There are a few methods that personal trainers, and folks doing their own training, can measure their exertion level during exercise. METs are one of those methods.1 MET is defined by the American Council on Exercise as “a person’s oxygen uptake at rest”, or more technically at 3.5mL of oxygen per kg of bodyweight per minute.With that in mind you can quickly scan the list below and see what types of exercises require more or less exertion. With that in mind you can choose exercises that will hit the range you are targeting, and thus reach your fitness and weight loss goals.
- backpacking: 5-11
- playing basketball: 7-12
- boxing in ring: 13
- canoeing, rowing: 3-8
- cycling 10mph: 7
- dancing: 3-8
- hiking: 3-7
- judo: 13
- mountain climbing: 5-10
- jumping rope (60-80/min): 9
- jumping rope (120-140/min): 11-12
- running (10min/mile): 10
- running (9min/mile): 11
- running (8min/mile): 12
- running (7min/mile): 14
- running (6min/mile): 16
- skiing downhill: 5-8
- skiing x-country: 6-12
- soccer: 5-12
- stair climbing: 4-8
- swimming: 4-8
- tennis: 4-9
As you can see running is by far the hardest, and consequently it’s the reason why running in combination with weight training is recommended as one of the most effective ways at weight loss.