At some point (the sooner the better), you will want to get a heart rate monitor. A heart monitor is essential if you want to accurately manage your efforts to achieve certain goals or manage the balance between aerobic and anaerobic conditioning, fat loss, or cardio threshold conditioning. Only with a heart monitor can you know for sure that you have worked out at an intensity level appropriate to your goals. With monitors readily available and inexpensive, there is no reason anyone should not use one.

Once you know your heart rate, you can train in specific zones tailored to your goals for that training period. Each zone corresponds to a heart rate range relative to your maximum heart rate. Aerobic conditioning takes place when training keeps your heart rate between 70 percent and 80 percent of your max heart rate. Anaerobic conditioning takes place when training keeps your heart rate between 80 percent and 90 percent of your max heart rate. Training above 90 percent of your maximum heart rate can only be maintained for short periods of time.

There are many heart rate monitors on the market. Some simply tell you your current heart rate, while others allow you to connect to your computer so you can record and download your heart rate and give you a summary for each training period. Some monitors will even allow you to set the type of workout you are going to do and then warn you when you are above or below your target heart rate. Prices range from $29 to over $500.