Exercise Intensity

Knowing your exercise intensity is the difference between accomplishing your goals or just reading a magazine while you are on a treadmill. If you are trying to improve your fitness, you need to work a little harder than you normally do over a period of time.

We are all very unique in this and we need to have a method of measuring our exercise intensity that suits each one of us. The fitness industry tries to fit everyone into the same category.

Almost every major piece of fitness equipment has a heart range set according to age. It tells you that if you are 60 years old, then you should exercise at a certain heart rate depending on what you are trying to do.

Well, not every 60 or 70 year-old fits in the same mold. At 73 years old today, I know I exercise at rates far above where the ranges say I should be. 

 So, we need to know our own bodies a bit better. Check your own exercise intensity below and then get yourself a heart monitor or a Fitbit. You need something to measure your heart rate.

 Here's an example of checking your exercise intensity. 

 First Step

I use the Target Heart Rate Calculation (THR) and the Borg Scale together because I refuse to be pigeon-holed by my age as is generally done these days.  

I look at my THR and after some comparisons while working out, it feels

light to me so I am at a rating of 4 on the Borg Scale. 

• if I am working out at 80% of THR, and my heart rate is at 126 rpm, I know I am working so I put that effort at a rating of 6 on the Borg Scale. 
• if I am working out at 90% of THR, I am at a rating of 8 on the Borg Scale.

 Second Step 

 Study the Borg Scale a bit more. Then do something aerobic, on a treadmill or just go for what you call a brisk walk. Think about your level of exertion as laid out on the Borg Scale.

 Work harder and see how hard it feels at a level 3, 4 & 5 as you begin your fitness efforts. After a few weeks, you will notice the same activity takes less effort.

 What used to be an exertion level of 5 or 6 became a 4 or even a 3. That's because your heart and lungs are getting stronger and so are your muscles.

 As you do the Fitness test, (to set or adjust your baseline), use the Borg Scale to judge how hard are you working (exercise intensity) and use your heart monitor or Fitbit to know your heart rate at that level. 

 You need to work harder than you normally do if you want to improve. For example, if you want to buff up your arms and shoulders a bit, you need to lift heavier weights or do more repetitions than normal. Otherwise there is no training effect.

 Say you have a hard time walking around the block and feel you are working at a level 6 or 7. You then complete the 'Very Unfit' program and the same walking around the block then feels like level 4 or 5 exercise intensity. You have improved.

 Because you increased the load on your body, your heart and lungs do a better job of delivering blood and oxygen and your muscles are more efficient. Feels great, doesn't it! 

 You should wear a heart monitor (of some type) and note your heart rate as you are working at the different levels.  It will help you associate your effort with the impact the exercise is having on your heart.

 The image with this blog shows me wearing an older chest band and watch. You can see where I wear my heart monitor. This one cost about $90 and they are available in most sporting goods stores and on-line. Mine has the chest band which transmits a signal to the watch readout. They come with various features but I just want to see my heart rate. With a little time I can equate my heart rate with the intensity level on the Borg Scale. Today I wear an Apple Watch which provides much more information.

There is some debate about the accuracy of these tools but you need some method of measuring your progress and I like these two items.