If you’ve had any heart problems in the past, you many want to buy a heart rate monitor. What a heart rate monitor does is display your hear rate so you can adjust your activity level if the rate is too high.

Although many types of heart rate monitors exist, one main type has you wear a strap around your chest. Then your heart rate appears on a watch or other monitor. You can tell how fast your heart is beating and make adjustments as needed.

Many people, not just those with a diagnosed heart problem, wear heart monitors when they exercise. Before you select a heart rate monitor, do some research because several types exist. The accessories that come with heart rate monitors vary, so you’ll want to explore your options.

If you have a heart problem, ask your physician which type is best for you. Your doctor may have a specific monitor in mind for you. Most heart patients use the type of monitor that requires a strap because this type often works better than the strapless variety.

For that reason, cardiac patients usually exercise wearing a heart rate strap. This strap collects data about how many times your heart is beating. This information is then sent to the display device. This is very useful information not only for doctors but for you as well. If, for instance, you’re exercising, you’ll be able to see if your heart rate is too fast.

If you are a cardiac patient, your doctor should tell you what your ideal heart rate range is when you exercise. Many cardiac patients first start exercising in a hospital setting. This “cardiac rehab” situation allows patients to build up their cardiac endurance in a closely monitored setting. After they’ve completed the program, they’ll probably be instructed to buy a heart rate monitor. They should be told exactly which kind to buy. Patients also should be told what heart rate range they should maintain when they exercise.

If you don’t have cardiac problems, you may want a heart rate monitor for general fitness. To reap the benefits of exercise, you need to work out at the correct intensity level. Your heart rate is how you determine the intensity level. Most experts have you minus your age from 220, and then take 60 to 70 percent of that amount as a way to determine your heart rate range.

That means that if you’re 30, you would first subtract 30 from 220, which equals 190. Then, you take 60 percent of 190 to arrive at the low end of your zone. You would have a low-end heart rate number of 114. Then take 70 percent of 190 to determine your high-end number, which equals 133. As you work out, you’ll want to keep your heart rate between 114 and 133.

The range that’s right for you will vary depending on more factors than just your age, so consult your physician before you start. To get the most out of any exercise program, you need to keep your heart rate in the correct zone. Determine what your zone is, and then use a heart rate monitor to help you stay in that zone.