You put a lot of time and effort
into your exercise program, so it only
makes sense that you should
try to get the most out of it.
One way to maximize the results you get from
your aerobic exercise is to be sure that
you're exercising within your "aerobic
training zone"; also called your
"target heart rate range."
Your heart
rate is your body's speedometer. It
gives you an indication of how fast your body's
"motor" is running. This is commonly
referred to as exercise intensity.
Exercising at the right intensity can
help to assure that you're getting
all the benefits that you can
get from your aerobic exercise. Your
heart rate can be easily measured by feeling
the pulsations of the blood moving through
the artery near the outside of your wrist.
However, that can be a little more difficult
while your exercising.
An inexpensive
heart rate monitor can make it
very easy to see your heart rate quickly and
easily while you're exercising. It can also
be motivational. The most accurate types
use a strap that goes around the
lower part of your chest. Electrodes in
that strap detect the electrical signal
your heart gives off every time it beats.
Then, with every beat of your heart, the
electrodes in the strap send a signal to
a special wrist watch that will display your
heart rate in beats per minute. So, you
can simply glance at the watch to see what
your heart rate is at any given moment.
This will
help you to get the most benefit from
the exercise you do.
