Are pedometers accurate for measuring distance and calories? Pedometers don't measure distance or calories burned accurately. They can be off by as much as 10% with distance and 30% with calories, which means the error could be half a mile if you walk five miles and 150 calories if you burn 500.

How do pedometers measure calories?

Multiply the conversion factor by the number of steps you take, as indicated by your pedometer, during any given walk to figure out how many calories you burned. For example, if the person from the example walked 7,000 steps, the calculation would look like this: 7,000 steps x 0.045 calories per step = 317 calories.

Do steps count towards calories?

Steps Do Count

The walking you do throughout the day should definitely factor into your caloric burn for the day. You've probably heard the recommendation to strive for 10,000 steps a day, but even a more moderate goal of 5,000 steps a day would help a 150-pound person burn roughly 155 calories.