I know there are quite a few different pedometers available at the moment, but there are a couple of very good reasons why you should pick an HJ 720ITC from Omron.

The first reason is that this is a pedometer that uses a much improved measuring system for determining how much movement actually counts as a pace. In other words, it’s brilliant at accurately keeping track of how many steps you’ve taken.

For us, that means a much more accurate pedometer, but also one that doesn’t have to be clipped to your belt. With these, you can just drop them into your pocket, bag or purse and forget about it. A small feature, but one that I think makes a huge difference. Just imagine you’re in a rush and you have to make a quick decision about whether to take your pedometer with you. All you have to do is drop it into your pocket.

And not only that, the HJ 720 ITC also lets you download all the information it collects to your own computer. It’s got a short 7-day memory, and a longer 42-day memory. You can see the 7 day information on the pedometer itself, but then you can also download 42 days worth of information to your computer.

The pedometer also comes with some special software called the Omron Health Management Package. You install this onto your PC and it allows you to view and manage the data with graphs and charts. It also works with other products from Omron such as their heart rate monitor and their blood pressure monitor. I think this is great for people that want to do more than just keep track of their walking or running progress.

I use the memory facility to track my activity from week to week and to see my improvements over time. Funnily enough, I find it also encourages me to do more exercise. I try to do a certain amount of exercise each week, and if my pedometer stats tell me I haven’t quite managed to meet my goal for a particular day, I always do a bit extra the next day to make up the difference. I know for a fact I wouldn’t bother doing that if I didn’t have the figures in front of me.

It’s just struck me as I write this – the Omron HJ 720-ITC would make an absolutely brilliant gift for someone else. I like it for myself because it’s fun to use and practical, but if you wanted to show someone else you care about them, what better way than to get them one of these? It’s a cool gadget to have, but it’s also something that will really help them either improve or maintain their health. How better to show them you really care?