What is one way to monitor perceived exertion during exercise?

Monitoring perceived exertion during exercise is most effectively done by rating effort on a scale. This method allows individuals to assess how hard they feel they are working during their workout, taking into account both physical sensations and psychological factors. The most common scale used for this purpose is the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale, which typically ranges from 6 to 20. This subjective measure provides valuable insight into an individual's exertion level, helping trainers tailor workouts to meet their clients' needs and abilities.

The other options serve different purposes during exercise but do not directly address perceived exertion in the same subjective manner. For instance, using a stopwatch can track the duration of the workout or specific intervals but does not provide insight into how hard the individual feels they are working. Assessing heart rate is a more objective measure of physiological response to exercise, which reflects effort but does not consider an individual's personal feelings of exertion. Counting repetitions relates to quantifying exercise volume but doesn't capture the intensity of effort from the participant's perspective. Thus, rating effort on a scale is the most appropriate option for monitoring perceived exertion.