Are You Sweating Enough?

Are you someone who works out consistently or have decided to take on a workout regimen? Are you feeling guilty about what you consumed on Thanksgiving Day and this past holiday weekend? Are you motivated to burn off some of those unwanted calories and fat? How do you know if you are working out to the right intensity for your goals? 

Do you mostly gauge your workout by how hard you sweat? You really shouldn’t, because the amount of perspiration varies from person to person and is not always a good indication of your intensity level. Whether you are looking to burn fat by working in your fat burning zone or are looking to increase your endurance and burn more overall calories in a workout with high intensity training, you will need to use some form of measuring tool. This can be a heart rate monitor or you can use Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE). Even though there are many heart rate monitors that are pretty accurate and also provide you with how many calories you burn, using the RPE can be just as effective for measuring your intensity level.

RPE is a subjective way for you to gauge your own perception of your exertion level. While you are working out, give that exercise class or specific routine an intensity level by giving it a number on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the hardest). The same exercise class that you have been doing for two months could be rated a six in the first month and a four in the second month. This is your red flag telling you to change things up in order to keep challenging yourself. I encourage you to be creative with this scale, but here is an example of how it can work for you:

1-3 = Am I really exercising because this just feels too easy? (LIGHT)

4-6 = This is starting to feel like work – this feels kind of tough but I could do this awhile. (probably your fat burning zone- MODERATE)

7-8 = This is pretty intense- I can’t believe I can do this; I know I can’t keep up with this for long. (VERY HARD)

9-10 = I can do this for about 3 more seconds before I just fall over. (VERY, VERY HARD)

If you like to use the treadmill, run, or take a group exercise class, start rating your workouts using the RPE, not the amount of water you perspire, so that you can make your own adjustments accordingly to reach your goal of losing weight, building endurance, or just working out your heart.