What Is the Right Amount of METs for Me?
For example, a 45-year-old woman has a target MET level of almost 9 METS. Hitting your target METs or higher indicates very good to excellent cardiovascular fitness. Falling under 100% is associated with diminished health status. In the August 4, 2005, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago reported results of an eight-year study on 5,721 women healthy enough to walk on a treadmill. They recorded each woman’s exercise capacity in METs. Women whose exercise capacity at the start of the study in 1992 was less than 85% of the predicted value for their age were twice as likely to have died over the next eight years compared with those who achieved 85% or better. High fitness, hitting your target METs or higher, is clearly good. Medium, greater than 85% but less than 100%, is okay, but you should aim for improvement. Low fitness, less than 85% of your target, means you need to start exercising more. Back to top Raising Your M
