How to know how hard you are exercising

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Understanding exercise intensity helps you get the most benefit from your workouts while staying safe. Intensity refers to how hard your body is working during physical activity, and it can be measured by your heart rate, breathing, sweating, or how difficult the exercise feels. Moderate activity usually lets you talk but not sing, while vigorous activity makes speaking more difficult. By learning to gauge your intensity, you can adjust your workouts to improve fitness, burn calories, and support heart health.

Source

Rey-López JP, Lee DH, Ferrari G, Giovannucci E, Rezende LFM. Physical Activity Intensity Measurement and Health: State of the Art and Future Directions for Scientific Research. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Jun 1;20(11):6027. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20116027. PMID: 37297631; PMCID: PMC10252504.

Additional Reading

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise-intensity/art-20046887

https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/why-do-you-sweat-more-as-you-gain-fitness/

https://www.healthline.com/health/does-sweating-burn-calories