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According to research undertaken by University of South Australia Professor Roger Eston, it is significant to have a perception of exertion while exercising.

Researchers say that the brain can be as effective as a heart monitor, when it comes to measuring the effort and exertion during exercise.

"Invasive methods requiring sophisticated equipment can provide ways to assess the capacity for and effects of exercise, including measuring heart rate, breathing rate and oxygen use," Professor Eston says.

"However, there is also a personalized, permanently online, user-friendly and remarkably accurate way to monitor effectiveness - the brain, which determines the subjective sense of effort."

For the research, Professor Eston asked different groups of people to exercise at specific ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), using a simple 15 point scale ranging from no exertion to maximal exertion, Medical Xpress reported.

The findings of the study suggested that it is possible for people to regulate the intensity with which they exercise in such a way, that they can maximize their fitness level, without putting in a lot of effort.

"There is a fantastic relation between the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and more objective measures of intensity," Professor Eston says.

"The RPE is now a recognised measure for predicting exercise capacity and interpreting fluctuations in performance over an exercise session."

Professor Eston, in the next Knowledge Works public lecture will be explaining how people can maximize benefits from exercising with optimum intensity by paying attention to their perceptions.

"This is a simple concept, but it is valid. It can empower people to feel more confident about their sense of effort and how reliable that is as an indicator of their exercise intensity."