Want to exercise but don’t know where to start? The American Heart Association has a very specific, measurable, and attainable goal for you:
Aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity weekly, ideally spread throughout the week.
But how is moderate-intensity activity defined? What about vigorous activity? Read on or watch the video to learn about how to find your “moderate” using the Rate of Perceived Exertion Scale and Talk Test.
How Do We Define Intensity of Exercise?
Really, it all depends on YOU! Yes. Your “moderate” is different from others, and different from what it was last month, and what it might be next month! To know if your exercise is mild, moderate, or intense, you need to be in-tune with your body’s cues.
There are two common methods to do this: the Rate of Perceived Exertion Scale, and the Talk Test.
What is Rate of Perceived Exertion?
The Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) is a technique for the exerciser to describe how hard they are working.
Originally developed in the in the 1960s by a guy named Gunnar Borg, a Swedish researcher, the RPE rating scale has since changed a little, but is still a commonly used scale in the healthcare and fitness world. Check out the current one, below.
It’s as simple as it looks. Basically, the harder you work, the higher the RPE number.
How Is RPE Used?
Trainers use RPE to:
- Assess the trainee’s effort and guide the trainee to either loosen up or work harder in order to meet the exercise goal
- Evaluate the trainee’s progress during the course of a mid- or long- training program
Even without a trainer, you can assess your RPE without someone asking.
Adjust exercise intensity with the Rate of Perceived Exertion—move down to prevent injuries and up to progress without slacking.
For all my weight lifters out there, by reviewing this chart below, you should be more familiarize with what each level feels like. Thanks to National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) for creating this.
What About the Talk Test?
While the RPE Scale is used for all kinds of activities, the Talk Test is specifically made for evaluating the effort of a person doing an aerobic activity, by getting you more in-tune with how you are breathing during the activity.
Basically, you know it’s hard if you’re out of breath.
Takeaways
The RPE Scale and Talk Test are powerful tools to monitor exercise intensity and an exercise program’s progress. Being aware of these ratings can help avoid injuries during workouts while achieving your fitness goals. Couple these techniques with an objective measure, your heart rate, to ensure extra safety. If you are unsure about where to start with exercising or what time of day is best to work out, check out our "More Reads For You" section at the bottom of this page for some helpful articles and videos. Why start tomorrow when you can start today? Let’s get ahead of the game!