You want to get fit. You want to look good. And you want to
stay healthy. But how hard are you going to have to exercise to
achieve those things?
To reap the most cardiovascular benefits from your workout,
it is necessary to exercise within a recommended intensity
range. In some respects, gauging our exercise intensity can be a
difficult task. Heart-rate assessment is a commonly used method
for monitoring exercise intensity. For some, however, this
method can be difficult to master, particularly during exercise.
One of the easiest ways to monitor your exercise intensity is
to rate perceived exertion (RPE). Whether you walk, jog,
bicycle, bench step, climb stairs or perform low-impact
aerobics, your exercise intensity should be within a range of
comfort. By becoming familiar with the RPE scale, you can
continually assess your exercise intensity and ensure a level of
exertion that is comfortable.
Why Use RPE?
Monitoring exercise intensity with the RPE scale is beneficial
because:
1. It provides a double-check on heart rate, especially when
the target heart-rate zone is estimated from age.
2. Assessing RPE can be performed without stopping to 'check'
it, as is necessary with heart-rate monitoring.
3. There is no equipment you can buy to accurately describe
your perception of intensity (whereas heart-rate monitors can be
expensive for accurate pulse count).
An increase in exercise intensity is directly related to
elevation in exercise heart rate and other metabolic processes.
Consequently, RPE can be used alone or together with heart rate
when monitoring exercise intensity.
During aerobic activities, perceived effort is a combination
of sensory input from muscles, joints, breathing rate and heart
rate. By using the RPE scale, you can more accurately 'describe'
your sensation of effort when exercising and gauge how hard you
are working. Plus, RPE helps you evaluate your internal comfort
zone, or 'how you feel' during the exercise session, with
respect to the normal sensation of exertion, breathing, and even
discomfort. How many times have you exercised and not felt
comfortable, or seemed to be extending beyond your comfortable
exertion level? The use of your perceived exertion is helpful in
monitoring intensity in order to avoid uncomfortable exercise
sessions.
How To Use RPE
Perceived exertion is assessed by use of a 0-to-10 chart to rate
the feelings caused by your exertion. For example, quietly
sitting in a chair would have a rating of 0. Adding a gentle
waving of your arms might increase the effort rating to 0.5.
Walking at a pace that you feel is moderate would be given a
rating of 3. Remember, the rating of your exertion should be
completely independent of the pace you think you are walking; it
is dependent solely on the feelings caused by the exertion.
Increase the pace to a run and add a hill and you could work
your way up to a 10 on the scale. The recommended RPE range for
most people is usually between 3 (moderate) and 5 (strong).
Who Uses RPE?
Regardless of fitness or training, anyone can use perceived
exertion to effectively gauge exercise intensity. Whether you
are new to aerobic exercise, or a fitness enthusiast, use the
RPE scale to become familiar with your perception and
description of exercise effort. Using RPE, your exercise
sessions will be more effective and more enjoyable.
