Recent research shows that Pedometers really do work when trying to increase physical activity. In a recent review of physical activity programs using pedometers, Tudor-Locke and Lutes found that the feedback pedometers give helps promote increases in physical activity.

Specifically, programs that encourage participants to use their pedometer feedback to set goals have been found to increase physical activity by 2000 steps per day. Further, having strategies to increase your steps and reach your goals has been identified as an effective way to increase daily physical activity. Tudor-Locke and Lutes also note that pedometers have been most useful when users record their steps on a daily basis.

What does this mean for you?

Tracking you daily pedometer steps on the Fit Minded website is really easy. The online pedometer log will, not only provide you with immediate feedback related to your step counts, but it can also produce a graph with the data you enter. With the graph you can track your physical activity and identify trends. Tracking will help you to set goals for yourself. Your goals for increasing steps don’t have to be astronomical. Try to increase your step by 5-10% every few weeks. These small increases will add up over time.

In identifying trends you might ask yourself, “Which days am I getting more activity? Why am I getting more activity on those particular days?” For example, are you in meetings all day on Mondays? Do you sit around the house more on the weekends? Think about what you do during the day that makes you more or less physically active. Then concentrate on simple strategies to increase your activity. “On Mondays I will walk during my lunch break.” OR “On Saturdays, instead of sitting on the couch, I will do a workout with my exercise band while watching TV.” Check out the Support section of the website to learn more strategies for increasing your physical activity.

A Final Note on Pedometers:

A very important part of using a pedometer is to make sure it is working correctly. Test out the pedometer to make sure it is correctly counting your steps. There are multiple reasons why there could be errors in counting steps. It could be a faulty pedometer or something as simple as the placement of the pedometer. There are various placements that can be used. The common placement is on the waistband centered over the right knee. This sometimes does not work for everyone. Another common placement is on the waistband centered over the back of your thigh. Try the pedometer at various placements around your waistband to find what works best for you.

Tudor-Locke, C., Lutes, L. (2009). Why do pedometers work?. Sports Medicine, 39(12), 981-993.