The scale you see above should by now be somewhat familiar. It serves as one of the fundamental tools used to prescribe exercise and gauge the levels of exertion during an exercise class. For many people, having come through a Phase III Cardiac Rehabilitation program in the past you will have experienced a health care clinician approach you during a rehabilitation class and ask you to rate how you are feeling based on the above chart. This is often then compared to a heart rate reading in the early stages of exercise rehabilitation, if suitable.
For those participants of Phase IV Rehabilitation who have been referred by a GP or for those who "graduated" from a Phase III program some years ago and do not recognise or remember the RPE scale, it is considered to be a good approximation of your exertion rate and an appropriate place to start when trying to manage your exercise intensity. It is important that we do not spend all of our time exercising below a preferred and prescribed "target training zone" to help achieve our target of 20-30 minutes of continuous moderate exercise that can help promote your fitness levels and aerobic capacity. Equally, it can help to control your exertion rate below levels that may be classed as over exerting and higher risk (above "hard" or 15 RPE). During a class we aim to exercise to a level that subjects you to an "overload" that encourages beneficial physiological changes and ultimately improves fitness [1].
As a guide, during a 15 - 20 minute warm up we should be aiming to go no higher than 10-11 on the RPE Scale which translates, as you can see above to "very light - light". After this point and during the conditioning phase of a typical exercise class we can work between "light-somewhat hard", 11-13/14 [1]. At the end of a session we then work our way in to an extended 10 minute cool down, reducing our exertion back through the numbers towards a pre-exercise state. It is important for people to self pace during a class as participants differ in their ability and fitness levels. I encourage everyone to have the RPE scale in mind whilst exercising. During each session you are asked how you feel, how your breathing is, are you comfortable, would you "pass" the talk test if I asked you? The talk test is an easy way to help gauge exertion levels, generally during moderate exercise you should be able to talk but not sing. If you feel unable to speak a sentence and you are short of breath, this is a sign that you should slow down a bit.
When using the RPE Scale gather up all of the following perceived sensations before looking at the phrase AND number that best describe your current state:
- Muscles
- Breathing
- Warmth
- Fatigue
[1]
(Try not to base your exertion on sweat. Generally we sweat less as we age, some people sweat much more than others too (if you find yourself suddenly sweating more than usual please raise it to myself or a GP).
If you are new to the class, spend some time familiarising yourself to the exercises and build some confidence first, always work within your limits, this is a moderate exercise class. Always feel comfortable to get in touch if you have any questions or concerns regarding exertion rates.
*If you look at the RPE Scale and think that "Hard" best describes the exertion you are working to, please slow down.
Reference:
1. British Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation (BACPR) (2016). Exercise Programming and Prescription, Fourth Edition, London
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