July
2008
Rate of Perceived Exertion
A method of determining physical activity intensity is the Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE). Perceived exertion is how hard you feel like your body is working. It is based on the physical sensations a person experiences during physical activity, including increased heart rate, increased respiration or breathing rate, increased sweating, and muscle fatigue. Although this is a subjective measure, a person’s exertion rating may provide a fairly good estimate of the actual heart rate during physical activity.
A simple way to understand your RPE:
RPE 1-2 Easy; You can have a conversation at this level.
RPE 3-4 Easy-moderate; You can still converse with minimal effort.
RPE 5-6 Moderate-hard; Conversation requires some effort.
RPE 7-8 Difficult, Very challenging; Conversation requires much effort
RPE 9-10 No-talking zone.