Using a Pedometer is a Step in the Right Direction

Posted By elissa on Nov 17, 2009 | 1 comment

“The MisFits” – Vicky Hallett and Lenny Bernstein – have a nice article in the Washington Post on the value of pedometers.  As small as they are, they can nonetheless have a big impact on the results of a walking program.

…buying a pedometer is not the first — or second, or third — piece of advice you typically receive when you turn to someone and say: “I really need to get in shape, but I hate exercising. What should I do?”

But it probably should be, says Dena Bravata, a physician and senior research scientist at Stanford who analyzed 26 studies of pedometer use and found clear evidence that people who have them get more exercise, lose weight and lower their blood pressure. In fact, the decrease in blood pressure was equivalent to results achieved through much more expensive interventions that involve doctors and pharmacists, she said. And in a relatively short time, many people were able to lower their body mass index enough to move from the “obese” to “overweight” category.

“What we found was, on average, that wearing a pedometer increased people’s physical activity by about 2,000 steps per day,” Bravata said. “That’s equivalent to about a mile.”

…As a rule, people overestimate the amount of exercise they get. Keeping track can be eye-opening. Falling short motivates people to find ways to walk more, Bonin says.

“I have walked the corridors of this building many a night, trying to work off my last steps,” says Bonin, whose goal is 10,000 steps a day, or about five miles.

A pedometer is a simple way to set goals monitor your progress.  Even for something as basic as walking, this sort of accountability can be invaluable.  Most models are quite inexpensive, and readily available at most sporting good stores (although if you own the latest iPod Nano, you already have one – a pedometer function is built in).