How to Monitor Heart Rate During Cardio Exercises

Monitoring your heart rate during cardio exercise will tell you how many calories you're burning and how strong your heart is. As you get in better shape, you'll notice you have to work harder to get your heart rate up to the same level.

Things You'll Need

  • Heart rate monitor
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Instructions

  1. Monitor Heart Rate During Cardio Exercise

    • 1

      Use The Borg Scale of Perceived Exertion to get a standard approximation. Assign a numerical value to your own perceived level of exertion. Think about how hard your heart is working, how hard you're breathing, how much you're sweating and level of muscle fatigue. The scale goes from 6 to 20 with 6 being no exertion and 20 being the maximum level possible. 12 to 14 is considered the range for moderate workout. Multiply this number by 10 to get your estimated heart rate.

    • 2

      Take your pulse during your exercises. Find your pulse by placing your index and middle finger on your neck just below your jaw under the ear or on your wrist just below the thumb.

    • 3

      Allow your machine to monitor your heart rate for you. Many cardio exercise machines have built-in heart rate monitors. Simply grasp the indicated hand sensors and hold on. The computer in the machine will monitor, calculate and display your heart rate for you to see.

    • 4

      Purchase a heart rate monitor from a health and fitness company like Polar USA (see Resources below). Heart rate monitors help you keep track of your workout intensity even when you're not at the gym.

    • 5

      Follow Polar USA's advice (and the advice of just about every fitness professional) and listen to your body. Your body is constantly monitoring its own condition during your cardio exercises. If you're working too hard it will tell you. You'll know you're over doing it because you will become short of breath, feel pain or become dizzy.