The Borg Scale

Principles and Administration of the Borg Scale

• Core Definition and Concept: The Borg scale is a Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale designed specifically to quantify an individual's self-reported sensory experience of physical exertion during activity.

• Crucial Administration Guidelines:

  • Mandatory Self-Rating: Practitioners must never assign a Borg score to a client based on external clinical estimates. The client must rate themselves because the instrument measures perceived effort, which is inherently subjective.

  • Prohibition of External Observation: Clinicians must not attempt to gauge exertion by observing physiological indicators such as heavy breathing, sweating, or visible strain.

  • Comparison to Pain Scales: Administration operates identically to a clinical pain scale. The only valid and accurate way to determine a score is to ask the person directly and accept their self-reported score.

  • Prohibition of Inter-Client Comparison: Borg ratings must never be used to compare exertion levels between different clients. The score is exclusively valid for tracking an individual client's baseline and progress relative to their own sensory feedback.

  • Primary Purpose: Serving as a direct medium for a specific client to communicate their internal exertion state to the practitioner.

Numerical Structure and Scale Gradations

• Scale Boundaries:

  • The scale does not begin at $0$ or $1$.

  • The scale does not end at $10$.

  • The minimum possible score is $6$.

  • The maximum possible score is $20$.

  • Psychological Rationale: Standard numeric scales ranging from $0$ to $10$ are heavily used across healthcare and daily life, causing individuals to give automatic answers without reflection. The unconventional range of $6$ to $20$ interrupts automatic thinking and forces clients to deliberately evaluate their physical state.

• Anchor Values:

  • Value $6$ (Minimum Anchor): Represents "no exertion at all." Indicates that the individual feels like they are doing nothing or are at complete rest.

  • Value $13$ (Midpoint Anchor): Represents the exact midpoint between complete rest ($6$) and maximum physical output ($20$). It is defined as "somewhat hard" exertion, meaning the activity presents a challenge, but the individual feels entirely fine to continue.

  • Value $20$ (Maximum Anchor): Represents "maximum exertion." Indicates that the client is pushing as hard as possible, could not work any harder, and is exerting everything they have.

• Gradations Across the Continuum:

  • Just above $6$: Characterized as "so, so easy" and "very, very light."

  • **Low