There are many ways to monitor your exercise intensity, but one of the simplest ways is to use the talk test.
By monitoring how easy you find it to talk during your exercise you can roughly gauge the intensity of your workout.
It can be used to monitor three levels of intensity: low, moderate and vigorous.
How to monitor your exercise intensity using the talk test
- Whilst you are exercising, start talking (say whatever you like: recite a nursery rhyme, talk to the person you are exercising with, talk to someone on the phone)
- Gauge how easily you can speak:
- Can talk very easily = low intensity
- Talking is possible, breathing is much heavier and you need to take pauses between sentences. You would not be able to sing = moderate intensity
- Cannot say more than a few words at a time = vigorous intensity
Once you get an idea of how it feels to talk whilst exercising, eventually you’ll just be able to think to yourself “could I talk easily right now?” so that you don’t actually have to talk to be able to use this method.
When to use each intensity of exercise
Low intensity
If you can talk very easily whilst you are exercising, 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
If you can talk, but your breathing is heavier and you need to take pauses between sentences then you are working at a moderate intensity. You wouldn’t be able to sing a whole song during moderate intensity exercise.
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
If your breathing is very heavy and you cannot say more than a few words at a time, 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 the talk test to monitor exercise intensity
Benefits of the talk test
- It doesn’t require any special equipment, so it is cheap and convenient
- The talk test can be done anywhere
- It is simple to use and understand
- It has been validated in various studies
Problems with the talk test
- It can only be used to monitor three levels of intensity
- You may feel a bit ridiculous if you start talking in the middle of a group fitness class. However once you get an idea of how it feels to talk whilst exercising, soon you will not need to actually talk – you can just think “would I be able to talk comfortably right now? Would I be able to sing?”
- It is subjective as it is up to you the individual to gauge how easy they find it to talk
Other ways to monitor your exercise intensity
Alongside the talk test, there are two other mainstream methods to monitor exercise intensity.
- Rate of perceived exertion (RPE) – no equipment required, you gauge how hard you are working by using a scale of 0 to 10
- 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
The talk test is a very simple and effective way to monitor your exercise intensity.
By simply talking during your activity, you can fairly accurately gauge whether you are working at a low, moderate or vigorous intensity.
As it does not require any equipment and can be done anytime, anywhere, it is a great option for anyone who wants to be able to monitor their exercise intensity quickly and easily.
Have you tried the talk test? Did you find it simple to understand and use?