The metabolic equivalent of task (MET) is the ratio of the metabolic rate during exercise to the metabolic rate at rest. One MET corresponds to an energy expenditure of 1 kcal/kg/hour. One MET can also be expressed as oxygen uptake of 3.5 ml/kg/min.
METs are used to estimate how many calories are burned during many common physical activities.
We will demonstrate how the calculator works with a simple example:
Susan is a 70kg (~154 lbs) woman who walked her dog for exactly 30 min. According to the metabolic equivalent table, walking the dog corresponds to an energy expediture of 3.0 METs. In order to perform the calculation, all we have to do is to multiply the weight (kg), the metabolic equivalent of a task (MET) and the time of the activity (hr).
Remember that 1 MET = 1 kcal/kg/hr
Units of time must be converted to hours. Therefore, 30 min = 0.5 hr
Calories burned = 70 kg x 3 kcal/kg/hr x 0.5 hr = 105 kcals burned
It is important to know that this formula does not take into consideration characteristics such as age and sex and should only be used as estimates.
Still complicated? Don't worry, our calculator will do all the math for you! Just type your values and choose the most appropriate activity.
| Light Intensity Activities | METs |
|---|---|
| Sleeping | 0.95 |
| Watching television | 1.0 |
| Writing, desk work, typing | 1.3 |
| Walking, household | 2.0 |
| Walking, 2.0 mph (3.2 km/h) | 2.8 | Moderate Intensity Activities | METs |
| Walking the dog | 3.0 |
| Walking, 2.8 - 3.2 mph (4.5 - 5.1 km/h), level, moderate pace | 3.5 |
| Calisthenics, (e.g., push ups, sit ups, pull-ups, lunges), moderate effort | 3.8 |
| Yard work, general, moderate effort | 4.0 |
| Mowing lawn, general | 5.5 |
| Bicycling, leisure, 9.4 mph (15.1 km/h) | 5.8 |
| Swimming laps, freestyle, light or moderate effort | 5.8 | Vigorous Intensity Activities | METs |
| Jogging, general | 7.0 |
| Snow shoveling, by hand, vigorous effort | 7.5 |
| Running, 5 mph (8.0 km/h) | 8.3 |
| Stair-treadmill ergometer, general | 9.0 |
| Swimming laps, freestyle, fast, vigorous effort | 9.8 |
| Running, 8 mph (12.9 km/h) | 11.8 |
* Values displayed are part of the most recent version of the Compendium of Physical Activities.
Now that you know how to utilize the calculator, let's discover how the information provided can be applied! It does not matter if you are just now starting to exercise, if you have been exercising your entire life or if you plan to utilize this information to better help your clients achieve their goals. We will discuss each of the scenarios and how our calculator could benefit you.
If your goal is to lose weight or simply to get into a healthier lifestyle, here is how our calculator could help you:
We all know how hard it is to maintain an exercising routine, especially if you are just starting out. When people start exercising, they usually get too focused on the outcome and forget about the process. But what does that mean?
It means that the person is so focused on the end-goal that they forget that in order to reach it, it must be something attainable and enjoyable. Not everyone likes to be on a treadmill or the elliptical machine for hours. If you want exercise to become a habit, you must first choose an activity you enjoy.
With our calculator you can find a comprehensive list of any imaginable physical activity, along with how many calories you are burning when performing the chosen activity. So if your goal is to have a caloric deficit to lose some weight, our calculator will help you achieve your goals faster.
Let's say you exercise regularly and would like to maintain a healthy lifestyle throughout your life to reduce the risk of a cardiovascular disease. The information provided here could also help you achieve that goal.
According to the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, it is recommended that adults complete between 150 to 300min of moderate-intensity activity or 75 to 150min of vigorous-intensity activity. But how does it translate to MET values?
The same guidelines classify physical activity intensity utilizing MET values. An activity is classified as moderate-intensity if it falls between 3.0 and 6.0 METs, with anything above 6.0 being classified as a vigorous-intensity activity.
Now that you know what the guidelines are, it is time to go back to our calculator, find the activities you have been performing lately and figure out if they are enough to satisfy the guidelines. And if your exercise routine does not meet the criteria, you know exactly what to do to get there.
If you are working with a base of clients, you should know all their goals. Whether they are working with you two or five times per week, our calculator will help you plan your sessions no matter what the activity is.
As a personal trainer, you should be able to incorporate a variety of training methods into your client's weekly schedule. For this reason, the concept of periodization becomes very important. Different physical activities induce different physiological responses. Therefore, they must be cycled accordingly for better outcomes and decrease risk of injury.
Our comprehensive list of activities may help you decide which type of physical activity is appropriate for certain days of the week based on its metabolic equivalent.
Keep in mind that your job as a personal trainer is to facilitate training and create an environment in which your client will likely succeed. A big portion of it has to do with how you motivate your clients to keep them engaged. At this point, the resources from this website are just another tool to propel them where they want to be.
For more information, we recommend visiting The Compendium of Physical Activities website. The Compendium was developed in the late 1980s for use in epidemiologic and surveillance studies to standardize the MET intensities used in various physical activity questionnaires.
Our calculator is equipped with the most up-to-date values for each of the activities listed. The comprehensive list of activities, descriptions and MET values can be found here.