Counting every step motivates you to take long walks, even if you don’t count how long your walks are
Tuesday, November 27th, 2007It’s good to talk long walks - and some pedometers count those steps specially. A recent U of Michigan study suggests (as much as any study under controlled conditions suggests the truth, which may be different for you) that counting every step makes you happier than only counting the aerobic steps. The key quote:
In other words, a lifestyle group participant would have her steps counted whether she went for a half-hour walk or just walked outside to get the mail, while the structured group would only have the half-hour walk counted. But in both groups, the increase in the daily totals came from activities like half-hour walks, not by taking more short trips to the mailbox, to and from the car, or visiting a co-worker down the hall.Reference: “A randomized trial comparing structures and lifestyle goals in an internet-mediated walking program for people with type 2 diabetes,” International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 4:59 (Nov. 16, 2007). www.ijbnpa.org/content/4/1/59 as cited in a UMHS press release Pedometers motivate people with diabetes to walk more.
(as noted by Edward Vielmetti)
Technorati Tags: walking, walk, walkertracker, diabetes, study, pedometer, medicine, development
