The results suggest that the use of a pedometer is associated with significant increases in physical activity and significant decreases in body mass index and blood pressure .
CONTEXT Without detailed evidence of their effectiveness , pedometers have recently become popular as a tool for motivating physical activity .
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the association of pedometer use with physical activity and health outcomes among outpatient adults .
Increasing daily walking improves glucose tolerance in overweight women.
BACKGROUND Physical activity ( PA ) has been shown to benefit glucose tolerance . Walking is a convenient low-impact mode of PA and is reported to be the most commonly performed activity for those with diabetes . The purpose of this study was to determine whether a recommendation to accumulate 10,000 steps/day for 8 weeks was effective at improving glucose tolerance in overweight , inactive women . METHODS Eighteen women ( 53.3 + /- 7.0 years old , 35.0 + /- 5.1 kg/m(2 ) ) with a family history of type 2 diabetes completed a 4-week control period followed by an 8-week walking program with no changes in diet . The walking program provided a goal of accumulating at least 10,000 steps/day , monitored by a pedometer . RESULTS During the control period , participants walked 4972 steps/day . During the intervention period , the participants increased their accumulated steps/day by 85 % to 9213 , which result ed in beneficial changes in 2-h postload glucose levels ( P < 0.001 ) , AUC(glucose ) ( P = 0.025 ) , systolic blood pressure ( P < 0.001 ) , and diastolic blood pressure ( P = 0.002 ) . There were no changes in body mass , body fat percentage , and waist circumference during the walking intervention . CONCLUSIONS The 10,000 steps/day recommendation result ed in improved glucose tolerance and a reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure in overweight women at risk for type 2 diabetes . This demonstrates that activity can be accumulated throughout the day and does not have to result in weight loss to benefit this population
The results suggest that the use of a pedometer is associated with significant increases in physical activity and significant decreases in body mass index and blood pressure .
CONTEXT Without detailed evidence of their effectiveness , pedometers have recently become popular as a tool for motivating physical activity .
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the association of pedometer use with physical activity and health outcomes among outpatient adults .