

Webinar Presenter: Robert Pangrazi is a Professor Emeritus at Arizona State University and an Educational Consultant for Gopher Sport. Over 750,000 copies of Dr. Pangrazi’s physical education textbooks have been sold. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Award from the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and SHAPE America’s highest national honor, the Luther Halsey Gulick Award, among his other honorable achievements.