Based on government recommendations
The Australian government recommends that older people (over 60) should aim to complete 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical exercise per day. This is a great guide for working out your exercise goals. Break down the 30 minutes into short ‘exercise snacks’ across your day.
How to use the MET
To assist with managing and recording the recommended goal for your exercising we have used a unit of measure called the MET* (Metabolic Equivalent of a Task).
The MET value of an activity indicates the intensity (or energy expended) of the activity over time compared to energy expended when you are at rest. For example sitting has a MET value of 1 and running has a MET value of 12. This enables you to assess your daily expenditure more accurately and calculate if you are meeting your exercise goals. The total amount of energy expended for your physical exercise depends on the time spent on the activity, the intensity and the type of physical activity. Each of our exercises has MET value associated with it.
Your goal is to achieve 90 METs per day, as this is the equivalent of moderate intensity exercise for 30 minutes, as recommended by the Australian government. You can use the MET value assigned to each exercise you find in our program to help you choose a combination of exercises that add up to 90 METs per day.
Calculating your MET numbers using our program
- Each exercise has been given a MET number. This represents your energy expenditure over one minute.
- Now we need to calculate the time you did the exercise.
- Using the MET number of the Exercise Snack, multiply it by the time spent doing the exercise.
- You will now have the total MET for your Exercise Snack.
- In the example below: Gentle walking for one minute has a MET of 3, if you walked for 30 mins that would be a total of 90 METs.
Fitness and safety
Everyone’s fitness level is different – so work to your ability and fitness. If the exercise becomes easy – take the opportunity to increase the level of intensity.
Disclaimer: Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the range of exercises contained in this program are both safe and enjoyable, Centenary Institute takes no responsibility for any injuries incurred as a result of these exercise programs. We recommend that you consult your GP or specialist prior to undertaking exercise.
*The MET was proposed by Ainsworth and colleagues in 2011.
Learn more about Australian Government recommendations for adults aged over 65.