10,000 steps a day

Use a pedometer to motivate yourself to walk just a little farther each day.

That small extra effort has a big payback according to Dr Dena Brevata's study published this month in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). She reviewed 26 different studies (and in the process read more than 2,00 articles) about the use and effectiveness of pedometers.

The results ? Use of a pedpometer encouraged users to increase the number of steps they take every day by more than 2,100. Enough to take a little weight off and to reduce blood pressure.

In the research, it showed that pedometer users, increased their stamina by about 27 percent and it showed that on average, the volunteers loss pounds and their blood pressure dropped, which is enough to lower the risk of heart disease and stroke, Bravata said. She added, "Every night, you write down how many steps you walked that day. By flipping back through your diary, you're able to see patterns: 'On the two days a week I took the stairs, I increased my steps.'"

This is not a total solution to all your weight and health issues but is a good "step forward".

There are a vast range of pedometers but researchers tend to recommend not too cheap and not too expensive. Say around $20 to $30 for good product which will count steps accurately.