The 0–10 effort rating
CogniStride uses its own simple self-rating of mental effort, from 0 (none) through 3 (moderate) and 7 (very hard) to 10 (maximal). The rating is always available in the studio sidebar and is requested automatically at check-ins with large, colour-coded buttons that are easy to tap.
Automatic check-ins
By default a check-in appears after every two completed exercises or after 15 minutes, whichever comes first. Both can be changed (every 1–5 exercises, every 5–30 minutes) or switched off in pacing settings.
| Rating | What happens |
|---|---|
| 0–4 | The rating is logged and the session continues. |
| 5–6 | An advisory suggests shorter blocks or an easier level. |
| 7–10 | A two-minute guided breathing break starts, and the patient is asked to re-rate afterwards. |
Guided breathing break
The break uses box breathing: breathe in for four seconds, hold for four, breathe out for four and hold for four. An expanding and contracting circle shows each phase, with optional spoken prompts and a two-minute countdown. Completed breaks are counted in the session record.
Effort in the record
The most recent rating (within the last three hours) is stored with each exercise result, plotted on the progress chart alongside accuracy and reaction time, and summarised in SOAP note drafts. Results can then be read next to effort, so you can see whether a drop in accuracy came with a rise in fatigue.
Limits
The effort rating is a self-report tool for pacing a session, not a validated fatigue scale. It is not the Borg CR10 or any other published scale.