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RATE OF PERCEIVED EXERTION
Heart rate is important but listening to your body also has a lot of advantages. There are more
variables involved in how hard you should work out than just heart rate. Your stress level,
physical health, emotional health, temperature, humidity, the time of day, the last time you ate
and what you ate all contribute to the intensity at which you should workout. If you listen to your
body, it will tell you all of these things.
The rate of perceived exertion (RPE), also known as the Borg scale, was developed by
Swedish physiologist G.A.V. Borg. This scale rates exercise intensity from 6 to 20 depending
upon how you feel or the perception of your effort.
The Borg scale is as follows:
Rating Perception of Effort
6
Minimal
7
Very, very light
8
Very, very light +
9
Very light
10
Very light +
11
Fairly light
12
Comfortable
13
Somewhat hard
14
Somewhat hard +
15
Hard
16
Hard +
17
Very hard
18
Very hard +
19
Very, very hard
20
Maximal
You can get an approximate heart rate level for each rating by simply adding a zero to each rating.
For example, a rating of 12 will result in an approximate heart rate of 120 beats per minute. Your
RPE will vary depending on the factors discussed earlier. That is the major benefit of this type of
training. If your body is strong and rested, you will feel strong, and your pace will feel easier. When
your body is in this condition, you are able to train harder, and the RPE will support this. If you are
feeling tired and sluggish, it is because your body needs a break. In this condition, your pace will
feel harder. Again, this will show up in your RPE, and you will train at the proper level for that day.
