WHAT IS INTENSITY RATING?
>> How to gauge your exercise intensity
Besides heart rate and the amount of oxygen you consume during exercise (VO2 max), determining your exertion is as easy as quantifying it with an Intensity Rating. No fancy watches or lab appointments are necessary; perceived exertion is simply how hard you feel your body is working based on the physical sensations you experience—increased heart rate, breathing rate, sweating and muscle fatigue. Although this is a subjective measure, your exertion rating can provide a fairly good estimate of your actual heart rate during physical activity. This allows you to adjust the intensity (and, as a result, improve the benefits) of your workout.

>> How to use the Intensity Rating Scale
During your workout, rate your perception of exertion. It should reflect how heavy and strenuous the exercise feels, combining all sensations of physical stress, effort and fatigue. Don't concentrate on any one factor, such as leg pain or shortness of breath, but try to focus on your total feeling of exertion. Use the scale below as your guide. It ranges from 1 to 10, where 1 means no exertion at all and 10 means maximal exertion. Choose the number that best describes your level of exertion. This will give you a good idea of the intensity level of your activity, and you can use this data to speed up or slow down your movements to reach your desired range. Most important, concentrate on how you feel instead of what the actual workout load is. If you get hung up on numbers, time, weight or your treadmill neighbor, you won't be able to get an honest assessment.