• Anthony Musto, Kevin Jacobs, Mark Nash, Gianluca DelRossi, and Arlette Perry.
• Dept. of Wellness and Recreation, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA.
• J Phys Act Health. 2010 Nov 1;7(6):737-45.

BackgroundPedometer programs can increase physical activity in sedentary individuals, a population that is at risk for developing metabolic syndrome and each of its individual components. Although the popular 10,000 steps/day recommendation has shown to induce many favorable health benefits, it may be out of reach for sedentary individuals. This study observed the effects of incremental increases in steps/day on metabolic syndrome components in sedentary overweight women.MethodsThis study was a longitudinal, quasi-experimental design. Participants were recruited from a 12-week work-site pedometer program and grouped as either 'active' or 'control' after the intervention based on their steps/day improvement. Self-reported physical activity, pedometer assessed physical activity, BMI, resting heart rate, waist circumference, blood pressure, triglycerides, HDL-C, and fasting glucose were measured before and after the program.ResultsThe active group showed significant within-group improvements in waist circumference and fasting glucose. Significant group differences were observed in resting heart rate, BMI, and systolic blood pressure; however, the changes observed in systolic blood pressure were not independent of weight loss.ConclusionsIncremental increases in steps/day induced favorable changes in some MetS components suggesting that this approach is a viable starting point for sedentary individuals that may find it difficult to initially accumulate 10,000 steps/day.

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