Do pedometers do more harm than good?

Speaking at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Boston, Dr Greg Hager, professor of computer science at Johns Hopkins University, warned that obsessing over achieving the basic philosophy of 10,000 steps daily may lead people to chase over-ambitious goals and, as a result, do more harm than good.

Why 10,000 steps?

The leading expert pointed out that the target appears to be a relatively arbitrary figure. “Turns out in 1960 in Japan they figured out that the average Japanese man, when he walked 10,000 steps a day, burned something like 3,000 calories and that is what they thought the average person should consume. So they picked 10,000 steps as a number.”

Are pedometers recommended for monitoring physical activity?

Physical activity monitors or trackers, such as pedometers, have gained increasing popularity. When used appropriately, they serve a useful purpose by providing objective measures in activity and provide constant encouragement for people to move more. Pedometers can be a useful tool to create general awareness of activity levels by counting the number of steps taken. However, some users may become fixated on the “10,000-step rule”.

Should I be counting steps?

Rather than being fixated on reaching 10,000 steps a day using a pedometer, it can be used to track the average daily step count, then applied to setting appropriate goals. For a generally healthy individual looking to increase activity in daily routine, gradually increasing the number of steps may be a good way to start. While 10,000 steps per day may have a positive effect on health, it is important to note that the target is not based on science-based evidence. In addition, achieving 10,000 steps may not be feasible for everyone.

Are pedometers recommended for monitoring physical activity?

Relying solely on pedometers in measuring physical activity is unreliable. For one thing, it does not provide important measurement parameters such as duration and intensity. This highlights an important medical risk associated to the application of pedometers and consumer activity trackers in clinical applications.

Activity monitoring for research or clinical applications needs to be precise and validated. For this purpose, accelerometer-based activity monitors, such as the MOX, is used extensively. The MOX has been used to investigate the correlation of physical activity or sedentary behaviour to disease outcomes, as well as to monitor older adults and individuals with chronic conditions in the home and community settings. By customising accelerometer-based algorithms that accurately classify physical activity levels and/or posture such as sitting or lying for specific populations or individuals, reliable and valuable insights into real-world physical activity or movements can be obtained. Combined with activity goal settings, the activity monitor can be used to support translational care interventions. Furthermore, this information enables medical professionals to monitor and support their patients and provide more precise medical advice.

To find out more about the MOX Research system, click here.

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