The most common exercise for cardiopulmonary rehabilitation involves bicycle or treadmill training. The therapist will check on your level of exhaustion or measure your physiological conditions during the process such as blood pressure, heart rate and blood oxygen saturation level. However, in certain situations, not everyone’s physiological value can reflect the actual exhaustion conditions. Hence, the number or description from the “Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale” are often used to represent. Please give feedback on your current perceived exhaustion or panting level.

Understanding Rating of Perceived Exertion

 “Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale” can be used to indicate the level of exhaustion perceived by you currently. The numbers can help understand your current situations from the exercise process. Particularly, the score from 6 to 20 points. Roughly speaking, the score multiplied by 10 is relevant to the corresponding heart rate per minute. For example, rating 6 corresponds to heart rate of 60 beats per minute, indicating that you are in very, very light condition. Rating 20 corresponds with heart rate of 200 beats per minute, which indicates a very, very hard condition.  

You will be requested to use the numbers or description shown on the scale for the exercise, giving feedback on the rating of self-exertion to the personnel. It is recommended to target at intermediate-intensity exercise with rating 13 (somewhat hard but can speak) mostly. Light intensity exercise will fall on 11 (fairly light). The following is the content of scale:

Level of Exhaustion: Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale

Level of Panting: Breathing Difficulty Index Scale Amended by Borg

Additionally, for the Panting Level Scale, the following is a breathing difficulty index scale amended by Borg. Intermediate intensity of exercise is no more than level 5~6 .

After understanding the meanings represented by the two scales, they can also be used as evaluation of perception of self-body conditions during routine exercises as self-monitoring and exercise intensity management.