Use a Pedometer to Lose Weight

Participation in a pedometer-based walking program can help you lose a modest amount of weight, even without changing your diet, according to a University of Michigan Health System analysis of nine studies that was published in the Jan/Feb 2008 issue of Annals of Family Medicine. Plus, the longer you stick with the program, the more pounds you'll drop.

The 307 participants-73 percent of whom were women and 27 percent men-increased the distance they walked by one mile to slightly over two miles each day. At an average pace of three miles per hour, the walkers got an additional 20 to 40 minutes of activity every day. Participants lost an average of 0.11 pounds (0.05 kilograms) per week for an average total of 2.8 pounds (1.27kg) throughout the studies."The amount of weight loss attributable to pedometer-based walking programs is small but significant," says lead author Caroline R. Richardson, M.D., assistant professor in the U-M Health System Department of Family Medicine. She notes that the analysis also indicates that participants tended to lose more weight in the longer studies.

The increase in physical activity can promote health benefits independent of weight loss. "Increasing physical activity reduces the risk of cardiovascular problems, lowers blood pressure, and helps dieters maintain lean muscle tissue when they are dieting," she says. Another upside: Exercise in general has been shown to improve glucose tolerance in people with impaired glucose tolerance or type 2 diabetes.

Extended over a year, the analysis suggests, participants in pedometer-based walking programs can expect to lose about five pounds. Want to see results faster? Add a dietary program to the walking plan, says Richardson.

Difficulty level: Easy to moderate