
The original Borg RPE scale begins at 6 with the extreme measure ending at 20. The point of 6 correlates to a heart rate of 60 beats per minute in a healthy adult, 7 for 70 beats per minute, and so on. The scoring system measures the extreme ranges of exertion on a scale of 6 to 20.
What does the Borg RPE scale measure?
The Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) is a way of measuring physical activity intensity level. Perceived exertion is how hard you feel like your body is working.
How does the Borg Scale relate to heart rate?
RPE and heart rate This Borg scale runs from 6-20 because the score you select should correspond to your heart rate when multiplied by 10. For example, if you felt your RPE was 15, then it is likely that your heart rate would be around 150 BPM.
How can the Borg RPE scale be used to determine exercise intensity?
The original Borg scale has a range from 6 to 20 (with 6 being no exertion at all, and 20 being maximum effort). This scale correlates with a person's heart rate or how hard they feel they're working. The modified RPE scale has a range from 0 to 10 (with 0 being no exertion and 10 being maximum effort).
How do you explain Borg Scale to patient?
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What is the connection between heart rate and RPE scale?
Correlation between RPE and heart rate A person can multiply the RPE number by 10 to determine their approximate heart rate. For example, if an individual reports an RPE of 10 while exercising, their heart rate will likely be around 100 beats per minute.
Why is the Borg Scale useful?
The Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale, developed by Swedish researcher Gunnar Borg [1], is a tool for measuring an individual's effort and exertion, breathlessness and fatigue during physical work and so is highly relevant for occupational health and safety practice.
Is the Borg Scale reliable?
It was concluded that category ratings of perceived exertion according to the Borg (RPE) Scale offer a sensitive and reliable measure of stress encountered during work.
How do you calculate your rate of perceived exertion?
The way to calculate with the 6-20 RPE scale is by simply multiplying your heart rate by 10. If you're at rest (exerting the least amount of energy as possible), it's probably around 60 beats per minute (though athletes tend to have lower resting heart rates).
Is the Borg Scale valid?
In conclusion, Borg's rating of perceived exertion scale is widely accepted as a valid method of assessing perceived exertion for a variety of exercise types and was positively associated with a physiologic measure of effort during active video game play in the present study.
What does the rating 6 in the Borg Scale mean?
The Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale is based on a range between 6 and 20, with 6 being the least amount of exertion and 20 being the maximum level of exertion. It was developed in 1982 by Swedish researcher Gunnar Borg to determine an individual's level of exertion during physical activity.
What does RPE 7 mean?
RPE 4 to 6: Moderate intensity. You can talk in short spurts, your breathing is more labored, but you're still working within your comfort zone. RPE 7 to 9: Hard intensity.
What RPE should you train at?
RPE 8-9 is suitable for strength-focused, higher intensity, and lower volume training. RPE 6-7.5 is suitable for hypertrophy-focused, lower intensity, and higher volume training. RPE 9.5-10 should be used sparingly and is associated with technical breakdown and increased injury risk.
How does the Borg Scale work?
How Does it Work? The Borg Scale asks you to rate your level of perceived exertion during any activity from 6-20, with 6 being no effort at all and 20 being your all-out max.
What does your recovery heart rate tell you about your level of fitness?
Along with other factors, heart rate recovery can help predict cardiovascular health, cardiovascular diseases, and the risk of heart failure. A faster heart rate recovery can be a sign of better cardiovascular fitness, while a slower recovery of heart rate signifies a lower physical fitness level.
How is the recovery heart rate calculated?
Your heart rate recovery is the difference between your heart rate at the end of your workout and one minute after. So, if you end your workout with a heart rate of 130 beats per minute and after one minute of rest your heart rate is at 110 beats per minute, your recovering heart rate is 20 beats per minute.
What are the theories why heart rate is lower in water than on land?
Another benefit — hydrostatic (water) pressure pushes blood out to the extremities, and in combination with more supple blood vessels, stroke volume and cardiac output increases. This means that the heart becomes more efficient, pumping more blood. With this kind of blood flow, heart rate can be lowered.
Why is the RPE scale important?
The RPE scale is helpful for measuring work intensity , because it helps people measure the risks for musculoskeletal injuries. These injuries commonly happen when your physical abilities can’t keep up with the physical demands of your job.
What is the purpose of the RPE scale?
The scale is a subjective physical measurement designed to help track the intensity of your physical and mental capabilities during strenuous activity. Although the RPE scale is most popular in sports and workout routines, it’s also used in a variety of physically strenuous situations.
What Does RPE Measure?
The RPE measurements are based on a quantitative scale to help you judge your body’s response to an activity. A number of things are taken into account, such as:
What is subjective RPE?
It’s a subjective rating that enables you to control, track, and adapt your physical routine. Each measurement on the RPE scale will be unique for every person, depending on their physical condition. Here are some examples: RPE is a quick and accurate way to measure heart rates and exertion rates for those who need certain medications.
How to use RPE?
Muscle fatigue. To begin using the RPE measurement, you create your personalized assessment scale. While doing this, individual things such as muscle pain are secondary to focusing on the combination of all the measurements together. This allows you to judge the speed of your movements.
What is the scale used for?
Scientific studies. Households. Thus, the scale can be used in a variety of situations and all levels of physical activity, which benefits: Children. Pregnant women. Postpartum women. Heart patients. People with injuries. Physical laborers.
When was the RPE scale created?
There are two RPE scale systems: the original RPE scale created in 1982 and a modified RPE scale. Both versions use a simple numerical list.
What is the Borg rating?
The Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) is a way of measuring physical activity intensity level. 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, your exertion rating based on a 6 to 20 rating scale, may provide a fairly good estimate of your actual heart rate during physical activity* (Borg, 1998).
How to rate perceived exertion?
As you exercise you can rate your perceived exertion using several anchors. These include a rating of 6 perceiving “no exertion at all” to 20 perceiving a “maximal exertion” of effort. Practitioners generally agree that perceived exertion ratings between 12 to 14 on the Borg Scale suggests that physical activity is being performed at a moderate level of intensity. During activity, use the Borg Scale to assign numbers to how you feel (see instructions below). Self-monitoring how hard your body is working can help you adjust the intensity of the activity by speeding up or slowing down your movements.
How to adjust intensity of activity?
Self-monitoring how hard your body is working can help you adjust the intensity of the activity by speeding up or slowing down your movements. Through experience of monitoring how your body feels, it will become easier to know when to adjust your intensity. For example, a walker who wants to engage in moderate-intensity activity would aim ...
What is the Borg RPE scale?
Borg RPE scale was developed by Gunnar Borg for rating exertion and breathlessness during physical activity; that is, how hard the activity is as shown by high heart and respiration rate, profuse perspiration and muscle exertion.
What is a Borg rating?
Borg rating of perceived exertion (RPE) is an outcome measure scale used in knowing exercise intensity prescription. It is use in monitoring progress and mode of exercise in cardiac patients as well as in other patient population undergoing rehabilitation and endurance training.
What is a scale?
The scale is a very simple numerical list. Participants are asked to rate their exertion on the scale during the activity, taking into consideration feelings of physical stress and fatigue, disregarding any factor such as leg pain or breathlessness but focusing on the whole feeling of exertion. This number chosen connotes the intensity of activity allowing the participant to speed up or slow down movements/activity. The scale takes few seconds to complete, can be self or researcher administered in single occasion or multiple times.
What is the difference between 9 and 13?
9 = ‘very light’ exercise which equals walking slowly for few minutes at own pace of a healthy individual.. 13 = ‘somewhat hard’ but the individual is still able to continue the activity. 17 = ‘very hard’. A healthy person can continue but must push themselves beyond their comfort of being very fatigued.
Is Borg RPE reliable?
Testing of the subject twice was used in ascertaining reliability in a study and Borg RPE was found to be reliable in rating exertion The verbal anchor using VAS of the scale when tested in different clinical group and setting was found to have no significant difference in meaning in the groups except for the group that has a brain injury.
Is RPE validated?
Originally RPE was validated against heart rate. With time, RPE has since been researched extensively in a variety of different conditions and population groups.
Does Skinner's test show any difference in physiological and perceptual variables?
Skinner et al, found no significant differences in any of the physiological and perceptual variables in work intensity when the work load was presented in a random order and compared with those obtained during the progressive exercise test.
What is the Borg scale?
The original Borg scale has a range from 6 to 20 (with 6 being no exertion at all, and 20 being maximum effort). This scale correlates with a person’s heart rate or how hard they feel they’re working.
Why is the RPE scale important?
Baston says the RPE scale is also useful when working with heart patients, where their heart may be purposely lowered with medication such as a beta-blocker. Using the scale helps to prevent them from overexerting themselves .
What does 10 on the RPE mean?
10 on the RPE means you’re pushing a car up a steep hill. The optimal level of intensity for exercise depends on the individual. Baston says that, generally speaking, the recommended exercise guidelines (30 to 45 minutes at a moderately-intense rate, five days per week) correlate to 12 to 14 on the Borg RPE scale.
What is RPE exercise?
While putting in the time to exercise is important, you also need to monitor how hard you’re working. One way to track your effort is with the RPE or Rate of Perceived Exertion scale. Trusted Source.
What is the range of intensity on the Borg scale?
This equates to a 15 to 17 on the Borg scale. If you’re comparing the original Borg scale to the modified RPE scale, the moderate-intensity (12 to14) loosely translates to a 4 or 5 on the RPE scale, while vigorous activity (15 to 17) can land on the RPE scale with a range of 6 to 8.
What is RPE in personal training?
Certified personal trainer, Jacquelyn Baston, LMT, CSCS, NSCA-CPT says the RPE is a subjective measure of how hard a person feels like they’re working during physical activity. “This observation is based on elevated heart rate, increased breathing, and muscle fatigue,” she explains.
Who prefers the RPE scale?
Certified strength and conditioning specialist, Travis Barrett, MS, CSCS, prefers the RPE scale since it acts more like a sliding scale over time.
What is a Borg RPE scale?
The Borg RPE scale is a simple, easy-to-use tool that allows a person to gauge the intensity of their exercise quickly.
Who created the Borg scale?
The Borg scale was the creation of Swedish scientist Gunnar Borg in the 1960s. He was interested in defining how a person’s perceived, or felt, exertion related to their body’s physical response.
What does a 4 on the Borg CR10 scale mean?
The researchers also found that a score of 4 on the Borg CR10 Scale correlates with the onset of high muscle loading.
What is RPE in exercise?
RPE is a useful tool that helps people manage the intensity of their physical exercise. When reporting RPE, individuals usually use the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale.
Why is RPE important?
Additionally, RPE is particularly valuable for individuals whose heart rate does not reflect the amount of exertion they feel. People taking beta-blockers or other medications that slow their heart rate may find the scale is a useful way to manage the intensity of their physical activity.
What is RPE in psychology?
RPE is a subjective tool that allows people to determine the level of physical exertion they feel.
What is the heart rate of a person with RPE of 10?
For example, if an individual reports an RPE of 10 while exercising, their heart rate will likely be around 100 beats per minute.

Objective
- Borg rating of perceived exertion (RPE) is an outcome measure scale used in knowing exercise intensity prescription. It is used in monitoring progress and mode of exercise in cardiac patients as well as in other patient populations undergoing rehabilitation and endurance training. Borg RPE scale was developed by Gunnar Borg for rating exertion and ...
Versions and Scoring
- Borg original version is a scale of 6-20; it has a high correlation to heart rate and multiplying each number by 10 gives the training heart rate as at the time of scoring. It was later reconstructed to category (C) ratio (R) scale, termed Borg CR10 Scale or modified Borg Dyspnoea Scale which is mostly used in the diagnosis of breathlessness and dyspnea, chest pain and musculoskeletal pa…
Intended Population
- It is intended for all patients under rehabilitation. and for monitoring exercise prescription in athletes. It may not be suitable for children's use as the scoring is difficult to interpret in this age group.
Method of Use
- The scale is a very simple numerical list. Participants are asked to rate their exertion on the scale during the activity, taking into consideration feelings of physical stress and fatigue, disregarding any factor such as leg pain or breathlessness but focusing on the whole feeling of exertion. This number chosen connotes the intensity of activity allowing the participant to speed up or slow do…
Evidence
- Reliability
Testing of the subject twice was used in ascertaining reliability in a study and Borg RPE was found to be reliable in rating exertionThe verbal anchor using VAS of the scale when tested in different clinical groups and settings was found to have no significant difference in meaning in t… - Validity
Originally RPE was validated against heart rate.With time, RPE has since been researched extensively in a variety of different conditions and population groups. Borg RPE scores were positively associated with heart rate in adults during exercise sessions using the Wii Fit Plus. Ski…