Measures of the physical activity: revision of methods

Resumen

Physical activity has been linked with several health bene? ts. Despite the evidence from population surveys, the measurement of physical activity has presented a challenge for researches in the area. The present study intends to show the main instruments for measuring physical activity, as well as their limitations and advantages. The choice of the most adequate instrument should observe criteria such as quality, simplicity or others. Currently, the lack of a “gold standard” instrument, suggests that a combination of methods would be the means of providing better data. The development of new instruments, improvement of current ones and the combination of methods are possible choices presented in this study for the use of better quality instruments.