Whether you’re walking, jogging, or at the gym, many people are unsure how strenuous an activity actually is for their body. It’s important not to push yourself too hard—but also not to underchallenge yourself. The good news: you can assess your physical load easily on your own, without equipment or professional testing.
Here are simple methods that help you understand and manage your level of exertion.
1. Checking your pulse – what does it tell you?
Your pulse is your heartbeat, which you can feel at certain points on your body—such as your wrist or neck. It shows how fast your heart is working and how much effort your body is currently putting in.
Why is this helpful?
- low pulse = low effort
- higher pulse = increased effort
- very high pulse = possibly too strenuous
To find out your heart rate per minute, you can use this quick method:
Measuring your pulse without equipment
- Count your heartbeats for 15 seconds.
- Multiply that number by 4.
This gives you your beats per minute—without having to count for a full minute.
A short measurement like this helps you quickly understand how hard your body is working.
2. How much effort is healthy? The “220 – age” rule
To estimate how high your pulse can go during exercise, many use a simple formula for the maximum heart rate:
220 – your age
This number represents the approximate upper limit of what your heart can handle during intense activity.
Why is this important?
It helps you understand whether you’re training in a healthy range. Many people feel most comfortable at 50–70 % of their maximum heart rate—this is a moderate, manageable level of exertion.
3. The Borg scale: assessing effort through breathing
The Borg scale is a simple tool that helps you judge your effort level without any technical devices.
It ranges from 6 (very light) to 20 (very hard) and is mainly based on your breathing:
- 6–10: very light, calm breathing
- 11–14: light to moderate, breathing becomes faster
- 15–17: hard, breathing clearly accelerated
- 18–20: very hard, almost gasping
Most people train best in the moderate range (11–14).
You feel the effort, but you can still speak and your breathing is not rushed.
Why is this helpful?
Breathing responds immediately to physical strain. That makes the Borg scale a very reliable way to determine whether you’re exercising at a comfortable level or pushing too hard.
4. Don’t start panting when you’re running
Your breathing rhythm also shows you quickly whether you’re overexerting yourself when walking or running. As long as you can breathe evenly in and out, the effort is appropriate. If you start to feel out of breath, it’s time to slow down.
This principle works for other activities, too—like cycling or swimming.
5. Listen to your body
Your body offers the best guidance. Pay attention to questions like:
- Do I feel comfortable during the activity?
- Do I feel good afterward—or mainly exhausted?
- Do I notice pain or warning signs?
As you learn to combine your body awareness with your pulse and breathing patterns, you’ll develop a better sense of your personal limits.
What to take away
You don’t need expensive equipment to understand how much you’re asking of your body. A quick pulse check, your breathing, and your own awareness are enough to help you train safely and effectively. With time, you’ll develop a strong sense of what feels right for you—and avoid unnecessary overexertion.
Further information on the topic can be found here:
American Heart Association (2024, August 12). Target Heart Chart. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/target-heart-rates
Cleveland Clinic (2025, October 6). What To Know About Exercise and Heart Rate Zones. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/exercise-heart-rate-zones-explained