It is now very easy to monitor your fitness thanks to smartwatches. You would have heard of MET which stands for Metabolic Equivalent of Task. This feature is important in showing you the amount of calories you use in different activities. The following is a discussion about MET; What is MET in a smartwatch, how it works, and how to use it in a smartwatch.
It is important to learn about MET for fitness enthusiasts and beginners because it will help you achieve your fitness goals. Delve into MET and understand how it aids in health and fitness monitoring.
What is MET in a Smartwatch & the Science Behind It
Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) is used to determine the number of calories burned per hour per unit of weight in kilocalories, with 1 MET equal to the basic rate when resting. Smartwatches use METs to determine how intense exercise is, thus providing a more convenient method of assessing activities for those people who do not engage in running or cycling.
It helps you in the evaluation of their cardiovascular endurance through monitoring various levels of METs; one should target 5 METs for maintenance of independent living while at 8 METs it reduces chances of dying from common diseases by fifty percent. Smartwatches showcase actual time, average, and lap METs, which can help individuals keep track of their health progress as well as how much energy they are using.
How to Use MET Functionality in the Smartwatch
Before using MET, it’s important to verify compatibility – you can do this by following the given methods. Also, confirm whether you need to install the MET app on your phone or smartwatch. 5 easy steps are outlined for correctly measuring this important indicator; moreover, there are some pitfalls you must avoid so as not to get incorrect information on it.
How to Check If My Smartwatch Support MET?
Smartwatches measure METs using a combination of sensors and their data.
1. Check the Important Sensors Availability
There are two essential sensors that you need to check for availability in your smartwatch to measure METs. The first is the Heart rate monitor & the second is the Accelerometer. You can easily check with the help of the user manual, official website, & smartwatch settings
2. Check Play Store & App Store
You need to check the Play Store and App Store availability because it is not a smartwatch’s built-in feature. You will need to install the MET app on your smartwatch. It is like an add-on.
5 Simple Steps to Calculate MET in the Smartwatch
- Select whether you want to calculate METs using the standard value for a given element (1 MET = 1 kcal/kg/h) or as a function of METp (Metabolic Equivalent Task Personal).
- In case you made use of METp, make sure that you set your birth date, weight, height, and gender in the Garmin profile settings.
- Start the activity you want to measure, such as walking, running, or any other physical exercise.
- You can see live METs, average METs (Avg. MET) or current lap average MET (Lap MET) shown on the screen of your Garmin watch while you are running.
- Press STOP on your Garmin watch when the activity is finished.
Benefits of Monitoring MET for Health and Fitness
- Accurate Calorie Tracking: t measures the rate of calorie burn during activities.
- Fitness Benchmarking: It provides you with a standard way to gauge cardiovascular fitness.
- Personalized Insights: it gives custom fitness data using METp depending on personal basal metabolic rate.
- Activity Comparison: The MET allows you to compare the energy used during different types of activities.
MET vs. VO2 max: Which is Better for You?
Fitness trackers have different goals. Measuring your VO2 max and checking MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) through a smartwatch are some of them. MET simply means how much energy is utilized by an individual during activities such as jogging or even walking hence enabling one to measure their calorie burn rate.
This method is good for making comparisons between the level of activities and everyday fitness goals. Another purpose that it serves is for example someone who wants to know the maximum rate at which they can take up oxygen while exercising very hard would consider using the Vo2 max test.
METs are effective when concentrating on everyday activities and general health while VO2 max is better suited for professional athletes or individuals who are undergoing severe training (intensively).
Tips to Get Accurate MET Data on a Smartwatch
- Choose Diverse Activities: You can do various activities to catch different MET levels.
- Monitor Intensity: Take care of real-time exercise MET readings to modify intensity.
- Track Progress: Consistently check data from MET in Garmin Connect to keep track of how your body is being improved.
The Future of MET Technology in Wearable Devices
The future of MET technology in wearable devices is expected to see increased precision and integration with AI for real-time activity monitoring. I expect new levels of personalized fitness feedback, flexibility of objectives, and seamless merging into healthcare delivery systems, thus giving an approach to well-being tracking that is all-encompassing.
Conclusion
Smartwatch users who know MET can properly check how many calories and what amount they spend when engaging in various activities. This aspect drawn from something called Metabolic Equivalent of Task, gives great information regarding how intense an exercise usually is and a general idea about one’s health success. Hence, people are capable of personalizing their exercises to suit specific fitness objectives and uphold good health using smartwatch capabilities for examining METs.