Fostering Flourishing

Example

This example demonstrates calculating, tracking, and fulfilling the need to exercise.

Calculating my needs

As a 25-year-old with a high metabolic rate, I estimate that I need approximately 300–400 MET-minutes per day or 2000–3000 MET-minutes per week.

Tracking my needs

Using the objective measurements of exercise needs, I try to measure the number of MET-minutes of my daily physical activities, based on the length of time spent exercising and the intensity of the exercise.

Breakdown

Calculate the length of time of the exercise in minutes.

  • I biked for 15 minutes, twice (to and from a store) for a total of 30 minutes of biking.
  • I played a casual game of soccer for about 90 minutes.

Calculate the intensity of the exercise in metabolic equivalents (METs).

  • I was biking at a moderate pace (with an estimated average speed of 10 mph) for approximately 5 METs.
  • I estimate that the soccer game was around 9 METs.

Calculate the MET-minutes of the exercise.

  • Multiplying 30 minutes by 5 METs, the product is 150 MET-minutes for biking.
  • Multiplying 90 minutes by 9 METs, the product is 810 MET-minutes for the soccer game.

Calculate the sum of MET-minutes in the day.

  • Together, the 150 MET-minutes of biking and 810 MET-minutes of soccer totals 960 MET-minutes for the day.

Fulfilling my needs

I am currently far ahead of my daily exercise needs, but as for my weekly needs, I know I need to stay active tomorrow. I only get to play team soccer once a week, so I have to intentionally set aside time to exercise during the other days of the week.

Setting goals

Given these factors, I will strive for 200–300 MET-minutes of exercise tomorrow. Because my daily work requires me to spend most my day sitting at a computer, I need to intentionally take time to exercise. To achieve my goal tomorrow, I will mow the lawn for 30 minutes at 5.5 METs for a total of 165 MET-minutes mowing, and then I will also try to walk or casually bike for 20 minutes at approximately 3 METs for a total of 60 MET-minutes walking or casually biking. This should total around 225 MET-minutes of physical activity tomorrow.

Building patterns and habits

Over the course of the week, I will strive to keep track of which exercises were most effective and incorporate them into a consistent exercise schedule.