If you are a healthy adult, your maximum heart rate is approximately 220-age and should not be exceeded during exercise. To achieve cardiovascular benefits, you should set your heart rate in the 60-80% of your maximum heart rate range, which is called the target heart rate. The formula is as follows: Your maximum heart rate = 220 – age Your target heart rate = maximum heart rate x 0.6 to 0.8 If your target heart rate is 100 to 120 beats per minute, this means that your pulse rate should be maintained at 100 to 120 beats per minute during exercise. You can count your pulse rate for 10 seconds while exercising and multiply it by 6 to convert it to a 1-minute heart rate.