Campus Recreation

Rate of Perceived Exertion

The rate of perceived exertion (RPE) is a subjective measure of exercise intensity often used in a clinical setting when heart rate measurements may not be valid. Improvements in cardiovascular fitness are seen when the body's systems are challenged but not overwhelmed. In healthy individuals this corresponds to a range of 12-16 on the Borg scale or 4-6 on the Revised Borg scale.

Revised Borg Scale

No.	Level of Difficulty	No.	Level of Difficulty
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	Light	4	Somewhat Strong
12		5	Strong
13	Somewhat Hard	6
14		7	Very Strong
15	Hard	8
16		9
17	Very Hard	10	Maximal
18
19	Very, Very Hard
20