What are METs?

MET stands for Metabolic Equivalent of Task and is an objective way of measuring physical effort.

Instead of using vague, ill-defined terms, such as "easy", "hard", or "tough", METs offer a precise way of measuring how much energy an activity requires, as compared to sitting down relaxing.

Formally, and according to the 2024 Compendium of Physical Activities, the standard definition for one MET in younger adults (those under 60) is a resting metabolic rate of 3.5 mL of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute.

A single MET is the energy needed to sit down and do nothing, and the METs for all other activities are determined with reference to this baseline. The table below gives a rough idea of how MET values broadly translate into everyday terms.

Intensity	MET Range	Examples
Light	< 3.0	Slow walking, washing dishes, light stretching
Moderate	3.0–5.9	Brisk walking, heavy cleaning, doubles tennis
Vigorous	> 6.0	Running, football, mountain biking

You can think of a single MET as your body's "idling speed". Any activity you do revs the engine and requires more METs.

Compendium of Physical Activities

We use MET values from the 2024 Compendium of Physical Activities. In fact, we draw from three compendia: the 2024 Adult Compendium, which uses a baseline of 3.5 mL/kg/min, and is intended for those aged 18–59; the 2024 Older Adult Compendium, for those aged 60+, which takes into account the lower resting metabolism of older adults, and therefore uses a baseline of 2.7 mL/kg/min; and the 2024 Adult Wheelchair Compendium, which includes wheelchair-specific activities, and also uses a baseline of 2.7 mL/kg/min.

Factors Affecting Calorie Burn

Exercise Intensity

The harder the exercise, the more calories you will burn per unit time. This is reflected in the number of METs assigned to different activities.

Body Weight

Since a MET is defined as the oxygen used per kilogram of body weight per minute, more body weight means more calorie burn.

Duration

Exercising for longer burns more calories.

Calorie Calculation

Converting from METs to Calories (kcal) is straightforward. The formula is:

Calories (kcal) = activity (METs) × weight (kilograms) × duration (hours)

So, the number of Calories (kcal) required for a 5 MET activity performed for two hours by a person weighing 75 kilograms is:

5 × 75 × 2 = 750 kcal

Compare that to the same person sitting quietly doing nothing for two hours (1 MET):

1 × 75 × 2 = 150 kcal

So, as expected, performing the activity burns five times as many calories as resting.

Fat Burn Calculation

3,500 Calories represents roughly one pound of fat:

Weight loss (lb) = Calories ÷ 3,500

Using metric values:

Weight loss (kg) = kilojoules ÷ 32,217

For example, if a person who weighs 200 pounds (90.7 kilograms) plays golf for two hours, they will burn roughly 816 kcal / 3,414 kJ. This means they will lose approximately:

816 ÷ 3,500 ≈ 0.23 lb

or in metric:

3,414 ÷ 32,217 ≈ 0.11 kg

Example METs and Calorie Burn

Younger Adults

The table below shows METs and energy use for a younger adult (18–59) weighing 170 pounds (77 kilograms) carrying out the activity for one hour.

Activity	METs	kcal	kJ
Vinyasa Yoga	2.7	208	870
Hot Yoga	3.0	231	967
Mat Pilates	1.8	139	582
Weight Lifting/Body Building	6.0	463	1,937
Circuit Training	6.0	463	1,937
High Intensity Interval Exercise (HIIT)	7.0	540	2,259

Older Adults

The table below shows METs and energy use for an older adult (60+) weighing 170 pounds (77 kilograms) carrying out the activity for one hour.

Activity	METs	kcal	kJ
Dance Class	6.3	486	2,033
Gardening	3.8	293	1,226
Pickleball	5.3	409	1,711
Tai Chi	3.8	293	1,226
Calisthenics	3.5	270	1,130

Wheelchair Users

The table below shows METs and energy use for a wheelchair user weighing 170 pounds (77 kilograms) carrying out the activity for one hour.

Activity	METs	kcal	kJ
Aerobics	1.7	131	548
Wheeling (20–26 W)	3.3	254	1,063
Basketball	5.1	393	1,644
Rugby	2.7	208	870
Table Tennis	2.7	208	870

Example Results

The calculator will display a summary of METs used, estimated calories burned, and estimated fat loss. Here are example results for a person weighing 200 lb (90.7 kg) performing martial arts for one hour.