Wouldn’t You Like to Know
by Barbara A. Bushman, Ph.D., FACSM
How Can I Use METs to Quantify the Amount
of Aerobic Exercise?
Q:
I’m confused by the use of MET I minutes to describe weekly aerobic
exercise. What does MET I minutes mean? What is its value? How can I use
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it with my clients?
A:
MET minutes per week (MET I
minutes I weekj1) has become a
common designation to summa-
rize the amount and intensity of cardiore-
spiratory exercise. The 2008 Physical
Activity Guidelines for Americans suggests
substantial health benefits for adults engag-
ing in 500 to 1,000 MET I minutes I weekj1
of physical activity (6). The ACSM Po-
sition Stand on Quantity and Quality of
Exercise for Developing and Maintaining
Cardiorespiratory, Musculoskeletal, and
Neuromotor Fitness in Apparently Healthy
Adults: Guidance of Prescribing Exercise
also supports including 500 to 1,000 MET I
minutes I weekj1 of cardiorespiratory
exercise (3).
MET stands for metabolic equivalent
and reflects the energy expended by the
body at seated rest. MET values for activ-
ities are the ratio of the rate of energy
expended during an activity to the rate of
energy expended at rest. For example,
walking briskly on a level surface at
4.0 mph is equal to 5 METs (1). This
means walking at that pace requires five
times the energy compared with the energy
cost when sitting at rest for an equivalent
period. METs are therefore an easy way to
describe the intensity of an array of phys-
ical activities (see the Table for some
examples); the focus here will be on car-
diorespiratory activities.
MET I minutes is simply the time en-
gaged in an activity with consideration to
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Copyright © 2012 American College of Sports Medicine. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
the number of METs. Consider the ex- based on MET levels (6) (note that these
ample of brisk walking at 4 mph. If a cli- designations are reflected in ACSM guide-
ent walked at this pace for 30 minutes, lines as well (2,4)):
the total would be 150 MET I minutes.
• Light-intensity aerobic activity = 1.1
This is calculated as follows:
to 2.9 METs
30 minutes  5 METs = 150 MET I
minutes • Moderate-intensity aerobic activity =
3.0 to 5.9 METs
If that client engaged in this activity 5
days per week, the total is 750 MET I •Vigorous-intensity aerobic activity =
minutes I weekj1, calculated as follows: 6.0 or more METs
150 MET I minutes per day  5 days Although the application of absolute
per week = 750 MET I minutes I weekj1 aerobic intensity levels is useful with
With 750 MET I minutes I
week j1 of walking, the client
in this example meets the rec-
ommended amount of cardiore-
spiratory physical activity (recall
that the target is 500 to 1,000
MET I minutes I weekj1). Having
a nice way to summarize the
week’s activities can be especially
helpful for individuals who select
different modes and exercise in-
tensities throughout the week.
Using MET I minutes I weekj1,
one simple common value can be
used to track progress (see the
comparison in the box).
Classification of various activi-
ties is possible by using METs.
The advisory committee for the
2008 Physical Activity Guidelines
for Americans designated the fol-
lowing aerobic intensity categories
ACSM’s HEALTH & FITNESS JOURNALA 5
Wouldn’t You Like to Know

TABLE: MET values for various cardiorespiratory activities (1)* ality be vigorous or beyond the capabil-
ity of an older adult with a low fitness
Activity MET Value
level (5). Thus, the following desig-
Walking (2.5 mph, 4 km I hourj1) 3.0 nations are recommended for older
Walking (3.5 mph, 5.6 km I hour ) j1
4.3 adults, or those with clinically significant
Walking (4.0 mph, 6.4 km I hourj1) 5.0 chronic conditions or functional limi-
Running (6 mph, 9.7 km I hour ) j1
9.8
tations, using relative intensity rather
than absolute values:
Running (7 mph, 11.3 km I hourj1) 11.0
Running (8 mph, 12.9 km I hourj1) 11.8 • Moderate-intensity aerobic activity:
Cycling, stationary (90 to 100 W) 6.8 effort level of 5 or 6 on a scale of 0
Cycling, stationary (101 to 160 W) 8.8 to 10 (note: 0 effort is sitting at rest
Swimming, freestyle, light to moderate effort 5.8 and 10 is maximal effort)
Swimming, sidestroke 7.0 • Vigorous-intensity aerobic activity:
Swimming, backstroke 9.5 effort level of 7 or 8 on a scale of 0 to 10
Water aerobics 5.3 Using relative intensity, along with
Elliptical trainer, moderate effort 5.0 supervision by a qualified fitness profes-
Rowing machine, moderate effort 4.8 sional, can help older adults to optimize
Activity-promoting video game (e.g., Dance Dance Revolution), vigorous effort 7.2 exercise intensity (5).
*To check the MET values for other physical activities, see http://sites.google.com/site/compendiumofphysicalactivities/ In addition to using MET I minutes I
Activity-Categories. weekj1, another option is to use METs
to estimate the calories required for an
most healthy adults, intensity may best capacity decreases with age, activities activity. This can provide a weekly over-
be defined relative to fitness for older in the 3-to-6 MET range noted previ- view; the calculation takes into account
adults (5,6). Because maximal aerobic ously as Bmoderate intensity[ may in re- the frequency, intensity, type, and time

Box: Using MET I Minutes I Weekj1 to Compare Two Aerobic Exercise Programs
Danielle, 48 years-of-age, has been exercising regularly for 5 months, mainly focusing on aerobic fitness. Her exercise pro-
gram included brisk walking (4 mph) 5 days per week, along with some flexibility exercises at the conclusion of her walks.
Having become aware of the benefits of resistance training, she would like to substitute resistance training for one of the
walking workouts. She feels ready to change her aerobic exercise to include 2 days per week of running (6 mph) in addition
to 2 days per week of walking. This provides 4 days per week of cardiorespiratory exercise, and the shift will allow her to
include resistance training 1 to 2 days per week, thus providing a more complete exercise program. Danielle is concerned,
however, that cutting the number of days of aerobic activity per week from 5 to 4 will result in a lower volume of aerobic
exercise. To compare walking only versus her new walking/running program, MET I minutes I weekj1 can be used to
allow for a common unit of measurement for different intensity and duration activities.
First, consider her original brisk walking routine (4 mph) 5 days per week for 30 minutes per day. This routine is 750 MET I minutes I
weekj1 (calculation shown below):
Walking at 4 mph = 5 METs
5 METs  30 minutes per day  5 days per week = 750 MET I minutes I weekj1
Second, her new aerobic exercise program includes jogging on Monday and Thursday for 20 minutes and walking on Tuesday
and Friday for 35 minutes. This results in 742 MET I minutes I weekj1 (calculations shown below):
Walking at 4 mph = 5 METs
For Danielle’s two walks of 35 minutes each, this would be 350 MET I minutes I weekj1
5 METs  35 minutes per day  2 days per week = 350 MET I minutes I weekj1
Jogging at 6 mph = 9.8 METs (see Table)
For Danielle’s 2 runs of 20 minutes each, this would be MET I minutes I weekj1,
9.8 METs  20 minutes per day  2 days per week = 392 METs I minutes I weekj1
This gives Danielle a weekly total of 742 MET I minutes I weekj1 (350 for her 2 walking sessions added to 392 for her 2
running sessions).
Thus, the 2 different routines provide a similar volume of aerobic exercise.

6 ACSM’s HEALTH & FITNESS JOURNALA | www.acsm-healthfitness.org VOL. 16/ NO. 2

Copyright © 2012 American College of Sports Medicine. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
devoted to the activity. The energy costs
determined by using METs in this man-
ner will be approximations rather than
precise values. MET values estimate en-
ergy costs and do not take into account
individual differences in body mass,
level of fat tissue, age, sex, movement
efficiency, or environmental or geo-
graphic conditions.
For most adults, the minimum quantity
of physical activity and exercise to pro-
mote health and fitness benefits equates
to 1,000 kcal per week (kcal I weekj1), al-
though higher amounts of activity (energy
expenditure of more than 2,000 kcal I
weekj1 ) result in greater benefits and
may be needed to lose weight or to sus-
tain weight loss (2). Realize that for clients
with certain health conditions or with poor
fitness, activity levels resulting in an ener-
gy expenditure below 1,000 kcal I weekj1
may improve health and fitness (2).
Calculation of calories expended for a
given exercise simply requires knowledge
of the MET level, along with the person’s
body weight in kilograms. These values
can be entered into the following formula
(note the bolded numbers 3.5 and 200 are
both constants and do not change):
____ MET VALUE  3.5  ____ kg body
weight  200 = ___ kcal I minutesj1
For a 150-lb (68.2-kg) woman engag-
ing in the previous aerobic program that
included brisk walking for 150 minutes
per week (5 days per week, 30 minutes
per day) at a 4-mph pace (5 METs), the
total would be 900 kcal I weekj1.
5 METs  3.5  68.2 kg  200 =
6.0 kcal I minutesj1
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Copyright © 2012 American College of Sports Medicine. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
150 minutes each week  6.0 kcal I
minutesj1 = 900 kcal I weekj1
Realize that the determination of
kcal I weekj1 is an approximation and
actual energy cost can vary depending
on the efficiency of movement, body
composition, and other factors not con-
sidered within the development of the
MET values used in the formula.
CONCLUSIONS
Getting a handle on the volume of cardiore-
spiratory exercise can be challenging, espe-
cially when including a variety of activities
of different intensities and durations. For
the purposes of tracking or summing vari-
ous aerobic activities, both MET I minutes I
weekj1 and kcal I weekj1 can be useful.
Educating your clients about the recom-
mended targets for apparently healthy adults
(at least 500 to 1,000 MET I minutes I
week j1 or 1,000 kcal I week j1 ) may
provide encouragement, regardless if their
focus is to begin, continue, or increase
their current programs.
References
1. Ainsworth BE, Haskell WL, Herrmann SD, et al.
The compendium of physical activities tracking
guide. Healthy Lifestyles Research Center,
College of Nursing & Health Innovation,
Arizona State University; [cited 2011 Aug 22].
Available from: https://sites.google.com/site/
compendiumofphysicalactivities/.
2. American College of Sports Medicine.
ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and
Prescription. 8th ed. Philadelphia (PA):
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2010,
380 p.
3. Garber CE, Blissmer B, Deschenes MR, et al.
American College of Sports Medicine position
stand. Quantity and quality of exercise for
developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory,
musculoskeletal, and neuromuscular fitness
in apparently healthy adults: guidance for
prescribing exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc.
2011;43(7):1334Y59.
4. Haskell WL, Lee IM, Pate RR, et al.
Physical activity and public health: updated
recommendation from the American College
of Sports Medicine and the American
Heart Association. Med Sci Sports Exerc.
2007;39(8):1423Y34.
5. Nelson ME, Rejeski WJ, Blair SN, et al.
Physical activity and public health in older
adults: recommendation from the American
College of Sports Medicine and the American
Heart Association. Med Sci Sports Exerc.
2007;39(8):1435Y45.
6. U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services Web site [Internet]. 2008 Physical
Activity Guidelines for Americans. Atlanta,
GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services; [cited 2011 Aug 22]. Available from:
http://www.health.gov/paguidelines.
Disclosure: The author declares no con-
flict of interest and does not have any fi-
nancial disclosures.
Barbara Bushman, Ph.D.,
FACSM, is a professor
at Missouri State Uni-
versity. She holds four
ACSM certifications:
Program Director, Clini-
cal Exercise Specialist,
Health Fitness Specialist, and Personal
Trainer. Dr. Bushman has authored papers
related to menopause, factors influencing
exercise participation, and deep water run
training; she authored ACSM’s Action
Plan for Menopause (Human Kinetics,
2005), edited ACSM’s Complete Guide
to Fitness & Health (Human Kinetics,
2011) and promotes health/fitness at
www.Facebook.com/FitnessID.
ACSM’s HEALTH & FITNESS JOURNALA 7