With the widespread availability and use of wrist-worn activity trackers, concern can arise over the manual tracking of steps, or time spent participating in moderate and vigorous activities, especially during 10,000 Steps team Tournaments.
Activity trackers vary in the mechanisms and algorithms used to calculate activity and its intensity. The wide variation in different types of exercises performed, the intensity, and individual fitness level all impact how extra activities are recorded on the 10,000 Steps website.
Should I use steps or moderate/vigorous activity minutes in my Tournament?
The moderate and vigorous activity columns on the 10,000 Steps website Step Log were originally designed for the entry of activities that a pedometer would not accurately record (e.g. swimming). They also offer a more accessible option for recording activity where participants find walking difficult, or walking is not possible.
Your organisations may choose to ask their participants not to enter moderate or vigorous activity during the duration of the Tournament, as this time is converted to steps and added to the step total, and can lead to inflated step totals. Please reach out to your Coordinator if you're not sure if you should be using activity minutes in your Tournament.
What about after a Tournament?
When logging steps for your own personal record, or for our Monthly Challenges, we would encourage members to enter the time spent doing moderate and vigorous activity into the moderate or vigorous columns, and not record steps accumulated in that time period in the steps walked section. We have a guide on our moderate and vigorous minute step conversions available here.
How can I encourage participants to log steps more accurately?
The overall aim of our program is to encourage our members to be active than they might otherwise have been. Highly engaged participants can be a great addition to any Tournament, and can also generate a strong competitive spirit.
Awards and prizes that are not focused on total step counts can be one way to disincentive less honest step logging. We have some ideas and tips available here for creating Tournaments that encourage accurate participation from members, and encouraging those who have low levels of physical activity, as they often have the most to gain from the program.
What are your step logging options?
We have a range of step logging options, including syncing some types of trackers, and manual entry. Please see Can I sync my activity tracker? for more information on tracking options that might be available to you.
Find out more about:
- Mobile App Features
- Mobile App Troubleshooting
- Logging Your Steps
- Connecting with Friends
- Monthly Challenges
- Team Tournaments
- Legacy Mobile App
You can also use the 10,000 Steps program through our website!
Additional features available on our website include:
- Becoming a Coordinator
- Creating and Managing Team Tournaments
- Adding Team Members and Editing Your Team
- View all of our Support topics
You can also Submit a Member Story to inspire other members on 10,000 Steps!