This chapter will cover main methods for monitoring aerobic exercise intensity. I don’t mean how fast you run (your speed), but while running what indicators you can use to tell how hard it is for you.

Methods for monitoring aerobic exercise intensity include the following:

• Heart rate – this topic was covered extensively in previous chapters. Please see: heart rate and heart rate formulas.
• Using subjective ratings of perceived exertion. An example of this category is the Borg scale (Gunnar Borg, the scientist who developed it). This is a simple scale where 6 is defined as the lightest effort and 20 as the hardest (6 to 20 scale instead of 0 to 100 [or maybe 1 to 5]).

Why was 6-20 scale used? Ten times the scale index gives the heart rate. If you feel fairly light (11) than your heart rate is probably about 11*10=110.

Can I know my heart rate by my own subjective feeling?
Experimental results showed that in most cases the Borg scale is accurate. So the answer is yes with high probability.
• “Talk Test” – the goal of this test is to find the highest intensity which allows you to “speak comfortably” (without gasping for air). This intensity should be used for your training.
  Note: this method can also be attributed to the subjective rating group. Since you don’t have to talk but feel whether you can talk.
  For more information regarding talk test please see: http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/talktest.html.
• Recovery test – there are different types of recovery tests. For example: when stopping the activity, how long (in seconds) it takes you until you’re able to make flow count (without interruptions) from 1 to 15. From my experience, it shouldn’t take you “many” seconds (how many? Probably not more than 10).
• Monitoring blood lactate level – laboratory environment needed.
• Monitoring oxygen uptake – laboratory environment needed.