Want to lose weight? Purchase a pedometer
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Most people know that increasing activity levels can assist them in losing weight. A new study, reported in the Annals of Family Medicine, recently reported that purchasing a pedometer can assist in this pursuit as well. Pedometers track the distance walked, lessening the walker’s wonder if she has gone far enough. Caroline Richardson and her team at the University of Michigan reviewed nine studies of 307 men and women who used pedometers for varying lengths of time, from four weeks to a year.
When the participants added twenty to forty minutes of walking per day to their routines, they lost about .1 pound per week, a small amount that adds up to about five pounds per year.
However, Ms. Richardson suggested that, “The increase in physical activity can be expected to result in health benefits that are independent of weight loss. Increasing physical activity reduces the risk of cardiovascular problems, lowers blood pressure and helps dieters maintain lean muscle tissue when they are dieting.” According to Ms. Richardson, the results for the participants were “remarkably consistent.”
The American Heart Association recommends that “all healthy adults between 18 and 65 years should take part in moderate physical activity such as walking for at least thirty minutes a day, five days a week, or vigorous physical activity such as jogging for at least twenty minutes three days a week.” At least this much activity assists in maintaining health and reducing the risk of chronic disease.
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