JAMA: 2007-11-21, Vol. 298, No. 19, Author in the Room Audio Interview

Interview with Dena M. Bravata, MD, MS, author of Using Pedometers to Increase Physical Activity and Improve Users' Health. Summary Points: 1. Pedometer users increase their physical activity. They walked 2000 steps per day more than people who do not use a pedometer. 2000 steps is equivalent to about 1 mile per day or about 100 calories per day. 2. Having a daily step goal is important for increasing physical activity with a pedometer. Pedometer users with any goal plus or minus either 10,000 steps per day or an individualized step goal plus or minus increase their physical activity whereas those pedometer users without a goal do not. 3. Pedometer users lose weight and lower their blood pressure. 4. Pedometer interventions that take place in the workplace are less likely to result in improvements in physical activity than interventions that took place in non-workplace settings. This is because the people who chose to participate in workplace interventions already had relatively high baseline physical activity which suggests that workplace interventions should target sedentary employees.