Self-monitoring moderate-vigorous physical activity versus steps/day is more effective in chronic disease exercise programs.
OBJECTIVE
The effects of self-monitoring number of steps/day versus minutes of moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA/day) were compared to determine which is more effective for increasing physical activity levels.


METHODS
A total of 18 participants of a university-based chronic disease prevention program (age 61 +/- 12 years) were enrolled in the 3-week intervention. Subjects were randomly assigned to a group (n = 8) that wore a New Lifestyles accelerometer (NL-1000) and were instructed to increase minutes of MVPA to 30 min/d or more (MIN) or to a group (n = 10) that wore a New Lifestyles pedometer (NL-800) and were instructed to increase the number of steps/day to 10,000 or more (STE). To objectively assess changes in physical activity levels, subjects in both groups simultaneously wore a Lifecorder-EX accelerometer (with display blank) during the intervention.


RESULTS
The number of steps increased significantly in the MIN (10,810 +/-3,211 to 13,355 +/- 3,498 steps/day) and STE (11,517 +/- 3,383 to 12,809 +/-2,479 steps/day) from the first to fourth weeks, respectively. However, the time spent in MVPA increased significantly only in MIN group (36 +/- 11 to 52 +/- 15 min/d) but not in the STE group (32 +/- 7 to 37 +/- 11 min/d) from the first to fourth weeks, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Data suggest that individuals with chronic disease conditions can more effectively increase levels of physical activity, expressed as both MVPA/day and steps/day, by self-monitoring MIN rather than STE. The effect of self-monitoring physical activity levels for longer periods and/or the effect of increasing minutes of MVPA/day versus steps/day on specific health outcomes have not yet been examined.
Ayabe
Makoto
M
School of Health and Sports Science, Juntendo University, Inba, Chiba, Japan.
Brubaker
Peter H
PH
Mori
Yukari
Y
Kumahara
Hideaki
H
Kiyonaga
Akira
A
Tanaka
Hiroaki
H
Aoki
Junichiro
J
D000054:Acceleration; D000465:Algorithms; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D040241:Social Marketing; D013997:Time Factors; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology