How to check your heart rate

It is important to exercise at a safe and effective training level. There are three ways to check that you are working at the right level for you.

Check your heart rate. To do this:

• Find your pulse on your wrist. (See illustration at right, top.)
• Put two fingers on the inside of your wrist just below your thumb. (See illustration at right, bottom.)
• Press lightly until you feel your pulse.
• Count the heartbeats for 10 seconds. Multiply the heartbeats by six.
• If your pulse is irregular or skips beats, count the beats for a full 60 seconds.
• The average resting rate is between 60 to 100 beats each minute.
• If your rate is higher than average, slow down and don't exercise so hard.