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American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance
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Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance

Issue: January 2009

Step It Up: Activity Intensity Using Pedometers
Susan Vincent Graser, Robert P. Pangrazi, & William J. Vincent

Abstract: Pedometers are a popular tool among physical educators and recreation and fitness professionals for promoting and monitoring the physical activity of youths. Pedometers are particularly useful because they are reliable, inexpensive, and simple for youths to use and understand. However, pedometers also have some limitations, the greatest one being their inability to measure the intensity at which steps are accumulated. A measure of intensity is needed so that professionals can assess whether or not youths are meeting the recommendations for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). The purpose of this article is to help teachers, recreation and fitness professionals, and youths to use pedometer data to determine the intensity of physical activity. For that purpose, the authors conducted a study that identified a range of steps-per-minute that equates to MVPA.

Article category: Research