More than likely, you’ve heard the terms “resting heart rate” and “target heart rate,” but do you take the time to track your own heart rate while you exercise? Your resting heart rate refers to your heart rate while you’re not engaging in any physical activity, while a target heart rate is your ideal rate for burning fat.

There are many reasons to start tracking your heart rate while you exercise, so let’s explore a few!

Keep Yourself Safe

Overexertion while exercising can be dangerous, and often times, a very high heart rate while working out can indicate that you’re pushing yourself too hard! Your target heart rate will vary based on your age and size, but by knowing your target rate and making sure yours doesn’t exceed that number too much, you can keep yourself safe from over exertion during exercising.

Maximize Your Efforts

By tracking your heart rate as you exercise, you can determine when you’ve hit your target rate or you possibly need to push yourself a little harder. Staying in your target range improves your results and the quicker you’ll achieve your fitness goals.

Track Your Progress

Tracking your heart rate can also help you track your overall progress when it comes to working out. For example, you may find that running a 10-minute mile used to really get your heart rate going, but now you can run a 10-minute mile while keeping your rate relatively low, which indicates that you’re getting stronger and your endurance is increasing.

If you’re not doing so already, now is the time to start tracking your heart rate! Whether you do it the “old fashioned way” or invest in a digital tracker, you’ll benefit from this practice!