Have you ever wondered if you’re putting enough or too much effort into your workout? There are several ways to determine how hard your body is working. You can use a data-driven method, such as a fitness tracker or heart rate monitor, or an effort-based approach using the RPE scale or the talk test. Both methods have their place, but the talk test is a quick and easy way to determine your current level of effort.
What is the Talk Test?
The CDC recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity weekly. It’s ok if you can’t exercise that much at your current fitness level. However, it would be best to exercise at a moderate or vigorous intensity since they help improve your cardiovascular fitness.
The talk test is a simple way to gauge how hard you’re exercising, especially for aerobic activities. You won’t need to do math or look at your fitness tracker. In short, it comes down to how well you can converse while exercising. You can use the talk test even if you prefer to exercise alone.
How Do You Do The Talk Test?
The talk test uses your breathing to determine how hard you’re working. You do this by gauging how easily you can carry on a conversation or, for those musically inclined, sing a song while exercising.
If you can speak in complete sentences, like with normal conversation, you’re exercising at a low intensity. That doesn’t mean you’re being too easy on yourself. In fact, low intensity is perfect for rest days or recovery workouts.
Moderate intensity is the sweet spot for most of your workouts. You may be able to speak in complete sentences, but you may need to pause to breathe every few words. You should be able to hold a conversation or a tune, but slightly more effort is involved.
As you push yourself harder, talking and singing becomes much more challenging. At this point, you’re working at a high intensity. You won’t be conversing with your friends or singing along to your favorite song since you’ll only be able to say a few words before taking a breath.
At an almost all-out effort, you’ll manage one or two words at a time due to all the heavy breathing. Also, you won’t be able to sustain this effort for long since you’re pushing your limits. However, this level of effort has its place if you’re doing anaerobic training.
Fortunately, you can do the talk test at any time while exercising to check in with yourself and adjust your effort accordingly. It’s a great way to keep yourself on track and can be done without a fitness tracker or heart rate monitor.
Pay Attention To Your Breathing
Your breathing is a clue to your effort for the talk test. At low intensity, your breathing is slightly elevated but steady. As your intensity increases to moderate levels, your breathing becomes deeper and more frequent. As you venture into high intensity, your breathing becomes more labored as your body tries to keep up. If you hit an all-out effort, your breathing rate may even be as high as a breath about every second.
Paying attention to your breathing and how easily you can converse or sing can help you estimate the intensity of your workout. As a result, you can increase or decrease your effort to align with your goals.
The Takeaway
To improve your overall fitness, you should exercise at a moderate intensity for most of your workouts. Without a fitness tracker or heart rate monitor, the talk test is an easy way to determine how hard you’re exercising. By talking or singing and observing your breathing, you can gauge how much you exert yourself and align your effort with your fitness goals. You also can perform the talk test as many times as you want while exercising and then adjust your effort accordingly.
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Disclaimer: No content on this site should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
