I’ve just recently gotten a “FitBit” pedometer. The neat thing about it is how easy it is. Clip it to your shirt or drop it in a pocket, and it measures how many steps you’ve taken, how far you’ve walked, how many calories you’ve burned, and how many stories you’ve climbed; and when you come back to your computer it will automatically upload that information so that you can track your progress over time. There are other products that do similar things; this one was recommended at Cool Tools, which I’ve found to be generally reliable.

So far, it appears to work as advertised; and I’m interested to see that I’ve already climbed 19 stories today. (Comes of working at JPL; the Lab is built on the side of a hill. My office is at the top of the hill; most other places of interested are way down below.)