Case Study: Mary

In the last step, we described five ways of measuring physical activity. It is important to think about which method is most appropriate for specific patients.

Take a look at this fictional scenario:

You are working in a community health clinic and are responsible for prescribing exercise to elderly patients. One of your patients is Mary, an 86 year old woman. Mary lives with her daughter in a small apartment and has recently been diagnosed with osteoarthritis and mild dementia. Her daughter is concerned about her as she spends most of her day sitting watching television and being sedentary.

You would like to find out how active Mary is in her daily life in advance of prescribing her an exercise programme.

• Which exercise measurement tool would you use and why?
• What do you need to consider?