Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE)

Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) is a simple yet effective way to measure the intensity of physical activity.

RPE is a foundational concept of the AgeProof Your Body community because it allows our instructors and members to communicate about exercise difficulty using the same language.

Originally based on a 6 (no exertion) to 20 (max exertion) scale to correlate with heart rate (~60-200 bpm), the Borg Scale has been modified to a 0 (no exertion) to 10 (max exertion) scale that has been used worldwide across different exercise domains. The number represents a snapshot of your perception of your body’s exertion (considering heart rate, respiratory or breathing rate, muscle fatigue, etc.) during an exercise or over the course of an exercise session.

This scale is especially useful because 1) exercise feels different for everyone, and 2) everyone responds differently to exercise. Since our goal with exercise is usually progressive overload, we need to practice moving from the "comfort zone" (0-3 RPE) to our "challenge zone" (5--8 RPE). We recommend checking in with your physical therapist or personal trainer to help make sense of these numbers as they relate to your body. By practicing with this scale, we practice getting in touch with our body and our movement.