Knowledge Base
The Borg Scale
The Borg Scale is a subjective way to determine the level of physical activity during therapeutic exercise. Dr. Gunnar Borg, the creator of the scale, has split it down from 6 to 20 score as a reference for heart rate: multiplying Borg’s score by 10, gives the result value roughly corresponding to the heart rate for the relevant activity level.
| How you might describe your exertion | Borg rating of your exertion | Examples (for most adults <65 years old) |
| None | 6 | Reading a book, watching television |
| Very, very light | 7 to 8 | Tying shoes |
| Very light | 9 to 10 | Chores like folding clothes that seem to take little effort |
| Fairly light | 11 to 12 | Walking through the grocery store or other activities that require some effort but not enough to speed up your breathing |
| Somewhat hard | 13 to 14 | Brisk walking or other activities that require moderate effort and speed your heart rate and breathing but don’t make you out of breath |
| Hard | 15 to 16 | Bicycling, swimming, or other activities that take vigorous effort and get the heart pounding and make breathing very fast |
| Very hard | 17 to 18 | The highest level of activity you can sustain |
| Very, very hard | 19 to 20 | A finishing kick in a race or other burst of activity that you can’t maintain for long |
You can also use a modified Borg ten-point Scale.
- resting state;
- very easy;
- easy;
- moderate load;
- moderately difficult;
- difficult;
- very difficult;
- moderately heavy;
- hard;
- very hard;
- maximum load.
- Borg G.A. Psychophysical bases of perceived exertion. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 1982; 14:377-381.
- https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/borg-scale/
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