Improve Your MET and You Will Live Longer: Even Sex Counts!
- You need to be fit.
- We have determined that being heart fit is an important vital sign, as much as your pulse, your blood pressure, and your temperature.
- Fitness is not that hard to measure in general terms. The metabolic equivalent of task (MET) is how your PCP will measure your metabolism or your energy output. We weigh the MET of you at rest, to your size and come up with an objective measure. This specifically is measured during ‘tasks’ so the baseline task is rest, and the definition of your MET at rest is set at 3.5 ml of oxygen per kilogram per minute.
- Your shape is measure by your MET without any symptoms. So those who have some shortness of breath by mere sitting are the worst off functionally.
- If you can achieve four METs of activity without symptoms such as chest pains, shortness of breath, or breaking into a profuse sweat you are thought to be in pretty healthy physical shape.
- The more METs you can do before you are having severe symptoms, or having to stop because of symptoms, the better shape you are in.
- For most people walking briskly up a flight of stairs, or walking at the rate of about 4 miles per hour are both thought to be 4 METs.
- Heavy housework like scrubbing floors or lifting or moving heavy furniture, or climb two flights of stairs (between 4 and 10 METs) is even better. Sex for most people is in this category!
- If you can participate in strenuous sports swimming, singles tennis, football, basketball, and skiing; or participate in Sculpt or HITT or L3 yoga you are very fit (meaning you are able to sustain >10 METs).
- We don’t have exact measures to relate to on a daily basis, but in general for each 1-MET improvement you have a 25% less chance of dying!
- A startling fact was found by a new study, according to an article, in spite of an exercise program consistent with basic recommendations, most adults don’t increase fitness with the program they are in! So come in to Hatha Yoga and Fitness to help you understand how to increase fitness.
