Quantifying your physical activity – how did you measure up?

This step is for those of you who chose to take part in measuring your activity over the past seven days using an app, pedometer or the IPAQ.

For learners who did not use an app or pedometer, the IPAQ is a common tool for estimating physical activity. The short-form questionnaire is the version that we will be exploring.

You can access an Excel file that will calculate your short-form IPAQ score here or in the downloads section below. The first tab on the spreadsheet (labelled “questionnaire”) should be completed by using the drop down options, and the second tab (labelled “results”) will give you your results. If you wish to score your IPAQ manually, we also have a document in the downloads section below that will guide you.

• Did you meet the recommendations detailed in Step 1.16?
• Do you feel the measurement tool(s) you used was accurate?
• Did you alter your activity because it was being measured?

Reflect on using either of these techniques (i.e. using a pedometer/smartphone or completing an IPAQ) with your patients by considering these questions:

• How might an elderly patient feel about measuring their physical activity using a pedometer?
• Would these tools be appropriate for someone with an intellectual disability?
• Would a pedometer be a realistic tool to measure the physical activity level of clients you work with?