If you don’t know much about exercise or are totally new to it, we want to help you get started by answering some common questions about what cardio does, why you should do it, and how to get the most from it.

Another term for an irregular heartbeat is arrhythmia.

The best treatment depends on the type of arrhythmia you have. For some types, you may not need any treatment. With other types, you may need medication. Serious arrhythmias may require an electrical device such as a pacemaker or defibrillator, or a procedure called catheter ablation.

Catheter ablation treats small areas of heart tissue that cause an irregular heartbeat. This can eliminate the need for long-term drug treatments.

You could be experiencing palpitations, which can feel like a fluttering in the chest, or stronger or skipped heart beats.

Palpitations are often nothing to worry about. Many healthy people experience short episodes of palpitations, sometimes made worse by too much caffeine or lack of sleep.

A pacemaker treats a slow heart rhythm (if your heart is beating too slowly). Some heart conditions that a pacemaker can help with include heart block, fainting (syncope) and an irregular heartbeat (atrial fibrillation).

A defibrillator treats a fast heart rhythm (if your heart is beating too quickly), and is used in heart failure or cardiac arrest situations.

A defibrillator always has a pacemaker included. Both are implanted in the same spot: under your collarbone, usually on the left side.