Reading your own effort: the talk test and perceived exertion
Physical Education · Key Stage 2 · The School
A quick check, no kit needed
The TALK TEST is a simple way to check how hard you are working. If you can chat with ease, the work is light. If you can only speak in short bits, it is fairly hard. If you cannot speak at all, it is very hard. This is easy to use in almost any sport.
Giving your effort a number
This is called PERCEIVED EXERTION: how hard the work feels TO YOU, given a number from one to ten. One feels like sitting still. Ten feels like the hardest work you could ever give. It is your own number. That is fine. Most people find this easy to judge after a little practice.
Why your own feeling is real, useful information
A heart rate watch gives you a number too. But it costs money, and it can feel odd to wear. This own-number method is free. It is instant. With practice it is surprisingly accurate. Top athletes use both, not just a watch. It also helps you notice when you are pushing too hard.
During a warm-up jog, a pupil gives their effort a 3 out of 10. They can chat with ease the whole time. During the main hard sprint, they give it a 9. They cannot speak a single word. During the slow cool-down walk, the number drops back to a 2. Easy chatting comes straight back too. Nobody measured a heart rate at any point in this. But the shape of the whole session is still completely clear. Just from paying honest notice to how hard each part felt.