EXERCISE INTENSITY: RPE
Rate of perceived exertion (RPE) is a method you can use to determine the intensity of an exercise. How does it work? Check out this post to find out!
There are many different methods to determine the intensity of an exercise including heart rate monitoring, the talk test, the dyspnea scale, and RPE. In this blog post I will only cover RPE. I like using RPE with my clients because it is super accessible and easy to determine so lets get into it!
WHAT IS RPE?
The rate of perceived exertion scale was first developed by Dr. Gunnar Borg. It is a well known, reputable, and respected means to determine how intense an exercise is. Just as the name implies, RPE is a subjective perception by the exerciser of how intense they feel they are working at the moment. I like this scale because you may be feeling more fatigued one day versus another so it provides flexibility to the exerciser as to how hard it feels on that particular day. RPE could be affected by environmental factors like excessive heat or humidity in the workout space, how you are feeling mentally, and how your body is feeling.
WHAT IS THE RPE SCALE?
Dr. Borg developed a 6-20 number scale to determine RPE. 6 being ultra light exertion, 13 being “somewhat hard”, and 19 being “very, very hard.” However, a new scale was introduced to make it even simpler - (because a 6 - 20 scale is just whack). A similar and accepted RPE scale is called the Category Ratio Scale which ranges from 0 to 10. Here are the numbers:
0 = “nothing at all”
3 = “moderate” exertion
5 = “strong” exertion
7 = “very strong” exertion
10 = “very, very strong” feeling of exertion
BENEFITS
I mostly use the Category Ratio Scale for RPE with my clients to determine how difficult an exercise or overall workout was for them. This helps me assess the difficulty level and make any necessary adjustments. This is a great way to determine exercise intensity because it is very much subjective. Heart rate monitoring, for example, is a great tool as well but prescription medications may lower heart rate and provide some inaccurate feedback regarding your exercise intensity. Plus heart rate monitoring typically requires the use of extra equipment. The talk test, which I will cover in another blog post, is great when I teach in-person classes, but this method is useless when I’m training you remotely.
So when I ask how hard did that feel from a scale of 1-10, you now know why. I’m not just trying to bug the hell outta ya while you’re red-faced, sweaty, and angry at me for making you do walk-outs - you are providing me with vital feedback!
Get to know your body, make that mind body connection, and begin rating your own workouts with this scale so you know when to push yourself and when to pull back. Thank you for reading!
Si prefieres leer una entrada de blog en español sobre la intensidad del ejercicio, por favor haz clic aquí.
Source: American Council on Exercise (ACE): Group Fitness Instructor Handbook, The Professional’s Guide to Creating Memorable Movement Experiences:Matthews et. al. 2018 pg 68-70.
