Topic: Physical Fitness


Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) Scale

 


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Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) Scale

The following two tables represent alternative methods of assessing aerobic exercise intensity. These scales are especially helpful for those who cannot use heart rate as a method to evaluate intensity.

Original (Borg)

Scale

Updated RPE

Scale

6   0 Nothing at all
7 Very, very light 0.5 Very, very weak
8   1 Very weak
9 Very light 2 Weak
10   3 Moderate
11 Fairly light 4 Somewhat strong
12   5 Strong
13 Somewhat hard 6  
14   7 Very strong
15 Hard 8  
16   9  
17 Very hard 10 Very, very strong
18     Maximal
19 Very, very hard    

During aerobic exercise, the participant will subjectively evaluate how he or she is feeling, assessing his/her sense of effort. The sense of effort correlates with numbers on the Borg scale and the revised scale. For example, if the person feels the workout is extremely easy, he/she may rate the workout a "7" on the Borg scale or a "0.5" on the revised scale. For the general population, ratings of perceived exertion between 11-15 on the Borg scale and between 3-5 on the revised scale should be sufficient for fitness improvment.

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Last Revised: 10-29-09