During pregnancy, which Borg scale rating corresponds to light to moderate intensity?

• A. 9-11
• B. 17-19
• C. 13-14
• D. 5-6

Answer: (C)

RPE on the 6–20 scale uses how hard the effort feels to you, not just what your heart rate is. For pregnancy, aiming for a 13–14 translates to somewhat hard to hard effort, which lines up with light to moderate activity. That level gives you a real aerobic stimulus without pushing into vigorous work, which is why it’s the recommended range: you get benefits while staying within safe limits as your body adapts to pregnancy. Heart rate targets can be unreliable during pregnancy due to physiological changes, so using how hard you feel you’re working (and the ability to talk with some effort) helps you stay in a safe, effective zone. Lower values around 9–11 would feel too easy for a true light-to-moderate workout, and higher values around 15–19 would be more intense than typical recommendations for pregnancy.