How do you know if you are exercising at the right intensity?

Two Great Methods To Take Your Workout To The Next Level



When I am exercising, I always find myself looking around at the other gym “go-ers”. I look to see how hard they are working and what they are doing.  I love to see people engaged in high intensity workouts because it motivates me to take my workout to the next level.  In contrast, when I see someone talking on the phone, reading a book or a magazine, I wonder how effective he or she thinks his or her workouts are.  In order for your cardio session to count, it has to be at a moderate intensity.  If the sessions are less intense, then it counts as an equivalent to a stroll in the park on a beautiful spring day.  How do you know if you are exercising at the right intensity? There are two great methods: 1) a heart rate monitor and 2) using the Rate of Perceived Exertion Scale (RPE). 

Heart rate monitors will calculate a heart rate zone for you to stay between to optimize your workouts.  This zone is 65% to 85% of your maximum heart rate.  These numbers are calculated using a simple equation:

            65% = 220 (max heart rate) – age x .65
            85%= 220 (max heart rate) – age x .85

Almost all heart monitors will calculate this range for you and will alert you when you drop below or go above this zone.

The RPE is a scale that uses how you feel to assess how hard you are exercising.  The scale ranges from 0 for no intensity to 11 for extremely high intensity.  To achieve moderate intensity you should have a RPE of 4-6.  This equates to you being able to speak a few words before having to take a breath. Therefore if you are able to talk easily, while you exercising, you are not working out hard enough.  Conversely, if you feel breathless and can barely speak a few words, you are working too hard. Before you start or change your workout routine talk to a personal trainer for advice and your doctor.  Make sure your workout routines are at the right intensity gets you 1 step closer to achieving your dream body.

RPE 1-2:
Very easy; you can converse with no effort
RPE 3:
Easy; you can converse with almost no effort
RPE 4:
Moderately easy; you can converse comfortably with little effort
RPE 5:
Moderate; conversation requires some effort
RPE 6:
Moderately hard; conversation requires quite a bit of effort
RPE 7:
Difficult; conversation requires a lot of effort
RPE 8:
Very difficult; conversation requires maximum effort
RPE 9-10:
Peak effort; no-talking zone


Keep up with Female Personal Trainer-Ayana Roberts on Weight Loss Blog.