What Are The Benefits Of Pedometers?

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What Are The Benefits Of Pedometers?

people walkingArticle by Rachel Nelson via  http://www.livestrong.com/article/411832-what-are-the-benefits-of-pedometers/

A device smaller than a cell phone that clips to your belt, a pedometer counts  your daily steps to help you determine how active you are in a day. By using a  pedometer to monitor your steps and increasing the amount of steps you take, you  can achieve the health benefits of burning more calories.

Set a Baseline

“Women’s Health” weight-loss expert Keri Glassman  recommends taking at least 10,000 steps per day. This is the equivalent of  walking 5 miles per day, which translates into 500 calories burned. When you  clip on a pedometer, you might discover you are walking and moving less in a day  than you thought. Using a pedometer helps you to determine a baseline activity  level and calculate how much more active you must be to experience  improvement.

Track Progress

After you set a baseline, you can set a goal for  improvement. A pedometer helps you track your progress. If you have been walking  5,000 steps a day, make it your goal to increase your steps to 6,000. After a  week, you can increase the step count by another 500 to 1,000 steps. Keeping an  exact count can encourage you to work harder and achieve your  goals.

Find Opportunities for Activity

People who wear pedometers are more likely to take  advantage of small opportunities to increase their activity levels, reports  MSNBC.com. While wearing your pedometer, you may remind yourself to take the  stairs or a short break to walk around your office. These small differences can  add up: Walking more helps you burn calories, even if you don’t do all your  walking at once.

Research Studies

A 2007 research study published in the “American Journal  of Preventive Medicine” aimed to measure the effect of adding a pedometer as  part of a walking program. The study measured adults ages 30 to 65 years who  engaged in no more than three exercise sessions per week. Participants were  separated into three groups: one with a walking program and pedometer; one with  a walking program but no pedometer; and a control group who continued their  usual activity level. Participants who wore a pedometer were found to engage in  longer and more frequent exercise sessions than those who did not. More patients  who wore the pedometer reached the recommended level of physical activity,  prompting researchers to conclude that pedometers can help patients meet  recommended fitness goals.