Rate of Perceived Exertion (2216)

What is it?

Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) is a measure of how hard you are working when you are moving your body. It includes:

• how fast your heart is beating.
• how out of breath you are.
• how tired your muscles feel.
• how much you are sweating.

Why is it important?

It helps:

• note progress in how hard and how long you are moving your body.
• increase exercise safely to avoid overworking your body.
• provide a guideline for trying to add in the advised workouts into your life.

How is RPE measured?

RPE is measured on a scale from 1 to 10. Here are examples of how your body may feel:

• 1 to 2: Very light intensity
  • You can talk and breathe normally.
• 3 to 4: Light intensity
  • Talking is fine. You can move with little effort.It is easy to keep moving.
• 5 to 6: Moderate intensity
  • You can talk but not sing. You are breathing more quickly.
• 7 to 8: Vigorous intensity
  • You can say a few words at a time. It is getting hard to keep moving.
• 9 to 10: Maximum intensity
  • You cannot talk. You are out of breath. You want to stop moving.

How else can I measure my child’s effort?

Another way to measure how hard your child is working while moving their body is with a simple test called a talk test. The easier it is to talk, the less intense the activity is.

• At moderate intensity, you can talk but not sing.
• At high intensity, you can only say a few words without pausing for a breath.
  • For example, have your child say the ABC’s when they are moving. Was it easy or hard?

What intensity is recommended?

The American Heart Association advises children ages 6 to17 years old to do:

• moderate to high intensity workouts (levels 5 to10) for 1 hour every day.
• high intensity workouts (levels 7 to10) at least 3 days per week.