President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports


D

The Compendium of Physical Activities 

Research i est 

Series 4, No. 2 June 2003 

Introduction 

The energy cost of physical activity is a direct outcome of the frequency, duration, and the intensity of human movement 

performed in a variety of settings. Often expressed as kilocalories (or calories), energy expended in physical activity is 

related to the prevention of various chronic diseases, improved mental health, and reduced risks for obesity and related 

disabilities1. For nearly 50 years, epidemiologists and exercise scientists have measured participation in physical activity 

using direct (observation, laboratory measurements) and indirect (questionnaires) methods. In question when using 

questionnaire methods how to best reflect the intensity of reported physical activities. Traditionally, physical activity intensity 

units have been determined by direct measurements in laboratories or by the use of charts that list the kilocalorie or related 

intensity levels for specific activities. However, with the difficulty of measuring all activities performed in field settings and 

the publication of multiple charts showing the energy cost of physical activities with differing intensity units for similar 

activities, confusion arose about the most consistent way to identify the intensity of physical activities in population studies. 

Hence, a Compendium of Physical Activities was developed to standardize the coding for intensity levels of physical 

★ 

Guest Author: 

Arnold School of Public Health 

Columbia, SC 29208 

★ 

Co-edited by: 

Drs. Charles B. Corbin and 

Published quarterly by the 

President’s Council on 

Physical Fitness and Sports 

Washington, D.C. 

Barbara E. Ainsworth, Ph.D., MPH 

University of South Carolina 

800 S. Sumter Street 

Robert P. Pangrazi, 

Arizona State University, and 

Dr. Don Franks, 

University of Maryland 

activities used to compute energy expended in physical activity settings. Two 

versions of the Compendium of Physical Activities have been published: the first 

version was published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise in 19932 

and an updated version was published in Medicine and Science in Sports and 

Exercise in 20003. An on-line “tracking” version of the Compendium of Physical 

Activities provides continuity between the 1993 and 2000 versions and can be 

found on the website, http://prevention.sph.sc.edu (click on Reports and Tools). 

The Compendium of Physical Activities: A Description 

The Compendium of Physical Activities was developed to facilitate the coding of 

physical activities obtained from physical activity records, logs, and surveys and 

to promote comparison of coded physical activity levels across observational 

studies. It was conceived in 1987 by Dr. William Haskell to provide consistency 

in scoring physical activity questionnaires in a multi-site study of physical activity 

assessment 4-6. The Compendium has 21 categories for major types of physical 

activities and provides specific examples of physical activities within each 

category (see Table 1). The categories include activities performed at home (selfcare, home repair, general household and family tasks, lawn and garden 

activities), during employment, transportation, and in leisure (sports, running, 

water and winter activities, hunting and fishing, bicycling, conditioning, walking, 
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Table 1. 

Categories of activities listed in the Compendium of Physical Activities 

Categories Categories Categories 

01 – Bicycling 

02 – Conditioning Exercises 

03 – Dancing 

04 – Fishing and Hunting 

05 – Home Activities 

06 – Home Repair 

07 – Inactivity 

08 – Lawn and Garden 

09 – Miscellaneous 

10 – Music Playing 

11 – Occupation 

12 – Running 

13 – Self Care 

14 – Sexual Activity 

15 – Sports 

16 – Transportation 

17 – Walking 

18 – Water Activities 

19 – Winter Activities 

20 – Religious Activities 

21 – Volunteer Activities 

dancing, music playing, inactivity, and sexual activity), 

and in other settings (religious, volunteer, and 

miscellaneous activities). Within the 21 categories, 

approximately 605 groups of specific activities are listed. 

The specific activities are grouped according to the type 

of physical activity and intensity level for each group. 

Each category and specific activity is identified by a 5­

digit code. For example, category 03025 identifies 

dancing activities (digits 03) that include types of dancing 

labeled as general dancing, Greek, Middle Eastern, hula, 

flamenco, belly, or swing dancing (digits 025). These 

specific dancing activities require an energy cost of 4.5 

METs (see definition in the next paragraph). The example 

below shows how to interpret the 5-digit code and the 

associated intensity level for an activity. Figure 1 provides 

an example of how the entries appear in the Compendium 

of Physical Activities. 

CODE METs CATEGORY ACTIVITIES 

01009 8.5 Bicycling BMX, Mountain 

01010 4.0 Bicycling <10 MPH, to work or for pleasure 

02010 7.0 Conditioning Bicycling, stationary, general 

02120 4.0 Conditioning Water aerobics, water calisthenics 

03017 10.0 Dancing Aerobic, step, with 10-12 inch step 

03025 4.5 Dancing General, Greek, Middle Eastern, 

hula, flamenco, belly, swing 

Figure 1. 

Selected codes, MET intensity levels, activity categories, and examples of 

specific activities: Compendium of Physical Activities 

Category Specific Activity MET intensity 

03 025 4.5 

General, Greek, 

Middle Eastern, 

hula, flamenco, 

belly, swing 

The term MET is an abbreviation for metabolic equivalent 

and is used in the Compendium of Physical Activities to 

reflect the intensity of the specific activities. A MET is 

defined as the ratio of the associated metabolic rate for a 

specific activity divided by the resting metabolic rate. The 

resting metabolic rate is approximately 1 MET and 

reflects the energy cost of sitting quietly. Multiples of 1 

MET indicate a higher energy cost for a specific activity. 

For example, a 2 MET activity requires twice the energy 

cost of sitting quietly. A 3 MET activity requires three 

times the energy cost of sitting 

quietly, and so forth. Table 2 

provides an example of specific 

activities from the Compendium 

of Physical Activities that requires 

multiples of 1 MET. 

Estimating Energy 

Expenditure with the 

Compendium of 

Physical Activities 

MET intensities listed in the 

Compendium of Physical 

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Table 2.


Estimated MET levels for selected physical activities in the Compendium of Physical Activities


METs CATEGORY SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES 

0.9 Inactivity Sleeping 

1.0 Inactivity Sitting quietly and watching television 

2.0 Transportation Driving an automobile or light truck (not a semi) 

3.0 Walking Walking very slowly, strolling, household walking 

4.0 Lawn and Garden Raking the lawn, general gardening 

5.0 Home Repair Cleaning gutters, painting outside of home 

6.0 Occupation Using heavy power tools (jackhammer) 

7.0 Conditioning Stationary bicycle, ski or rowing machine 

8.0 Sports Competitive basketball game, touch football 

9.0 Walking Climbing hills with a 42 lb. backpack 

10.0 Water Freestyle lap swimming, vigorous effort 

11.0 Running Running at 9 minutes/mile 

12.0 Bicycling Road cycling 14-16 mph, fast or general racing 

13.0/14.0 Running Running at 7-7.5 minutes/mile 

15.0 Winter Competitive speed skating 

Activities can be used to estimate the energy expended 

during physical activities. Kilocalorie (kcal) energy 

expenditure at rest is roughly equal to 1 MET per 

kilogram body weight per hour. Thus, for a 60-kilogram 

person, the energy expended during one hour of sitting 

and watching television (Code 07020, 1 MET) is roughly 

equal to 60 kilocalories (1 MET x 1 hour x 60 kg body 

weight). Kilocalories expended per week in specific 

activities can be computed in a similar fashion from 

knowing the frequency of an activity in sessions per week, 

the duration of an activity in minutes per session, the 

MET intensity as obtained from the Compendium of 

Physical Activities, and one’s body weight in kilograms 

(kg). 

Equation: Kcal per week = METs x sessions per week x 

hours per session x body weight in kg. 

An example of how to compute the kcal energy 

expenditure is provided below for an individual who 

walks briskly (Code 17200, 3.8 METs), 5 times per week, 

1/2 hour per session, and weighs 154 pounds (70 kg), 

Kcal = 3.8 METs x 5 sessions per week x 0.5 hours per 

session x 70 kg body weight 

Kcal = 665 per week 

The ability to estimate energy expended during a variety 

of physical activities has public health significance. In 

1996, the Surgeon General released a report to the nation 

about physical activity and health1. The report contained a 

recommendation for all adults to expend at least 150 

kilocalories per day or 1,000 kilocalories per week in 

moderate and vigorous intensity physical activities. 

Moderate intensity activities are those that increase the 

body’s resting metabolic rate by 3 to 6 fold (3-6 METs) 

and is characterized by an increase in one’s heart rate and 

breathing depth and frequency but is not to levels that 

restrict conversation during the physical activity event. At 

a MET level of 3.8, brisk walking is considered to be 

moderate intensity physical activity. Vigorous intensity 

activities are those that increase the body’s resting 

metabolic rate in excess of 6 fold (>6 METs) and are 

characterized by a near maximal increase in one’s heart 

rate and breathing depth and frequency7. Except for the 

most highly trained individuals, it is generally difficulty to 

carry on a conversation during vigorous intensity 

activities. Jogging (code 12020, 7.0 METs) and running 

(codes 12030 to 12180, 8.0 to 18.0 METs) are considered 

vigorous intensity activities. An energy expenditure of 

150 kcal per day or 1,000 kcal per week is deemed 

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sufficient to reduce the risks for some types of chronic 

diseases (e.g., coronary heart disease) and to improve the 

overall quality of mental and physical health. In the 

example presented for the individual who walks briskly 

for 1/2 hour per day, 5 days per week, he or she would 

need to expend an additional 335 kcal per week by either 

walking a little faster (code 17220, walking 4.0 mph, 5.0 

METs), walking every day (increasing the frequency from 

5 to 7 days per week), or by increasing the time spent 

walking (from 30 to 45 minutes per day) to reach the 

recommended level of 1,000 kcal per week. The 

individual could also accumulate the additional 

kilocalories by performing additional moderate and 

vigorous intensity activities during selected days of the 

week. 

Uses of the Compendium of Physical 

Activities 

The Compendium of Physical Activities has many uses in 

research, clinical, and community settings to inform 

others about the health benefits of regular physical activity 

and about ways they can become more physically active. 

Physical Activity Research Settings 

In health research designed to determine the associations 

between physical activity and disease risk reduction, 

researchers can use the Compendium to assign MET 

intensities to specific activities on physical activity 

questionnaires. The use of the Compendium of Physical 

Activities in this way provides consistency among 

research studies in assigning MET intensities and prevents 

multiple uses of different intensity levels for similar 

activities. An example of why this is important is shown 

here. Assume Study A assigns a MET level of 4.5 to a 

specific activity identified on a physical activity 

questionnaire and Study B assigns the same activity a 

MET level of 6.5. This will result in inconsistent kcal 

scores between the studies. Assuming the activity was 

performed by a 60 kilogram person for 3 days per week at 

1/2 hour per session, in Study A, the dose will yield an 

estimated energy expenditure of 405 kcal per week; 

whereas, in Study B, the same activity will yield an 

estimated energy expenditure of 585 kcal per week. 

Which estimate of the energy expenditure is correct? Use 

of the MET levels from the Compendium of Physical 

Activities eliminates this inconsistency and provides a 

clearer idea of the amount of physical activity individuals 

may need to obtain to reduce their risks for chronic 

diseases and disability. 

The Compendium of Physical Activities also is useful to 

researchers to identify the types of physical activities 

people perform during their daily routines. In 2000, 

public health researchers noted a trend for increasing rates 

of overweight and obesity among U.S. adults8, 9. National 

data also showed that over half of adults were not 

regularly active in moderate and vigorous intensity 

activity at levels sufficient to prevent diseases and 

disabilities10. Several health researchers have used the 

Compendium of Physical Activities to identify the types 

of activities people are performing in their daily routine. 

Ainsworth et al.11 examined the moderate and vigorous 

intensity physical activity patterns of 141 African 

American and Native American women enrolled in the 

Cross-Cultural Activity Participation Study. They used the 

Compendium of Physical Activities to assign 5-digit 

activity codes and associated MET intensity levels to over 

100,000 activities recorded in 12 days of detailed physical 

activity records kept by the study participants. Nearly two 

hours per day were spent in moderate intensity activities 

(3-6 METs) with the most prevalent activities listed as 

household chores, walking for exercise, occupational 

tasks, caring for children, and lawn and garden activities. 

Fewer than 5 minutes per day was spent in vigorous 

intensity physical activities. Matthews et al.12 used the 

Compendium of Physical Activities to identify daily 

activity patterns among adults enrolled in a yearlong study 

of seasonal variations in physical activity and blood 

cholesterol levels. They used a series of telephone 24-hour 

recalls to identify the type, frequency, and duration of 

physical activities performed during a previous day and 

then coded the recalls with the Compendium of Physical 

Activities. Their results showed increases in household 

and leisure-time physical activities during summer 

months. In the winter, women increased their 

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occupational activities and men engaged in more vigorous 

household activities. Conway et al.13 used the doubly 

labeled water method to evaluate the accuracy of the 

Compendium of Physical Activities MET intensities used 

to estimate of daily energy expenditure. Twenty-four men 

completed detailed physical activity records for seven 

days during which time their energy expenditure was 

measured by doubly labeled water. The records were 

coded using the Compendium of Physical Activities and 

kilocalorie energy expenditure was calculated by 

multiplying the MET intensity and duration in minutes for 

each activity. The estimated weekly kcal values were 

similar enough between the physical activity records and 

doubly labeled water for the investigators to conclude that 

the physical activity records provided an acceptable way 

to record physical activities and estimate energy 

expenditure when scored using the Compendium of 

Physical Activities. However, the records required good 

METs Activity 

6.0 Chopping wood 

Using power tiller 

Using push mower 

5.5 Using power mower 

5.0 Hauling branches 

Laying sod or rocks 

Digging or filling the garden 

4.5 Planting trees and shrubs 

Trimming shrubs (manual tools) 

4.0 Raking the lawn 

Sacking leaves 

General gardening 

3.5 Trimming shrubs (power tools) 

Blowing leaves 

3.0 Picking fruit from trees 

2.5 Applying fertilizer 

Riding a power mower 

1.5 Watering the lawn or garden 

Figure 2. 

Illustrative example of a use for the 

Compendium of Physical Activities 

subject compliance and careful instructions for their 

proper use. 

Clinical Settings 

For patients in rehabilitation settings, the Compendium of 

Physical Activities can be used to identify types of 

activities one can perform within prescribed MET 

intensity levels. For example, in a cardiac rehabilitation 

setting, a patient who is recovering from a heart attack 

may be advised to engage in physical activities within a 

narrow range of intensities (e.g., 3-5 METs) outside of the 

formal rehabilitation setting. Whereas the patient may not 

know what are appropriate activities, the Compendium of 

Physical Activities can provide a useful guide to identify 

activities with appropriate intensity levels. 

Physical Activity Promotion 

The Compendium of Physical Activities also can be used 

in health promotion initiatives to provide examples of 

activities that can be performed within a range of settings. 

For example, gardening is a popular activity with nearly 

30% of adults in 1991 reporting participation in some 

form of lawn and garden activity1. In the 2000 version of 

the Compendium of Physical Activities, 21 entries are 

provided under the category of lawn and gardening with 

about 43 types of different activities listed. Figure 2 shows 

an example of how information can be shared about the 

various types of lawn and garden activities of differing 

intensities that can be used to improve one’s health and 

fitness. Other themes for 

physical activity 

promotion can be 

applied with data 

obtained from the 

Compendium of 

Physical Activities, for 

example a chart based 

on winter chores (e.g., 

shoveling snow, 

chipping ice from 

walkways, pushing the 

car out of the ditch) or 

other seasonal activities. 

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Summary and Conclusions 

The Compendium of Physical Activities was developed to 

provide a coding system to score physical activity 

questionnaires and to facilitate consistency in the 

assignment of intensity levels to physical activities. The 

system was developed for use in adults and does not 

account for adiposity, efficiency of movement, 

geographic and environmental conditions in the energy 

cost of movement. It is likely that such differences will 

affect the accuracy of the energy expenditures estimated 

for use of the MET levels obtained from the Compendium 

of Physical Activities. Nevertheless, the Compendium of 

Physical Activities is useful in coding physical activity 

questionnaires and records and in providing examples of 

activities within a broad range of intensity levels for use in 

physical activity counseling, research, education, and in 

clinic settings. 

Acknowledgements 

The Compendium of Physical Activities is a product of 

many individuals, too numerous to name, who have 

contributed to the conceptualization and organization of 

the instrument, data collection, updating of new activities 

and codes, and dissemination at many levels. Many thanks 

to each and every person involved. 

6

The Compendium of 

in helping people decide 

and education. 

Physical Activities is useful 

how much energy they use 

in a wide variety of settings 

including personal activity 

planning, counseling, research, 

Barbara E. Ainsworth, Ph.D., MPH 

Prevention Research Center 

Arnold School of Public Health 

University of South Carolina 

Please Post 

President’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports 

200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20201 

(202) 690-9000 • FAX (202) 690-5211 

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References 

1.	 U. S. Department of Health and Human 

Services. Physical Activity and Health: A 

Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: 

U. S. Department of Health and Human

Services, Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention, National Center for Chronic 

Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 

1996. 

2.	 Ainsworth BE, Haskell WL, Leon AS et al. 

Compendium of physical activities: Energy 

costs of human movement. Med Sci Sports 

Exerc 1993;25:71-80. 

3.	 Ainsworth BE, Haskell WL, Whitt MC et al. 

Compendium of physical activities: An update 

of activity codes and MET intensities. Med 

Sci Sports Exerc 2000;32:S498-S516. 

4.	 Jacobs DR Jr, Ainsworth BE, Hartman TJ, 

Leon AS. A simultaneous evaluation of 10 

commonly used physical activity 

questionnaires. Med Sci Sports Exerc 

1993;25:81-91. 

5.	 Haskell WL, Yee MC, Evans A, Irby PJ. 

Simultaneous measurement of heart rate and 

body motion to quantitate physical activity. 

Med Sci Sports Exerc 1993;25:109-115. 

6.	 Sallis JF, Buono MJ, Roby JJ, Micale FG, 

Nelson JA. Seven-day recall and other 

physical activity self-reports in children and 

adolescents. Med Sci Sports Exerc 

1993;25(1):99-108. 

7.	 Pate RR, Pratt M, Blair SN, Haskell WL et al. 

Physical activity and public health. A 

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Disease Control and Prevention and the 

American College of Sports Medicine. JAMA 

1995;273(5):402-407. 

8. Mokdad AH, Ford ES, Bowman, BS, Dietz 

WH, Vinicor F, Bales VS, Marks JS. 

Prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and obesityrelated health risk factors, 2001. JAMA 

2003;289(1):76-79. 

9. Mokdad AH, Serdula MK, Dietz WH, Bowman 

BA, Marks JS, Koplan JP. The spread of the 

obesity epidemic in the United States, 1991-

1998. JAMA 1999 Oct 27;282(16):1519-1522. 

10. Morbidity Mortality Weekly Report. Physical 

activity trends: United States 1990-1998. 

March 9, 2001; 50(09);166-169 

11. Ainsworth BE, Irwin ML, Addy CL, Whitt MC, 

Stolarczyk LM. Moderate physical activity 

patterns of minority women: The CrossCultural Activity Participation Study. J 

Womens Health Gend Based Med 

1999;8:805-813. 

12. Matthews CE, Freedson, PS Hebert JR, 

Stanek EJ 3rd, Merriam PA, Rosal MC, 

Ebbeling, CB, Ockene IS. Seasonal Variation 

in Household, Occupational, and Leisure 

Time Physical Activity: Longitudinal Analyses 

from the Seasonal Variation of Blood 

Cholesterol Study. Am J Epidemiol 

2001;153:172-183. 

13. Conway JM, Seale JL, Jacobs DR Jr, Irwin 

ML, Ainsworth BE. Comparison of energy 

expenditure estimates from doubly labeled 

water, a physical activity questionnaire, and 

physical activity records. Am J Clin Nutr 

2002;75:519-525. 

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