Everyday Activities That 'Count' As Exercise

Photo: Kucher Serhii (Shutterstock)

Physical activity is important for health, and you’re probably sick of hearing that we should all be doing at least 150 minutes per week of “moderate” exercise like walking, or 75 minutes of “vigorous” exercise like running. But there are more ways to stay active than just these, and you may be doing some of them already.

The physical activity guidelines for Americans define moderate intensity activity as anything that registers between 3.0 and just under 6.0 METs, or metabolic equivalents. A single MET is defined as the amount of energy you burn just by existing, somewhere in the range of a calorie per minute. (This will, of course, vary from person to person based on your body size, age, and more.) So if a brisk walk gets you burning four times as much energy as you expend while lying in bed, we would say that counts as 4 METs and is solidly in the “moderate” category.

Here’s the cool thing: Lots of things register between 3 and 6 METs. Teams of scientists have tested the energy burn of different activities in the lab, and produced charts of their MET measurements. These include household tasks like some types of cleaning, as well as activities that you may not think of as exercise, like playing golf or working a job that has you on your feet all day. Here are some of the things that register in the “moderate” range:

Activities between 3 and 4 METs:

Slower tempo ballroom dances, like waltz, foxtrot, slow dancing, samba, tango, 19th century dance, mambo, and cha cha.FishingWalking and carrying a small child who weighs 15 lbs. or more Hammering nails Plumbing tasksPlaying guitar in a rock and roll band (standing up)Working as a bartender, store clerk, librarian, or other jobs that have you standing or walkingBowlingPlaying frisbeeSailing, including windsurfing and ice sailingMaking bedsWorking on a carCaribbean dances, including Abakua, Beguine, Bellair, Bongo, Brukin’s, Caribbean Quadrills, Dinki Mini, Gere, Gumbay, Ibo, Jonkonnu, Kumina, Oreisha, and JambuWashing cars, washing windows, or cleaning the garage

In general, most jobs or tasks that have you on your feet clock around 3 METs. Want a step up? The following are 4 METs or more:

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Doing laundry where you’re washing clothes by hand and hanging them upElder care, including bathing, dressing, or moving the person into and out of bedHousekeeping work, like cleaning bathrooms and pushing a cart of cleaning supplies aroundCoaching football, soccer, basketball, baseball, swimming, etc.Pushing or pulling a stroller or walking with childrenPlanting things in the gardenTaking care of horses by feeding and watering them, and cleaning stallsDances like Greek and Middle Eastern folk dances, hula, salsa, merengue, bamba y plena, flamenco, belly, and swingMowing the lawn with a power mowerDoubles tennisRecreational swimming, like a leisurely backstroke

Farm and yard tasks show up a lot in this range, alongside exercises like power yoga and using a rowing machine on one of the lighter settings. Next up, things that register 5 METs or more:

Ballet, modern, or jazz danceCleaning guttersPainting the outside of your houseSkateboardingUsing crutchesSpiritual dancing in church
Shoveling snow at a “moderate effort” (“shoveling snow, general” is in a higher category)Hiking or walking through fields and hillsidesFast ballroom dancingHitting a punching bagIce skating at 9 mph or lessRodeo sportsMoving furniture and carrying boxes

The 5-and-up category also includes boot camp classes, Army-style obstacle courses, heavy squatting, and lap swimming. Anything that’s harder work than what’s listed here is likely to be in the 6 METs-and-up category, which starts with basketball, cheerleading, and driving a drag race car, and goes up from there.

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