What is a good practice for monitoring exercise intensity?

Using the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale is an effective way to monitor exercise intensity because it allows individuals to assess their effort based on personal feelings of exertion. The RPE scale typically ranges from 6 to 20, where lower numbers indicate light effort and higher numbers correspond to greater intensity. This subjective measure is advantageous because it takes into account individual fitness levels, fatigue, and emotional state, providing a tailored approach to intensity monitoring that can be adjusted in real-time during workouts.

In contrast, setting a timer for workouts primarily measures workout duration rather than intensity, which is not sufficient for understanding how hard someone is exercising. Calculating heart rate maximum can provide a numerical value to gauge intensity, but it often requires additional knowledge and equipment that may not be readily available to everyone. Counting calorie expenditure is also more focused on energy output rather than the immediate intensity of the workout, which can lead to less accurate assessments of how hard the body is working during exercise. RPE offers a simple, intuitive, and effective means for individuals to monitor and adjust their exercise intensity according to their personal experience.