Darcy Ummels

General introduction | 9 1 General introduction Participation in daily life Engaging in daily life activities enhances an individual’s wellbeing as well as increases their participation in society. 1 One of the pre ‐ conditions for this engagement in daily activities is sufficient physical capacity. Physical capacity refers to the ability to perform activities that require physical actions 2,3 and consists of cardiovascular capacity, muscular capacity, and balance. 4,5 Another pre ‐ condition, physical activity is defined as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that results in energy expenditure. 2 Physical capacity and physical activity are strongly linked but not interchangeable. Sufficient physical activity does not guarantee sufficient physical activity and vice versa. 6,7 When an individual lacks physical capacity or physical activity, their ability to participate in daily activities is reduced, which can lead to disablement (i.e., reduced participation in or complete withdrawal from society). 8 ‐ 10 A meta ‐ analysis showed that increasing daily physical activity is not only the most effective method of preventing and slowing disablement 11 but can also increase physical capacity. 12 ‐ 15 Sufficient physical activity is also associated with a reduced risk of chronic diseases such as psychiatric diseases (e.g., depression), neurological diseases (e.g., dementia), metabolic diseases (e.g., Diabetes Mellitus), cardiovascular diseases (e.g., coronary heart disease), pulmonary diseases (e.g., chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), musculoskeletal disorders (e.g., osteoporosis) and cancer. 16 ‐ 18 To determine whether an individual is sufficiently active, physical activity norms were introduced. In 2016, the recommendation for adults in the Netherlands was to be moderately physically active for 30 minutes 5 days per week. 19 Another guideline—to achieve 10,000 steps per day—gained popularity in the media and may serve as an alternative physical activity norm. 20 However, recent studies have suggested that the 10,000 steps per day guideline may not be suitable for every population. For instance, it may be inappropriate for older adults or people with a chronic disease. 21 Measuring physical activity: why and how Physical activity can be measured to gain insight into an individual’s physical activity level as well as the types, amount, and distribution of physical activity they perform. A study showed that individuals experience difficulties estimating whether they meet the amount of physical activity recommended by the aforementioned guidelines; about half of the inactive participants in this study overestimated their physical activity level and believed they were sufficiently active. 22 In addition to generating insights, measuring physical activity can also produce objective feedback that can be used to change one’s