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[[File:HeartRateSimplified.pngsvg|right|thumb|500px|A simplified chart of heart rate against exercise intensity showing [[Maximum Heart Rate]], [[Heart Rate Reserve]], [[Resting Heart Rate]] and [[Heart Rate Deflection]].]]
As exercise intensity increases the heart beats faster, and it's relatively easy to measure heart rate while exercising. This makes heart rate a simple way of evaluating exercise intensity, but you need to understand a couple of common issues to use it effectively.
* Exercise heart rate should be evaluated as a percentage of [[Heart Rate Reserve]]. However, you need to do an individual test to determine [[Maximum Heart Rate]]. Never use a formula to predict Maximum Heart Rate, as these formulas are useless. If you do a Maximum Heart Rate test, then you can calculate your [[Heart Rate Reserve]], which can be used to estimate exercise intensity.