RPE, or the rate of perceived exertion, is a common method for monitoring the intensity of an activity.
By rating your exercise intensity on a scale of either 0 – 10 or 6 – 20 (we’ll dig into the details below), it is possible to roughly gauge how hard you are working. It can even give you an indication of your heart rate.
Let’s take a look at Rate of Perceived Exertion, how to use it and the pros & cons.
The RPE scales
There are actually several RPE scales. The two most commonly used are the “Borg RPE scale” and the “modified RPE scale”.
The Borg RPE scale
The original scale – the Borg RPE scale – was developed by Swedish researcher, Gunnar Borg, in the 1980s.
It uses a scale of 6 – 20.
This scale may seem quite random, but according to Borg there is a high correlation between the scale and 10 x a healthy adult’s heart rate. For example, if a person is at a “6” on the scale, this may correspond with a heart rate of approximately 60 beats per minute.
| Scale | Perceived Exertion (plus an example activity) |
| 6 | No exertion at all (sitting) |
| 7 | Extremely light (gently stretching) |
| 8 | |
| 9 | Very light (slow walking at your own pace) |
| 10 | |
| 11 | Light (walking at your own pace) |
| 12 | |
| 13 | Somewhat hard (fast walking or light jogging) |
| 14 | |
| 15 | Hard (running) |
| 16 | |
| 17 | Very hard (fast running) |
| 18 | |
| 19 | Extremely hard (sprinting: extremely strenuous exercise probably the hardest you have ever experienced) |
| 20 | Maximal exertion (all out sprint – Olympic 100m style) |
The modified RPE scale
The modified RPE scale makes more sense to many people. As it is a 0 – 10 scale, it is automatically more intuitive to use than the original Borg RPE scale.
| Scale | Perceived Exertion (plus an example activity) |
| 0 | No activity (sitting) |
| 1 | Very light (gently stretching) |
| 2 | Light (walking around the house) |
| 3 | Comfortable (slow walking at your own pace) |
| 4 | Moderate (walking at your own pace) |
| 5 | Somewhat difficult (fast walking or light jogging) |
| 6 | Difficult (fast jogging) |
| 7 | Hard (running) |
| 8 | Very hard (fast running) |
| 9 | Extremely hard (sprinting: extremely strenuous exercise probably the hardest you have ever experienced |
| 10 | Flat out (all out sprint – Olympic 100m style) |
How to monitor your exercise intensity using the RPE scale
This way of monitoring exercise intensity uses the concept of perceived exertion. In other words, how hard you feel that your body is working.
You need to take into account multiple sensations and changes going on in your body. Focus on how hard you are breathing, how much you are sweating, how tired your body feels and if your heart feels like it is about to jump out of your mouth!
- Whilst you are exercising, assess the physical sensations going on in your body
- Use either the 6 – 20 scale or the 0 – 10 scale and decide how hard you feel you are working
Real life tip: do not compare yourself to others or use factors such as speed or length of your workout to gauge how hard you are working: focus on how you feel and the physical sensations in your body
When to use each intensity of exercise
Low intensity
6 – 11 on the Borg scale or 0 – 4 on the modified RPE scale mean you are working at a low intensity.
Low intensity exercise is great for:
- Warming up
- Cooling down
- Active recovery in between high intensity exercises
- People brand new to exercise
Moderate intensity
12 – 14 on the Borg scale or 5 – 6 on the modified RPE scale mean you are working at a moderate intensity.
Moderate intensity exercise is great for:
- The end of your warm up, as you get into the main part of your workout
- Aerobic cardiovascular training – something that you could do for a long period of time. For example:
- Jogging
- Cardio machines at the gym
- Many aerobic group fitness classes
- Cycling
- Swimming
Vigorous intensity
15 – 20 on the Borg scale or 7 – 10 on the modified RPE scale mean you are working at a vigorous intensity.
Vigorous intensity exercise if great for:
- Anaerobic cardiovascular training – something you can only maintain for a short period, for example:
- High intensity interval training (HIIT)
- Sprint training – running, cycling or swimming
Benefits and problems of using RPE to monitor exercise intensity
Benefits of RPE
- It doesn’t require any special equipment and the Borg RPE scale can give you a rough indication of your heart rate (for healthy adults)
- RPE can be used anywhere
- It is fairly simple to use and understand
- RPE can be used by pregnant women and people on medications that impact their heart rate as a good way to measure their activity intensity
Problems with RPE
- It is subjective as it is up to the individual to gauge how hard they are working
- Rate of perceived exertion can be particularly hard to use for those new to exercise until they get used to the bodily sensations experienced at different levels of intensity
Other ways to monitor your exercise intensity
Alongside using the rate of perceived exertion, there are two other mainstream methods to monitor exercise intensity.
- The Talk Test – no equipment required, you assess the intensity of your activity by gauging how easy you find it to talk
- Using a heart rate monitor –by using a heart rate monitor and your target heart rate you can work out how intensely you are working
Conclusion
Rate of perceived exertion is a fairly simple way to monitor your exercise intensity and can be used anytime, anywhere.
By paying attention to the different sensations in your body and using the RPE scale, you can gauge the intensity of your activity.
Due to the subjectivity of this method it is not always accurate, especially if you are brand new to exercise. If you are not used to the feeling of working out at different intensities you might find it hard to gauge your intensity. On the other hand, it becomes more useful over time as you get used to the sensations of the body.
It is a fantastic option for pregnant women and people on medication that alters their heart rate.
Have you tried using RPE? Did you find it simple to understand and use?