Motivating patients to activity: a light at the end of the couch?

Evidence • A 2007 systematic review (26 studies, 2767 patients) assessed the use of pedometers to increase physical activity levels and improve health1: -Pedometers increased the mean steps per day by 2491 in randomized controlled trials (P < .001) and 2183 in observational studies (P < .0001). -Having a “step goal” (most commonly, working up to 10 000 steps a day) predicted increased activity (P = .001). -Mean intervention duration was 18 weeks. -There was heterogeneity in study design and the corresponding results (P < .001). • A 2009, lower-quality systematic review (32 studies) of pedometers2 also found the following: -an increase of approximately 2000 steps per day; -the benefit of having a “step goal” (P < .001); and -similar benefits in studies longer and shorter than 15 weeks. • Newer randomized controlled trials show that using pedometers increases daily steps by approximately 2000 or more,3,4 including sustained results for up to 1 year.4