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Using a pedometer to improve your health

The other day I walked 5 miles. I know that because I was wearing a step pedometer (similar to the photo), and only one mile was "exercise" done outside. The rest was my activities at home, and going out twice to shop. Recently I read, "Using pedometers to increase physical activity and improve health" (a review article) in the Nov 21, 2007 issue of JAMA, pp 2296-2304 (many public libraries have a subscription). The researchers had reviewed 26 published studies that reported on pedometers among outpatients, 8 randomized controlled trials, and 18 observational. The conclusion was that use of a pedometer is associated with significant increases in physical activity and significant decreases in body mass index and blood pressure. This was across all ages, races, gender, and state of health.

Some guidelines specifically recommend 10,000 steps a day, although I don't know that this goal would change the outcome. So, if you're like me and exercise isn't your thing, clip on that pedometer. I'm not sure why it works, but people, me included, seem to increase their activity level when using a pedometer. When I'm wearing it, I'm more likely to walk upstairs to the bathroom rather than use the one 2 ft. from my desk; I might take the laundry from the basement to the bedroom in three trips instead of one; I'll walk into a room on a different floor to ask my husband something, rather than holler; I'll pace while reheating my coffee rather than stand and stare at the microwave. It's not brain surgery. Here's some other ideas from the Walking Site.

Take a walk with your spouse, child, or friend
Walk the dog
Use the stairs instead of the elevator
Park farther from the store
Better yet, walk to the store
Get up to change the channel
Window shop
Plan a walking meeting
Walk over to visit a neighbor
Get outside to walk around

So during this high calorie Christmas season when it is cold and drippy outside, I'm setting a goal of 5,000 steps a day through January 5, 2008. If I can do more, I will, but if I set it too high, I'll get discouraged. One good walking place is the Giant Eagle store. I can never find anything I want in that store and spend a lot of time walking around.