Ok, you jumped on the fitness bandwagon and get to the gym when you can, eat healthier and even try to walk/run a few miles every week, along with throwing in a bike ride maybe once or twice a month. Sounds like your doing everything you need to, in order to be healthier right? Well, just how is your heart holding up to all of this?

Today, when your talking with someone about how you’re now exercising, someone in the group will probably lead the conversation to ask what your normal exercise routine heart rate is and if you're reaching your target zone. And you just stand there looking at him/her without knowing how to answer. Mainly because you just don’t know what your target zone or what your heart rate should be. So, what should they be?

The heart rate is one of the 'vital signs,' or the important indicators of health in the human body. It measures the number of times per minute that the heart contracts or beats.
The speed of the heartbeat varies as a result of physical activity, threats to safety, and emotional responses. The resting heart rate refers to the heart rate when a person is relaxed.

While a normal heart rate does not guarantee that a person is free of health problems, it is a useful benchmark for identifying a range of health issues. The heart is a muscular organ in the center of the chest. When it beats, the heart pumps blood containing oxygen and nutrients around the body and brings back waste products. A healthy heart supplies the body with just the right amount of blood at the right rate for whatever the body is doing at that time.

To get an idea of what your heart rate should be, it’s recommended that you exercise within 55 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate for at least 20 to 30 minutes to get the best results from aerobic exercise. The MHR (can be roughly calculated as using 220 minus your age) this is the upper limit of what your cardiovascular system can handle during physical activity.
For example, if you're 45 years old, subtract 45 from 220 to get a maximum heart rate of 175. This is the maximum number of times your heart should beat per minute during exercise.

When training for fitness, it is important not to put too much strain on the heart. However, an individual needs the heart rate to increase while exercising to provide more oxygen and energy for the rest of the body.

While the heart rate increases as a result of physical activity, an overall decrease in target heart rate is possible over time. This means that the heart is working less to get the necessary nutrients and oxygen to different parts of the body, making it more efficient.

Cardiovascular training aims to reduce the target heart rate. The ideal target heart rate reduces with age. It is also worth noting the maximum heart rate. This demonstrates the full capability of the heart, and it is normally reached through high-intensity exercise.

Exercise is a way to bring down the overall heart rate. The American Heart Association (AHA) states that the maximum heart rate during exercise should be roughly equal to 220 bpm minus the age of the person. As the body of each individual will react to exercise differently, the target heart rate is presented as a range known as the target heart rate zone.

A tool that is available to everyone today to track your heart rate and know where your at in regards to your target zone is to get a good, accurate heart rate monitor that can monitor your exercise activity and let you know just what your heart rate is, both by being active and when your at rest and how much time should elapse in between beginning a new exercise routine.
One such smartwatch is the Garmin Forerunner 735XT GPS Running Multisport Watch
This wrist-based heart rate monitor will track your beats per minutes, and the activity tracker will help you keep a close tab on your calories and sleep throughout the day. It's easy to view heart rate measuring function at the wrist, gives you an actual read on just how well you’re doing.
It also comes with advanced dynamics available for swimming, running, and cycling with stride length, vertical ratio, and more.  It can estimate your lactate threshold, offers a recovery advisor, and VO2 max estimate.

You can never be too careful when exercising not to overdo it! And having a tool like the Garmin Forerunner 735 strapped to your wrist can provide you with some necessary information that you can use to give you a heads up if you're moving into a danger zone. Remember, any type of fitness monitor is only another tool that’s available to you. We always recommend that you stay in contact with your physician on a regular basis for checkups to keep you both aware of any potential danger signals. A good smartwatch like the Garmin Forerunner 735 can give you a heads up about a potential problem that you can act on by getting to your doctor to get it checked out.

So, exercise, do it right and monitor your stats to make sure you and your heart are on the same wavelength!