Do you really need to join a gym or health club to keep the pounds off? Or is using expensive diet pills the way to go? Regardless of all the hyperbolic advertisements we see every day about these two popular subjects, the real path to losing and keeping the weight off could be something much simpler — and far less expensive.
A recent study conducted by Stanford University revealed that individuals who use a pedometer to keep track of how much they walk daily lost significantly more weight than those who did not. The study, which was conducted by Dr. Dena Bravata and colleagues in California, looked at the research data of 26 existing university studies, encompassing more than 2500 individuals of varying gender and age.
The research also suggests that people using pedometer’s on a daily basis exercise more often and have lower blood pressure on average than non-users. What is not exactly clear in the research, however, is whether people who use a pedometer are simply more motivated to begin with, or if the assistance of the pedometer is making a significant difference.
Many pedometer programs advise users to set daily goals — often pedometer users will strive for 10,000 steps per day, or roughly 5 miles. Perhaps having this goal is an important factor in the increased health benefits to these small, practical devices.
Further studies showed that using a pedometer was highly correlated with both weight loss and a reduction in body mass index. Systolic blood pressure was also found to be lower on average among pedometer users, suggesting that these inexpensive, hip-worn devices could have a greater impact on both personal health and weight than previously realized.
The Stanford study was quick to point out that the positive effects of wearing a pedometer has so far only been measured over the short-term. The extent of benefit these devices may have over longer periods is still unknown. But because there are no known negative effects of using personal pedometers on a daily basis, most doctors and researchers are recommending them as a first line of defense to stay healthy and remain at an appropriate weight.
With so many people these days rushing out to join health clubs or investing in expensive state-of-the-art home gym and exercise equipment, it’s interesting that a small and inexpensive device such as a pedometer could actually have a greater effect on both an individual’s weight and personal health. Sometimes the simplest ideas really are the best.
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