Caitlins Blog

Omron HJ-720ITC Pocket Pedometer with Advanced Omron Health Management Software Description:

The New Walking Style HJ-720ITC by Omron Healthcare is the most advanced Pocket Pedometer with USB Connection and PC Software to date! It lets you track days, weeks, months, and years of exercise on your PC with ease. The unique dual sensor technology lets you carry your pedometer in your pocket or bag with astounding accuracy -boasting an error rate of less than 1%. This versitile device is a must-have for any walking progam, and can’t be beat!Contents: 1 Pedometer, 1 Battery (CR2032), 1 Screwdriver, 1 Strap, 1 Clip for Strap,1 Holder, 1 Instructional Manual, 1 USB Cable & 1 Software CD-ROM.(Incompatible with Windows Vista)

• Amazon Sales Rank: #20 in Health and Beauty
• Size: HJ-720ITC with software
• Brand: Omron
• Model: HJ-720ITC
• Released on: 2007-03-01
• Dimensions: 1.50″ h x 6.75″ w x 8.00″ l, .54 pounds

Features

• Measures steps, aerobic steps and minutes, calories and distance
• Separately displays aerobic steps and minutes walked more than 10 minutes continuously
• 7 day history lets you review a full week of exercise
• Features include large display, clock, detachable belt holder and security strap
• NOTE: The manual included with this item incorrectly states that the unit itself shuts down automatically each day – the settings do reset each day at midnight however the unit itself must be manually shut-down

Customer Reviews:

Excellent pedometer and software
I think this is an excellent pedometer — it does the job well and accurately. It counts your steps whether it is clipped on, in your pocket or in a purse. The auto-reset to zero at midnight helps keep you honest. Like the software – a couple of clicks and your data is automatically uploaded. It shows your results on a daily, weekly, monthly,and annual basis. Omron is the only company I have seen that provides you with software.

I think the manual that comes with the device could be slightly improved but here are some tips that may help you with setting it up and using it for the first time:

(1) With the back cover off, make note of the serial number. It is engraved into the case in tiny letters near the bottom. It is a six character mix of letters and numbers. You’ll need this for registration later.

(2) Before starting to configure your pedometer, you will need to calculate the length of your stride. Pick a starting point and walk 10 regular steps. Measure the distance in inches and divide by 10. Make a note of the result to use later.

(3) In the software, I suggest setting modest “daily goals” to start. Adjust your goals up or down anytime through the software’s Options menu as you get use to the pedometer.

(4) The “Set” button on the front is smaller than the others and is intended to be used occasionally to reset the time, your weight, etc. as needed – it does not reset or delete your step data. As a good practice, upload your pedometer data regularly as a backup. In the unlikely event that the “Set” button is accidently pressed , just press “Set” another 4 or 5 times and you’ll come back to your normal “step” screen.

(5) Step count – this pedometer shows total steps (both aerobic and regular steps)in the “step” count screen. To see only the aerobic steps accomplished for the day, go to the next screen. It keeps a separate count for aerobic steps (60 steps or more per minute continuously for 10 minutes or longer).

(6) While you can view the last 7 days of step data on the device itself, it actually holds up to 42 days in memory. All data is viewable once uploaded to your pc.

Hope this helps… I highly recommend this device.

Excellent Pedometer – Great software – Get motivated!
I have not used pedometers much, but really like this unit for a number of reasons. First, it is quite compact and can comfortably fit in a pocket and not feel bulky (you can wear with a clip too or hang it from a cord off a belt). Second, it really seems to accurately count steps. I tried it a few times by counting 50 or 100 steps with the unit in my pocket and it seems to be right on target as a step counter. To measure distance, I walked a 100 feet a couple of times to set my stride. With the stride in place, the distance measure seems pretty accurate. I walked a known distance (about a mile and a half) and then looked at both the step count and distance. The distance was a little short, which meant I needed to make a slight adjustment to the value of the stride. I made the same walk again and got the calculated distance was exactly on target.

Conclusion: This is an accurate pedometer in terms of counting steps and estimating distance.

I also really like the software. You simply attach the pedometer to your computer (I have a a PC with XP) and the data then download. You can look at your total number of steps by day (or hour within the day), the number of steps at an aerobic rate (defined as part of walking ten minutes or more at a stretch), and distance walked. There are also estimates of calories burned and grams of fat lost, based on you weight and age — I have no idea if these are accurate. As a nice feature, you can look at all statistics by day, week, or month.

The software is very easy to use and as bonus also interfaces with some of Omron’s blood pressure unit.

I have really enjoyed using this pedometer in that I can slip it into my pocket in the morning (and am glad it doesn’t take up much room) and then look at my step count for the day. I have given myself a daily target (10000 steps) and am now finding myself doing more things to get in extra steps each day — parking further from my destination, walking a bit further to pick up for lunch, or just treating myself to a 10-15 minute walk during my workday. These things add up and now I have a sense of what all I need to do during the day to reach my step goal.

You pay a bit extra (not that much) for a pedometer with many features, including the software. I suppose you could save a few dollars by not getting a version with the software, but for me, being able to easily track progress is one of the best things about this pedometer (can also print out reports, output data to a spreadsheet if you want). It seems to be worth a bit more to have this sort of tracking (though I do wish they had sotware for Macintosh computers!).

Highly recommended!

Walk a mile in my shoes!
What an impressive little device this is. The device is highly accurate on the waistband. The purse option hasn’t really worked too well for us, but it does come close. The coolest part of this thing is the ability to download the information to your PC and track your progress and goals. When we first got it, we thought 10,000 steps was a breeze. We were way WRONG! 10,000 steps is a lot of walking. I mean a lot. We were coming up more than half short of the recommended 10,000 and didn’t even realize it.

It’s very sleek in it’s design. The overall look is that of an egg cut in half. It does not have a proprietary USB link, if you have a device with a smaller USB end rather than the standard (MP3 players and GPS devices sometimes use the smaller one) you can use an existing one, just in case you lose the one that is supplied.

It’s really sweet that it resets itself at midnight every day and stores your previous data for you to download at your convenience.

Love it.

Amazon.com Product Description
The Omron HJ-720ITC Pocket Pedometer is an advanced, high-tech pedometer that–thanks to unique dual sensor technology–can be carried in your pocket or bag. Now you can just drop your pedometer in your purse to find out how much exercise you get in a typical day of work, errands, and other tasks. Of course, you can also attach it to your belt like a traditional pedometer.

The device’s large, easy-to-read LCD display can separately display aerobic steps and minutes walked more than 10 minutes continuously, so you always have the information you need right in front of you. Meanwhile, a seven day history lets you review a full week of exercise, and there’s also a 42-day memory for uploading past workouts to your PC. The device resets at midnight automatically so it’s ready to go every morning. Of course, the device can also function as a handy and highly accurate clock. It also comes with a detachable belt holder and security strap so it’s always close at hand.

The HJ-720ITC is powered by a replaceable lithium battery (CR2032) that will last six months when used for walking 10,000 steps a day. The pedometer also includes PC software for Windows 2000 or XP, which keeps track of daily, weekly, monthly and yearly progress.

The included Omron Health Management Software provides a steps graph that lets you see how your values are trending over time. View larger.

View pedometer and blood pressure data together (via a split screen) on a weekly, monthly, or yearly basis. View larger.

Omron Health Management Software
Take your health to the next level with the included Omron Health Management Software. This PC software provides a blood pressure and pulse graph that lets you see how your values are trending over time. A morning/evening comparison graph tracks your morning and evening systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate. You can also view your most common values and identify variations by time frame with the frequency distribution graph. The software is simple to use, and it supports multiple users. With just one click, you can download data via the HJ-720ITC’s USB connection and see graphically displayed measurements on your computer screen in seconds.

Compare Omron Pedometers
	HJ-150	HJ-151	HJ-112	HJ-720ITC
Measurement	Steps	Steps Moderate steps and minutes Calories Distance	Steps Aerobic steps and minutes Calories Distance	Steps Aerobic steps and minutes Calories Distance
Product Placement	Clip to belt	Clip to belt	Pocket, bag or clip to belt	Pocket, bag or clip to belt
History	7 days	7 days	7 days	7 days (displayed) 42 days (in memory)
Warranty	1 Year	1 Year	1 Year	1 Year
Batteries	3 VDC (1 lithium battery CR2032)	3 VDC (1 lithium battery CR2032)	3 VDC (1 lithium battery CR2032)	3 VDC (1 lithium battery CR2032)
Estimated Battery Life	Approx. 1 year (when used for walking 10,000 steps a day)	Approx. 1 year (when used for walking 10,000 steps a day)	Approx. 6 months (when used for walking 10,000 steps a day)	Approx. 6 months (when used for walking 10,000 steps a day)
Time of Day Display
Omron Health Management Software

Q&A – Pedometers

Does it matter where the pedometer is placed or attached?
The HJ-150 and 151 Pedometer must be positioned correctly. Attach the unit to your belt or to the top of your waistband. The unit must be horizontal to the ground in order for the unit to function correctly. The HJ-112 and HJ-720ITC Pocket Pedometer can also be placed in your pocket or purse.
What’s the accuracy rate of Omron Pedometers?
The precision of the step counting is within +/- 5%.
What are moderate steps?
At least 30 minutes of moderate exercise is recommended each day. The HJ-151 Pedometer separately displays the steps and minutes walked at a moderate pace.
What are aerobic steps?
The HJ-112 and HJ-720ITC Pocket Pedometer separately displays aerobic steps and minutes that start counting after 10 minutes of continuous walking with more than 60 steps a minute.
How does the PC software work?
The HJ-720ITC Pocket Pedometer includes PC software for Windows 2000 or XP. It keeps track of daily, weekly, monthly and yearly progress.