Wear a pedometer. New research suggests that routinely wearing a pedometer encourages people to walk about an extra mile each day, lose weight, and lower their blood pressure. Aim for at least 30 minutes of brisk walking and a total of 10,000 steps per day.

-Dr. JoAnn Manson, chief of the division of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School