 study
reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association has
found that the simple act of wearing a pedometer encourages people
to walk more. Pedometers are small devices worn at the hip that
count the number of steps walked each day.
Dena Bravata, M.D., and her colleagues at Stanford University based
their findings on pedometer use by 2,800 adults whose average age
was 49 and of whom 85 percent were women. In controlled studies,
the pedometer-users increased their physical activity by 27 percent—more
than 2,400 steps a day over the control-participants who did not
wear pedometers. About 2,000 average steps equals one mile.
Another key to increased activity is having a specific daily “step
goal” clearly defined, the study said. Extra walking has been
found to pay major health dividends in terms of weight loss, lower
blood pressure and a reduced risk of strokes and vascular disease.
Dr. Bravata and her colleagues have estimated that if only 10 percent
of American adults began a regular walking program, about $6 billion
a year in costs related to treating heart disease could be saved.
For more information, visit www.jama.ama-assn.org.
Search keywords: pedometer
usage. 
Dutch
researchers on ‘love at first sight’
(click)
Use
of pedometers encourages walking (click)
Outsider
perspective can be motivating (click)
Front
Page Feature | Interchange
| Elder Issues |
Parenting | On
the Job
A Healthy You | We
Recommend | Home
|
