How to Count Steps While Pushing a Stroller or Cart: Accuracy Tips

You push a stroller for 30 minutes and check your step count. It seems low. You pushed a shopping cart through the entire store and barely added any steps. What is going on?

When your hands are on a stroller or cart, step counters often miss steps. Here is why it happens and what you can do about it.

Why Step Counters Undercount When Pushing

Understanding the problem helps you find solutions.

How Step Counters Work

Most step counters (including your phone) use an accelerometer:

• The accelerometer detects motion
• Algorithms look for specific movement patterns
• Arm swing is a key signal for detecting steps
• The up-and-down motion of walking also helps

When you walk normally, your arms swing naturally. This creates a distinctive pattern that step counters recognize easily.

The Arm Swing Problem

When pushing a stroller or cart:

• Your hands grip the handle
• Your arms stay relatively still
• The natural arm swing disappears
• The accelerometer misses the arm movement signal

Without arm swing, step counters lose a major indicator of walking. They may count only 50-70% of your actual steps.

Where Your Phone Is Located

Phone location affects accuracy:

In your hand (on the stroller handle):

• Minimal movement
• Very low step count
• Worst accuracy

In a front pocket:

• Hip movement still detected
• Better than hand
• May still undercount by 20-30%

In a back pocket:

• Similar to front pocket
• Hip movement helps
• Moderate accuracy

On an armband:

• No arm swing when pushing
• Poor accuracy

Cart and Stroller Differences

Different pushing situations have different accuracy:

Lightweight stroller:

• More natural walking motion
• Some arm movement possible
• Better accuracy than heavy carts

Heavy stroller or cart:

• More rigid arm position
• Less natural movement
• Worse accuracy

Shopping cart:

• Often the worst accuracy
• Leaning on cart reduces hip movement
• Slow pace compounds the problem

Ways to Improve Step Accuracy While Pushing

You cannot fix the problem completely, but you can improve accuracy.

Change Your Phone Position

Best positions while pushing:

1. Pants pocket (front or back): Hip movement is still detected
2. Jacket pocket: Some arm movement may be captured
3. Waistband or belt clip: Stable position, captures hip motion

Worst positions:

1. In your hand on the handle: Almost no movement detected
2. In the stroller basket: Random jostling, inaccurate
3. Armband: No arm swing to detect

Use a Different Tracking Method

Consider alternatives:

Ankle-worn tracker:

• Detects leg movement directly
• Not affected by arm position
• Most accurate for pushing activities

Clip-on pedometer at waist:

• Detects hip movement
• Better than phone in hand
• Affordable option

Apple Watch or smartwatch:

• May use multiple sensors
• Still affected by arm position
• Often better than phone alone

Modify Your Pushing Technique

Small changes can help:

One-handed pushing (when safe):

• Push with one hand
• Swing the other arm naturally
• Alternate hands periodically
• Only do this on flat, safe surfaces

Exaggerate hip movement:

• Walk with more pronounced hip motion
• Helps the accelerometer detect steps
• Feels odd but works

Take breaks:

• Periodically walk beside the stroller
• Even 30 seconds of normal walking helps
• Resets the step counter pattern

Manual Adjustment

Some people manually adjust their counts:

• Track time spent pushing
• Estimate steps based on typical pace
• Add to daily total mentally
• Not precise but better than ignoring the activity

Example calculation:

• 30 minutes of stroller walking
• Normal pace: 100 steps per minute
• Estimated steps: 3,000
• Phone counted: 1,800
• Difference: 1,200 uncounted steps

Why Weekly Averages Matter More Than Daily Counts

Here is a mindset shift that helps.

The Problem With Daily Focus

If you focus on daily step counts:

• Pushing days seem like failures
• You feel discouraged
• You may push harder on other days to compensate
• Stress about numbers increases

The Weekly Average Solution

Weekly averages smooth out the inconsistencies:

• Some days you push, some days you do not
• High and low days balance out
• The average reflects your true activity level
• Less stress about individual days

Example:

Daily average: 4,714 steps

But you were actually active every day. The weekly average, while lower than reality, still shows consistent activity.

Trend Over Time

Even more important than weekly averages:

• Are you more active this month than last month?
• Is your average trending up over time?
• Are you maintaining consistency?

Comparing Like Days

Another useful approach:

• Compare Monday to Monday
• Compare stroller days to stroller days
• Look for improvement within categories

If your stroller walks counted 3,000 steps last month and 3,500 this month, you are making progress, even if the absolute number seems low.

Practical Tips for Parents and Caregivers

Here are strategies for common pushing situations.

Stroller Walking Tips

Before the walk:

• Put phone in pants pocket
• Consider a waist clip
• Plan routes with safe one-handed sections

During the walk:

• Alternate one-handed pushing when safe
• Take short breaks to walk normally
• Focus on the walk, not the counter

After the walk:

• Note the duration
• Mentally acknowledge the activity
• Do not stress about the number

Shopping With a Cart

Strategy 1: Park farther away

• Walk to the store without cart
• Get accurate steps during this portion
• Accept undercount inside the store

Strategy 2: Use a basket

• For smaller shopping trips
• Carry a basket instead of pushing a cart
• Normal arm swing, accurate counting

Strategy 3: Multiple trips

• Walk the perimeter of the store first (no cart)
• Then get a cart for actual shopping
• Separates exercise walking from shopping

Walking With Mobility Aids

Walkers and rollators have the same issue:

• Hands on handles reduce arm swing
• Same solutions apply
• Waist or pocket placement helps
• Focus on trends over time

The Bigger Picture

Step counting is a tool, not the goal.

What Really Matters

The purpose of tracking steps is to:

• Encourage movement
• Build healthy habits
• Monitor activity trends
• Stay motivated

An undercounted step is still a step you took. Your body got the benefit even if your phone did not count it.

Activity Beyond Steps

Pushing a stroller or cart is exercise:

• You are moving your body
• You are burning calories
• You are building endurance
• You are staying active

The health benefits happen whether or not they are counted.

Avoiding Step Obsession

Signs you are too focused on the number:

• Frustration on undercounted days
• Avoiding stroller walks because they "do not count"
• Anxiety about hitting exact targets
• Letting numbers affect your mood

Celebrate the Activity

Reframe how you think about pushing walks:

• "I walked for 30 minutes with my child"
• "I got exercise while doing errands"
• "I stayed active even with caregiving duties"
• "I made movement part of my routine"

These are wins, regardless of what your step counter says.

Summary

Step counters undercount when you push a stroller or cart because they rely on arm swing to detect steps. You can improve accuracy by changing phone position, using alternative trackers, or modifying your pushing technique.

Key takeaways:

• Arm swing is a key signal for step detection
• Phone in pocket is better than in hand
• Weekly averages matter more than daily counts
• Trends over time show your true activity level
• The health benefits happen whether counted or not
• Focus on the activity, not the number

Keep pushing that stroller. Keep walking with that cart. Your body is getting the exercise even when your phone misses some steps.

References

• Stanford University: Accuracy of Smartphone Step Counting
• Journal of Sports Sciences: Pedometer Accuracy During Various Activities
• American College of Sports Medicine: Physical Activity Guidelines
• Harvard Health: Walking for Health
• CDC: Physical Activity for Adults