Want to raise your metabolic rate? Try butchering animals.

web gangsta

10 years ago

Do you know what your METABOLIC RATE is when doing various activities around the house?

Better yet – do you know which day-to-day functions offer the best (or worst) exercise based on the amount of metabolic activity they provide?

A number of doctors and researchers have updated the COMPENDIUM OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES that lists and allows you to compare the MET of each activity you select, and it’s been published in the Official Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine. The MET is a standard “metabolic intensity level” metric that allows different studies that look at health-related data to all be based on the same overall measurement standard.

In other words, two different studies on running can use the same MET value associated with running when working out their math.

If it helps, 1 MET is the standard intensity level when a person is resting and just sitting down, relaxing. Sleeping offers the lowest MET of 0.9. The highest MET is 18, and can be obtained by running 10.9 MPH.

Now that we know what the range is, here is a list of MET intensity levels for doing various other activities:

1.0 – Taking medication, sitting or standing
1.0 – Having hair or nails done by someone else, sitting
1.0 – Riding in a car or truck
1.0 – Riding in a bus
1.0 – Lying queitly, done nothing, lying in bed awake, listening to music (not talking or reading)
1.0 – Sitting quietly, sitting smoking, listening to music (not talking or reading), watching a movie in a theater
1.5 – Sitting at a sporting event, spectator
1.5 – Reclining with baby
1.5 – Retreat/family reunion activities involving sitting, relaxing, talking, eating
1.5 – Sitting—arts and crafts, light effort
1.8 – Standing—arts and crafts, light effort
2.0 – Standing–miscellaneous
2.0 – Sitting—arts and crafts, moderate effort
2.0 – Touring/traveling/vacation involving walking and riding
2.0 – Farming, chasing cattle or other livestock, driving, light effort
2.0 – Walking, less than 2.0 mph, level ground, strolling, very slow
2.5 – Hairstyling
2.5 – Walking, 2.0 mph, level, slow pace, firm surface
2.5 – Walking from house to car or bus, from car or bus to go places, from car or bus to and from the work site
2.5 – Walking to neighbor’s house or family’s house for social reasons
2.5 – Walking to and from an outhouse
2.5 – Bird watching
2.5 – Custodial, vacuuming, light effort
2.5 – Custodial, cleaning sink and toilet, light effort
2.5 – Custodial, dusting, light effort
2.5 – Bakery, light effort
2.5 – Camping involving standing, walking, sitting, light-to-moderate effort
2.5 – Mild stretching
2.5 – Multiple household tasks all at once, light effort
2.5 – Feeding animals
2.5 – Watering plants
2.5 – Building a fire inside
2.5 – Sitting, playing with animals, light, only active periods
2.8 – Standing, playing with animals, light, only active periods
2.8 – Walk/run, playing with animals, light, only active periods
3.0 – Loading/unloading a car
3.0 – Walking the dog
3.0 – Walking, gathering things at work, ready to leave
3.0 – Carrying small children
3.0 – Picking fruit off trees, picking fruits/vegetables, moderate effort
3.0 – Standing—arts and crafts, moderate effort
3.0 – Custodial, take out trash, moderate effort
3.0 – Custodial, vacuuming, moderate effort
3.0 – Custodial, buffing the floor with an electric buffer
3.3 – Canoeing, harvesting wild rice, knocking rice off the stalks
3.5 – Mopping
3.5 – Multiple household tasks all at once, moderate effort
3.5 – Vacuuming
3.5 – Custodial, general cleaning, moderate effort
3.5 – Custodial, mopping, moderate effort
3.5 – Standing—arts and crafts, vigorous effort
3.5 – Standing–bathing dog
3.5 – Tailoring, weaving
4.0 – Lifting items continuously, 10–20 lbs, with limited walking or resting
4.0 – Track and field (shot, discus, hammer throw)
4.0 – Walking, pushing a wheelchair
4.0 – Pushing a wheelchair, non occupational setting
4.0 – Water aerobics, water calisthenics
4.0 – Farming, chasing cattle or other livestock on horseback, moderate effort
4.0 – Custodial, feathering arena floor, moderate effort
4.0 – Raking lawn
4.0 – Elder care, disabled adults, only active periods
4.0 – Walk/run, playing with animals, moderate, only active periods
4.0 – Multiple household tasks all at once, vigorous effort
4.3 – Golf, walking and pulling clubs
4.5 – Disco, folk, square, line dancing, Irish step dancing, polka, contra, and country dancing.
4.5 – Painting
4.5 – Mowing lawn, power mower
4.5 – Jogging on a mini-trampoline
4.5 – Golf, walking and carrying clubs
5.0 – Tennis, doubles play
5.0 – Walk/run, playing with animals, vigorous, only active periods
5.5 – Anishinaabe Jingle Dancing or other traditional American Indian dancing
6.0 – Track and field (high jump, long jump, triple jump, javelin, pole vault)
6.0 – Butchering animals
6.0 – Farming, taking care of animals (grooming, brushing, shearing sheep, assisting with birthing, medical care, branding)
8.0 – Walking, 5.0 mph
8.0 – Water jogging
8.0 – Volleyball, competitive play in a gymnasium
8.0 – Bicycling, general
8.5 – Aerobic, step, with 6–8 inch step
10.0 – Track and field (steeplechase, hurdles)
10.0 – Aerobic, step, with 10–12 inch step
12.0 – Skin diving or SCUBA diving as a frogman (Navy Seal)
12.5 – Roller blading (in-line skating)