Is it possible to get accurate step count without GPS

Chaz said:

I do not use the GPS even when outside; could this be a problem?

No. GPS has nothing to do with step count.

Do you know of a reason a 3 mile run would only count 812 steps?

Two potential reasons come to my mind:

• You do something weird with your arm (the one you're wearing your watch on).
• There is something wrong with your watch. Either a software glitch (try rebooting the watch) or a hardware malfunction (contact garmin support).

Are you using something like a walking pole?  Holding a dog leash?  Pushing a stroller?  Things like this will reduce what the watch sees as steps if the arm with the watch is involved.

You'll see something similar if you are pushing a shopping cart around a store.

You can try putting the watch in your pocket.

No.  I am not using any of that.  

I have heard of putting the watch in the pocket but I can't get an HR reading there.  

I do not knowingly do anything strange with the arms.  

There might be something wrong with the watch or maybe it is my movement. 

I did a few tests running, jumping, jogging, and walking inside the building just now.  I discovered that only vertical movement is counted as a step.  If the arm moves horizontally, say to move branches as side or to favor balance on uneven terrain, no count.  I also noticed that I have to move at least 10 times together before even one step is counted.  Each time the arm stops moving, I have to move ten steps before it starts counting again.  

Maybe it is suppose to work that way; maybe not.  Either way I am not going to get an accurate step count if I am running on a rough path where I am dodging branches and jumping over and off bumps in the path.  Even running on an indoor track isn't working as I do run with my arms at a 45 degree angle so most of the movement is horizontal.