Do you monitor your exercise intensity? You should. If your workouts are
too hard or too easy you may not be getting the full benefit of your
efforts. You might not lose enough weight, build enough muscle, or see the changes you want to see.
A well-designed fitness program includes a combination of low, moderate and high intensity workouts. During each session you should monitor your effort level by checking your heart rate or your rating of perceived exertion.
A well-designed fitness program includes a combination of low, moderate and high intensity workouts. During each session you should monitor your effort level by checking your heart rate or your rating of perceived exertion.
How to Use Perceived Exertion
The easiest way to know how hard you are working is to evaluate your
rating of perceived exertion. To do so, you simply apply a number to the
difficulty level of the exercise. It's easiest to use a scale of 1-10,
with a rating of ten indicating maximum exertion and a rating of one
indicating complete rest.
In some fitness settings, you may hear exercisers refer to the Borg Scale of Perceived Exertion. The Borg scale ranges from 6-20, with six indicating rest and 20 indicating maximum exertion. This scale, developed by Gunnar Borg, offers descriptive labels for the different levels.
Borg Scale of Perceived Exertion
6 No exertion at all
7 Extremely light
8
9 Very light
10
11 Light
12
13 Somewhat hard
14
15 Hard (heavy)
16
17 Very hard
18
19 Extremely hard
20 Maximal exertion
Pros and Cons of Using Perceived Exertion
The great thing about using perceived exertion to measure exercise intensity is that it requires no equipment. It's easy to do, and doesn't require you to stop your activity to gauge how hard you are working.
The drawback is that perceived exertion is not always accurate. In fact, several studies have shown that we have a tendency to underestimate how hard we are working. This happens more often in people who are overweight or obese.
Other factors such as depression, anxiety, and energy level can have an impact as well.
If you choose to use perceived exertion to measure the intensity level and effectiveness of your workouts, consider adding a heart rate measurement occasionally to check the accuracy of your rating.
No comments:
Post a Comment