RPE and HR

To become physically active you should know how to calculate your heart rate to see how hard your heart is working and to determine how intense your workout really is. Also knowing about Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) according to Borg scale is another great way to determine if you are really pushing yourself. We all want to get fit. We all want to look good and stay healthy, but how hard are we going to have to exercise to achieve these things? To figure out your maximum heart rate you must subtract your age from the number 220. For example if your 20 years old, your maximum heart rate is 200 (220-20=200). Once you know your maximum heart rate you should know what your target heart rate for a moderate workout level is and a vigorous one. To obtain a target heart rate for moderate activity it should be 50-70% of your maximum HR. For example a 20 year olds target heart rate would be 140 BPM  to 170 BPM (200 x .50 = 100 and 200 x .70 = 140 BPM). To obtain a target heart rate for vigorous activity it should be 70-85% of your maximum HR. For example a 20 year olds target heart rate would be 140 to 170 BPM for vigorous activity (200 x .70 = 140 and 200 x .85 = 175 BPM). Some negatives about checking your heart rate is that you have to actually stop to check it. Also if you take medications it can affect your heart rate. Another way to see how hard you are working is by using the Borg scale of RPE. RPE is one of the easiest ways to monitor your intensity levels. It helps you evaluate your internal comfort zone, or "how you feel" during the exercise session, with respect to the normal sensation of exertion, breathing, or even discomfort. The Borg scale is from 6-20 , 6 being no exertion and 20 being your maximum level of exertion.  The 9 corresponds to "very light exercise." For a healthy person, it is like walking slowly at his or her own pace for a few minutes. The 13 on the scale is a "somewhat hard" exercise, but still feels OK to continue. 17 represents "very hard" which is also very strenuous. A healthy person can still go on, but he or she really has to push himself/herself. It feels very heavy and the person is very tired. 19 represents an extremely strenuous exercise level. For most people this is the most strenuous exercise they have ever experienced. RPE is based on your own self monitoring, it is up to you to speed up or slow down your workouts. Be fit ! 

Picture Taken From Google