Perceived Exertion Theory

Perceived Exertion Theory suggests that how hard you feel you are working during exercise depends on your perception of effort, not just measurable factors like heart rate or calories burned. It’s a subjective sense of effort influenced by physical sensations (like breathing and muscle fatigue) and psychological factors. Essentially, your brain assesses these signals to determine how strenuous the activity feels, guiding you to stop or continue. This theory helps explain why people with similar physical capabilities might perceive different levels of exertion during the same activity.