A MET value tells you how much energy an activity takes compared with sitting still. One MET is the energy you use sitting quietly, so an activity rated 4 METs burns about four times as much per minute. The chart below gives MET values for 54 common activities, from sleeping (0.95) and vacuuming (3.3) to singles tennis (8.0) and jumping rope (11.8), each with its code from the 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities (opens in a new tab), the reference our calculators use.
Walking appears once, as the baseline everything else is compared with. For walking at every speed and on hills, see our MET chart for walking.
What is a MET value?
MET stands for metabolic equivalent of task. The Compendium defines it as the ratio of your working metabolic rate to your resting metabolic rate, and sets one MET at 1 kilocalorie per kilogram of body weight per hour, roughly the energy cost of sitting quietly. Measured as oxygen, that's 3.5 mL per kilogram per minute (Compendium of Physical Activities (opens in a new tab)).
So a 5-MET activity burns about five times your resting energy. The US physical activity guidelines use the same scale to sort activities by intensity (Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (opens in a new tab)):
| Intensity | METs | Guideline examples |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | 1.5 or less, awake and sitting, reclining or lying | TV and screen time |
| Light | Under 3.0 | Slow walking, cooking, light chores |
| Moderate | 3.0 to 5.9 | Brisk walking, mopping or vacuuming, raking the yard |
| Vigorous | 6.0 or more | Running, shoveling snow, carrying heavy groceries upstairs |
Every Compendium activity also has a five-digit code. The first two digits name the major heading, such as 05 for home activities and 15 for sports, so a code tells you exactly which entry a value came from. The 2011 edition has 821 of them.
MET values chart for 54 common activities
Values and codes are from the 2011 Compendium. Each group runs from the lowest MET to the highest, and the intensity column uses the guideline bands above.
Cardio: cycling, swimming, jogging and machines
| Activity | MET | Intensity | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cycling, under 10 mph, leisurely | 4.0 | Moderate | 01010 |
| Elliptical trainer, moderate effort | 5.0 | Moderate | 02048 |
| Swimming laps, freestyle, slow to moderate effort | 5.8 | Moderate | 18240 |
| Swimming, leisurely, not laps | 6.0 | Vigorous | 18310 |
| Cycling, 10–11.9 mph, light effort | 6.8 | Vigorous | 01020 |
| Jogging, general | 7.0 | Vigorous | 12020 |
| Stationary bike, general | 7.0 | Vigorous | 02010 |
| Rowing machine, 100 watts, moderate effort | 7.0 | Vigorous | 02072 |
| Cycling, 12–13.9 mph, moderate effort | 8.0 | Vigorous | 01030 |
| Swimming laps, freestyle, about 50 yards a minute | 8.3 | Vigorous | 18290 |
| Stair-climber machine, general | 9.0 | Vigorous | 02065 |
| Jumping rope, 100–120 skips a minute | 11.8 | Vigorous | 15551 |
Sports
| Activity | MET | Intensity | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golf, riding in a power cart | 3.5 | Moderate | 15290 |
| Volleyball | 4.0 | Moderate | 15710 |
| Golf, walking and carrying clubs | 4.3 | Moderate | 15265 |
| Downhill skiing or snowboarding, moderate effort | 5.3 | Moderate | 19160 |
| Badminton, social singles or doubles | 5.5 | Moderate | 15030 |
| Tennis, doubles | 6.0 | Vigorous | 15680 |
| Basketball, general | 6.5 | Vigorous | 15055 |
| Soccer, casual | 7.0 | Vigorous | 15610 |
| Tennis, singles | 8.0 | Vigorous | 15690 |
Gym and fitness
| Activity | MET | Intensity | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stretching, mild | 2.3 | Light | 02101 |
| Yoga, Hatha | 2.5 | Light | 02150 |
| Pilates, general | 3.0 | Moderate | 02105 |
| Weight training, several exercises, 8–15 reps | 3.5 | Moderate | 02054 |
| Power yoga | 4.0 | Moderate | 02160 |
| Water aerobics | 5.3 | Moderate | 02120 |
| Weightlifting, vigorous (powerlifting, bodybuilding) | 6.0 | Vigorous | 02050 |
| Calisthenics, vigorous (push-ups, sit-ups, jumping jacks) | 8.0 | Vigorous | 02020 |
| Circuit training with kettlebells, little rest, vigorous | 8.0 | Vigorous | 02040 |
Dance and aerobics classes
| Activity | MET | Intensity | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballroom, slow (waltz, foxtrot, tango, cha-cha) | 3.0 | Moderate | 03040 |
| Salsa, swing, flamenco, hula and other cultural dances | 4.5 | Moderate | 03025 |
| Aerobics, low impact | 5.0 | Moderate | 03020 |
| Ballroom, fast | 5.5 | Moderate | 03030 |
| Aerobics, general | 7.3 | Vigorous | 03015 |
| Aerobics, high impact | 7.3 | Vigorous | 03021 |
| General dancing (disco, folk, line, country) | 7.8 | Vigorous | 03031 |
Home and garden chores
| Activity | MET | Intensity | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washing dishes, standing | 1.8 | Light | 05041 |
| Light cleaning (tidying, changing sheets, taking out trash) | 2.5 | Light | 05040 |
| Vacuuming | 3.3 | Moderate | 05043 |
| Mopping, moderate effort | 3.5 | Moderate | 05021 |
| Scrubbing floors or the bathroom, on hands and knees | 3.5 | Moderate | 05130 |
| Gardening, general, moderate effort | 3.8 | Moderate | 08245 |
| Raking the lawn | 4.0 | Moderate | 08165 |
| Digging, spading, filling the garden | 5.0 | Moderate | 08050 |
| Mowing the lawn, general | 5.5 | Moderate | 08095 |
| Shoveling snow by hand | 6.0 | Vigorous | 08200 |
Everyday activities
| Activity | MET | Intensity | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleeping | 0.95 | Sleep | 07030 |
| Sitting, watching TV | 1.3 | Sedentary | 07020 |
| Sitting, desk work or typing | 1.3 | Sedentary | 09040 |
| Grocery shopping, with or without a cart | 2.3 | Light | 05060 |
| Driving a car or light truck | 2.5 | Light | 16010 |
| Walking, 2.8–3.2 mph, level ground | 3.5 | Moderate | 17190 |
| Carrying groceries upstairs | 7.5 | Vigorous | 05056 |
Source: Ainsworth et al., 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities. Descriptions are shortened; the code points to the full entry.
How to calculate calories burned from METs
Because one MET is about 1 calorie per kilogram per hour, the math is short:
Total calories ≈ MET × body weight in kg × hours
Active calories ≈ (MET − 1) × body weight in kg × hours
Total calories include the energy your body would use anyway at rest. Active calories subtract that resting 1 MET and count only what the activity adds. Our walking calorie calculator shows both; our step-based tools count active calories only. To get kilograms, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2.
Worked example: a 154 lb (70 kg) person mows the lawn for 45 minutes (MET 5.5).
- Total: 5.5 × 70 × 0.75 = about 289 calories
- Active: (5.5 − 1) × 70 × 0.75 = about 236 calories
The 53-calorie difference is roughly what they'd have burned sitting for those 45 minutes. For the same math applied to a single step, see calories burned per step.
How many steps is an activity worth?
Our activity to steps converter turns an activity into the walking steps that would burn the same active calories. It compares each activity with walking at 3 mph (MET 3.5), the moderate pace our walking tools use:
Walking minutes = (MET − 1) ÷ (3.5 − 1) × activity minutes
Steps = walking minutes × about 111 steps a minute
The 111 comes from our step model for a 5'9" walker: a step length of 41.4% of height (28.6 inches) gives 2,218 steps per mile, or 110.9 steps a minute at 3 mph. Body weight cancels out, because it scales the activity and the walk equally, so the step figure is the same for everyone of that height.
| Activity | MET | Time | Same as walking | Equivalent steps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yoga, Hatha | 2.5 | 60 min | 36 min | 3,992 |
| Vacuuming | 3.3 | 30 min | 27.6 min | 3,061 |
| Tennis, singles | 8.0 | 30 min | 84 min | 9,316 |
These come straight from the converter's code. They put activities on one scale; they aren't steps your phone or watch records.
Why MET values are estimates, not measurements
They're averages. Each value is a typical cost for adults doing that activity, not a measurement of you. The Compendium's own site notes that the standard resting value of 3.5 mL/kg/min isn't adjusted for age, body mass or sex, and that misclassification is greater in people who are overweight, older, less fit, or women. It describes a way to correct METs using a predicted resting rate (Corrected METs (opens in a new tab)).
Effort changes the number. Jumping rope is 8.8 METs at under 100 skips a minute and 12.3 at 120 to 160. Digging is 5.0 in general and 7.8 at vigorous effort. Pick the row that matches how hard you actually work.
Count only the time you're moving. The Compendium marks downhill skiing as active time only, so the ride up the lift doesn't count at 5.3.
There's a newer edition. The 2024 Adult Compendium (opens in a new tab) covers 1,114 activities for adults aged 19 to 59, with the full lists at pacompendium.com (opens in a new tab). It replaced estimated values with measured ones where it could, and some numbers changed:
| Activity | 2011 edition | 2024 edition |
|---|---|---|
| Walking, moderate pace, level | 3.5 (2.8–3.2 mph) | 3.8 (2.8–3.4 mph) (opens in a new tab) |
| Yoga, Hatha | 2.5 | 2.3 (opens in a new tab) |
| Pilates, general | 3.0 | 2.8 (opens in a new tab) |
We use the 2011 edition throughout because our walking baseline, MET 3.5 at 3 mph, comes from it, and mixing editions would compare an activity and a walk measured against different tables. The one exception in our converter is Zumba, which isn't in the 2011 edition; it uses the 2024 group-class value of 6.5 (code 02310).
If you have a heart condition or another health concern, ask your doctor what intensity suits you before moving up to vigorous activity.
Questions people ask
What does a MET of 1 mean?
One MET is the energy you use sitting quietly: about 1 calorie per kilogram of body weight per hour, or 3.5 mL of oxygen per kilogram per minute. Sleeping sits just below it, at 0.95.
Which household chores count as moderate exercise?
Anything rated 3.0 to 5.9 METs. In this chart that includes vacuuming (3.3), mopping (3.5), gardening (3.8), raking (4.0) and mowing the lawn (5.5), and the US guidelines name mopping, vacuuming and raking the yard as moderate examples. Shoveling snow by hand (6.0) and carrying groceries upstairs (7.5) are vigorous.
Are MET values accurate for everyone?
They're averages for adults, so your own cost can be higher or lower with body size, age, fitness and effort. Use calorie figures built on them to compare activities, not as exact readings.
Why do MET charts show different numbers for the same activity?
Usually because they use different editions of the Compendium: moderate walking is 3.5 in 2011 and 3.8 in 2024. Charts also pick different entries. The 2011 edition lists tennis doubles twice, at 6.0 and 4.5, and raking at 3.8 and 4.0, so always check the code.
How do I find the MET value for an activity not in this chart?
Search the Compendium. The 2024 lists are free at pacompendium.com, grouped under headings like sports and home activities. Pick the entry that matches your effort, and use one edition for everything you compare.
Sources, notes & disclaimers
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2011 Compendium of Physical Activities: a second update of codes and MET values (opens in a new tab) — Ainsworth BE, et al., Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2011. 821 activity codes.
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2011 Compendium activity tables, Spanish edition (opens in a new tab) — on the Compendium's official site. Every code and MET value in the chart comes from this table, with descriptions in our own English; all 37 activities our converter shares with it match.
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Compendium of Physical Activities (opens in a new tab) — definition of terms: one MET is 1 kcal/kg/hour, or 3.5 mL/kg/min of oxygen.
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Corrected METs (opens in a new tab) — limits of the standard resting value.
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2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: A third update of the energy costs of human activities (opens in a new tab) — Herrmann SD, et al., Journal of Sport and Health Science, 2024. Adults aged 19 to 59; 1,114 activities.
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2024 Adult Compendium activity lists: Walking (opens in a new tab) and Conditioning Exercise (opens in a new tab), the source of the 2024 values above.
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Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition (opens in a new tab) — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2018. Intensity bands and examples.
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How we calculated: the calorie example uses the formulas above. Walking minutes and steps come from running our converter's code (
activityToSteps), at the model's 110.9 steps a minute for a 5'9" walker at 3 mph. We have not measured any MET values ourselves. -
This article is general information and not a substitute for advice from a doctor or other qualified health professional.
