METS
Mets have been all over the news this week. I had never heard of them before. One met ( metabolic equivalent levels ) is the amount of oxygen used as you sit quietly for one hour. Your target met level ( females 14.7 – ( .13 * your age), men 14.7 – ( .11 * your age)) is your peak performance, not sustained. If you can not do at least 85% you are far more likely to run into health problems.
| Mets | Activity |
| 1 | Walk 1 mph, eating or working at at desk |
| 2 | Walk 2 mph, yoga, cooking, putting away groceries |
| 3 | Walk 3 mph or bike 5.0 mph, vacuuming, gardening |
| 4 | Bike 6.0 mph, bowling |
| 5 | Jog 4 mph, bike 10 mph, raking leaves, tennis |
| 6 | Jog 5 mph, bike 11 mph, aerobics, weight lifting, dancing |
| 7 | Bike 12 mph, swimming |
| 8 | Jog 5.5 mph, bike 13 mph, doing pushups or sit-ups |
| 9 | Heavy shoveling |
| 10 | Run 6 mph, bike 15 |
| 11 | |
| 12 | Run 7 mph, bike 17.5 mph |
| 13 | |
| 14 | Run 8 mph |
| 15 | Run 9 mph |
So a 45 year old woman would be 14.7 – .13*45 = 8.85 mets is 100% performance
8.85 * .85 = 7.5 mets is the minimum you should be able to reach, 12.5 mph on a bike or a bit over 5 mph jogging speed. You’d really like to be at 100% or over 13 mph on a bike and about 6 mph running speed.
