People who carry pedometers or set walking goals for themselves end up walking as much as an extra mile every day, according to a study in the November 21, 2007, edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Pedometers are small devices that count steps when you walk.

Researchers at Stanford Medical School examined the records of 2,767 people and found that pedometers and walking goals helped them get more exercise, lose weight, and slightly improve their blood pressure.

"The bottom line is that everything works for a month," said Dr. Robert Lustig, lead author. "Everything novel works. If you have the motivation, a pedometer helps. If you don't, it's useless."

Labels: exercise, walking