Evaluation of an activity monitor for use in pregnancy to help reduce excessive gestational weight gain

Table 1 Overview of the protocol that was used in the study with durations of the activity and rest immediately after the activity indicated in square brackets

Heart rate at rest [5]
Indoor activities
1. Stacking groceries [3, 1]
2. Desk work [2, 1]
3. Vacuuming [3, 2]
4. Sitting resting [3, 1]
5. ^aCycling fitness test (60 W) [6, 5]
6. ^aWalking treadmill - 3 km/h – 0% incline [3, 2]
7. Standing resting [1, 1]
8. ^aWalking treadmill - 5 km/h - 0% incline [3, 2]
9. Folding towels [3, 1]
10.^aWalking treadmill - 5 km/h - 0% incline - carrying 4 kg [3, 3]
11. Cooking or Washing dishes [3, 1]
12. ^aWalking treadmill - 3 km/h - 5% [3, 3]
13. Cleaning table [3, 1]
14. ^aCross trainer - 60 W [3, 5]
15. Yoga [3, 1]
Switch to self-paced/outdoor activities
16. Walking upstairs (indoors) [1, 2]
17. Walking downstairs (indoors) [1, 2]
18. Walking, hands free [2, 1]
19. Walking, hands in pockets [2, 1]
20. Walking, carrying a bag [2, 1]
21. Cycling [3, 2]

After step 15, a pause of 5–10 min was required to replace the battery of the K4b² and to prepare participants for doing the self-paced activities that were executed indoors and outdoors. Before the activities, all participants started with a 5-min measurement of heart rate at rest so all participants started at a similar steady state in rest. Note that, due to weather conditions, for some participants, the self-paced activities were performed indoors. Also note that cooking and dishwashing (11) were “role-playing” activities mimicking the actual activities. Activities marked with an 'a' were fixed paced activities enforced by either setting a specific speed of the respective exercise machine or by monitoring by the study assistant

ISSN: 1471-2393