Benefits of Using a Pedometer
Many of us hate to exercise which can result in increasing weight and many associated health problems including heart disease, diabetes and blood pressure. Starting an exercise program is easy, keeping it up is difficult! One way to get more exercise without going to the gym is to walk more and a simple pedometer can help you to achieve this.
A pedometer is a device to help you track the number of steps you take and by setting realistic goals you can increase the amount of exercise you take and therefore help to lose weight and become healthier. Trials have shown that using a pedometer can be effective in increasing the number of calories burned. Twenty six studies, reviewed in the Journal of American Medicine showed that using a pedometer helped to increase the daily physical activity of the participants by around 2000 steps when compared with participants not using a pedometer. 2000 steps is roughly equivalent to a mile that they walked extra each day and represents an increase in activity of about 25%. This is a significant increase and would have a major effect on the health and weight of the participants.
One of the important things to take into account is to set realistic goals. Setting a step goal daily was shown to have a significant effect on the level of physical activity. Those who maintained their step goal showed increased activity and were more likely to experience benefits including reduced blood pressure and to lose weight. However blood sugar levels and cholesterol levels were unaffected.
Using a pedometer then can help a great deal in increasing your physical activity without going to the gym or buying expensive exercise equipment. Increasing the amount of walking you do in a day can have huge benefits in both health and weight reduction and using a simple pedometer is an easy way to monitor this increase. You can use easy exercises such as walking instead of working out at the gym to keep fit and healthy. Pedometers are inexpensive and easy to use and can be bought for as little as $20