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Pedometer increases daily steps

Researcher Dr Dena Bravata told USNews that, "People who use pedometers increase their physical activity by about 2,000 steps a day, about a mile." In addition, "They also seem to lower their blood pressure more and lose more weight."

The study

A study analysis of over 2,700 participants by Stanford University was reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Participants wore a pedometer each day and recorded their steps for an average of 18 weeks.

The benefits to pedometer wearers

Researchers found the following results:

• Pedometer wearers increased physical activity by on average 2,491 steps a day.
• Pedometer users reduced their systolic blood pressure by an average of 3.9 mm Hg.
• Pedometer users reduced BMI (Body Mass Index) by 0.4%, about 2.5 pounds for a person weighing 195 pounds.

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