Author in the Room: Using Pedometers to Increase Physical Activity

December 2007 Author in the Room^® Teleconference

 

Author: Dena M. Bravata, MD, MS

 

Article: "Using Pedometers to Increase Physical Activity and Improve Users' Health"

Summary Points:

• Pedometer users increase their physical activity. They walked 2000 steps per day more than people who do not use a pedometer.  2000 steps is equivalent to about 1 mile per day or about 100 calories per day.
• Having a daily step goal is important for increasing physical activity with a pedometer. Pedometer users with any goal — either 10,000 steps per day or an individualized step goal — increase their physical activity whereas those pedometer users without a goal do not.
• Pedometer users lose weight and lower their blood pressure. 
• Pedometer interventions that take place in the workplace are less likely to result in improvements in physical activity than interventions that took place in non-workplace settings. This is because the people who chose to participate in workplace interventions already had relatively high baseline physical activity which suggests that workplace interventions should target sedentary employees.