When you are trying to get in shape or simply maintain your current shape, a heart rate monitoring system is essential. People get into their workout or are exercising too intensely to stop and take their pulse every few minutes. www.argos-sports.co.uk has a wide variety of heart rate monitoring systems so that you do not have to stop every few minutes to count your heart rate. When first engaging in a fitness or exercise program, you should aim for a target heart rate that is 50% of your maximum heart rate. As you progress, build towards 75% of your target heart rate. After about six months of continuous exercise, you will find achieving 85% of your maximum heart rate to be quite easy. However, you do not need to push yourself this heard to lose weight and/or stay in shape. The heart rate monitors offered at www.argos-sports.co.uk are comfortable, stylish wrist bands produced by a variety of companies including Polar, Oregon Scientific, and Timex. Before setting off to purchase your heart rate monitor, consider the functionality and features you will require. For example, will you need a larger display that just gives you the basic information or would you like a little bit more elaborate system that has different target zones, calorie counters, and recovery times? There are several different styles of heart rate monitor available for purchase at www.argos-sports.co.uk . The chest strap heart rate monitor provides a digital connection between your heart rate monitor display and a strap on your chest. The readout is continuous meaning that when just glancing at the screen, you will see the most current and accurate heart rate. The strapless heart rate monitors are excellent for light exercises who do not mind pressing a button to acquire their heart rate. These are not generally recommended for athletes or exercise enthusiasts as there is no constant readout and it involves some interaction with the device in order to get an accurate reading. Some heart rate monitors provide support for both modes, enabling the user to choose strap or strapless monitoring, depending on the situation. For more information on the variety of heart rate monitors available, you may browse to www.argos-sports.co.uk . To calculate your maximum heart rate on a very loose level, you may subtract your age from 220. However, if you are on any type of blood pressure medication, you should contact your physician before attempting to determine your maximum heart rate. These medications can drastically lower your maximum heart rate. A study done by the American Heart Association shows that one hour of exercise at your target rate increases your life expectancy by two hours. It would be difficult to place a monetary value on such a vital factor. However, www.argos-sports.co.uk offers a wide collection of heart rate monitors at very affordable prices.