The Borg Scale indicates the perceived effort when exercising. The scale goes from 6 to 20 and indicates greater effort as numbers increase. Individuals will use it to monitor the intensity of their training when they are not able to receive heart rate readings.
Developed by Dr. Gunnar Borg, the scale grades how hard you perceive you’re working—such as how heavy your breathing, how fatigued your muscles, and how rapid your heartbeat is. For athletes who perform aerobic activities, it provides a personal yet practical method for controlling their effort and pace. For example, a rating of 12–13 is “somewhat hard,” a moderate level of effort, and a rating of 17 or higher feels very hard. The Borg Scale assists athletes in training at the correct intensity so that they can increase their endurance without overexerting themselves. It complements other tools such as RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) and heart rate monitors.
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