Perceived Exertion

Perceived exertion is a subjective measure of how hard you feel your body is working during physical activity. It reflects your personal sense of effort, fatigue, and breathing difficulty, rather than relying on objective metrics like heart rate or speed. This helps individuals gauge exercise intensity based on their own experience, allowing for tailored workouts that match their fitness levels and prevent overexertion. Commonly assessed with tools like the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion scale, it supports safe and effective training by aligning exercise effort with personal comfort and capability.