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Analysing your activity diary

Find out how to analyse your activity diary as part of a free online course on Heart Health by the University of Reading.

In this Step we’ll cover how to collate the information from your activity diary. To do this you’ll need to download the activity analysis worksheet.

Collating your Activity Diary data using the Activity Analysis worksheet

Average number of steps

Question 1 asks about the average number of steps you took per day.

  1. Go through your activity diary and add together the number of steps you have taken each day.
  2. Divide this total by the number of days you kept your activity diary for.

Activity levels at work

Question 2 asks about typical activity levels at work.

  1. Tick the box that best corresponds to your present occupation.

Leisure activities

Question 3 asks about the average number of minutes you spend on leisure activities per day.

  1. Go through your activity diary and add together times from each day you spent on any intensity leisure activity.
  2. Divide this total by the number of days you kept your activity diary for.

Physical activity index grouping

Question 4 assigns you to a physical activity index group.

  1. Tick the box that best corresponds to you.

Moderate and intense physical activity

Question 5 asks about the average number of minutes you spend on moderate or intense physical activities per week.

  1. Calculate the total number of minutes you spent (during work and leisure) doing moderate to intense activities.
  2. Divide this total by the number of days you kept activity diary for.
  3. Multiply this number by 7 (to give a weekly average).

Moderate and intense leisure activities

Question 6 asks about the average number of minutes you spend on moderate or intense leisure activities per week.

  1. Add together the number of minutes you spent on leisure activities at a moderate to intense level each day.
  2. Divide this total by the number of days you kept activity for and then multiply by 7 (to give a weekly average).

Television

Question 7 asks about the average number of hours you watched television for per week.

  1. Add together the number of minutes your spent watching television each day.
  2. Divide this by the number of days you kept the activity diary for.
  3. Multiply this result by 7 (to give a weekly average).

Sedentary leisure time

Question 8 asks about the average number of hours you spend on sedentary leisure time.

  1. Add together the number of minutes you spent on sedentary activities.
  2. Divide this total by the number of days you kept the activity diary for.
  3. Multiply this number by 7 (to give a weekly average).

In the next Step, you’ll compare your activity levels in relation to the typical UK values and the World Health Organization recommendations.

© University of Reading
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Heart Health: A Beginner's Guide to Cardiovascular Disease

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