New research says that wearing a pedometer can help people increase their daily activity.

Women with pedometers and a goal of 10,000 steps per day walked more than those whose goal was a brisk, 30-minute walk, according to new research

Study participants wore a sealed pedometer that recorded their steps. One group also had a pedometer they could read at any time to tell them how many steps they had taken throughout the day, and they were encouraged to walk 10,000 steps per day. The other group could not see their pedometer steps, but were encouraged to take a 30 minute brisk walk each day.

The group who could check their pedometers averaged over 10,000 steps per day, compared with 8,270 steps for the 30-minute walking group, a difference of a mile per day. On days when the pedometer group did not meet their target, they still walked over a mile more than the 30-minute group did on days those in that group did not meet their target (7,780 steps vs. 5,597 steps).

The pedometer group was taking more steps on every day than they did before the study, while the 30-minute a day group did not increase their steps on days they didn't take their 30-minute walk.

Taking 2000 more steps per day can be the difference between weight gain and maintaining or losing weight. This study confirmed that wearing a pedometer is a simple way to motivate yourself to take those extra 2000 steps per day.

"Pedometers are quite popular now, and with good reason," said lead researcher Dixie L. Thompson, Ph.D., FACSM. "Our study shows that they can provide an incentive for people to increase their activity levels. For many individuals, walking is the preferred way to reach ACSM’s recommended level of physical activity, which contributes directly to better fitness and health. In a society where poor diet and physical inactivity contribute to nearly 400,000 deaths a year, increasing our level of physical activity has a very beneficial effect on public health."

Source: Diabetes In Control.com: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise®. April, 2005.