Measuring adherence to a women's walking program

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the use of a self-report exerci se log and a heart-rare monitor in the measurement of adherence to the dime nsions of an exercise prescription and to propose an alternative way to def ine adherence to a 24-week home-bared women's walking program, which reflec ts the dynamic process of behavior change. Adherence was measured with exer cise logs, Polar Vantage XL Heart-Rate Monitors, and pre- to postinterventi on change in VO2 max Of the dimensions of the exercise prescription,frequen cy of walks documented by both the heart-rate monitor and the exercise log had a higher correlation than duration and intensity of walking with change in VO2 max suggesting that frequency was potentially the most predictive a dherence measure. Examination of the total number of walks and the number a nd sequence of weeks without walks over the 24-week intervention revealed d ynamic patterns of adherence suggesting variation in the degree of behavior al change.