Heart rate zone calculator
See your five training zones in beats per minute, from an estimated or measured maximum heart rate, with or without your resting heart rate (the Karvonen method), and what each zone is for.
Adults 18 to 100.
Switches to the Karvonen method. Count it in the morning, sitting quietly before you get up and about.
220 − age is the long-standing rule of thumb, and the one the American Heart Association uses. Tanaka’s newer formula reads higher for people over 40.
Your five training zones
| Zone | Heart rate |
|---|---|
| Zone 1: very light (50–60%)Warm-ups, cool-downs and easy recovery days. You can talk and even sing. | 93–111 bpm |
| Zone 2: light (60–70%)Long, easy sessions that build endurance, and most of an easy week. You can hold a full conversation. | 111–130 bpm |
| Zone 3: moderate (70–80%)Steady aerobic runs and rides: comfortably hard. You can speak in short sentences. | 130–148 bpm |
| Zone 4: hard (80–90%)Tempo efforts and longer intervals. A few words at a time. | 148–167 bpm |
| Zone 5: maximum (90–100%)Short all-out intervals, from seconds to a few minutes. You can’t talk. | 167–185 bpm |
Zone % × maximum heart rate (185 bpm). Add a resting heart rate to use heart rate reserve instead.
American Heart Association targets
| Intensity | Heart rate |
|---|---|
| Moderate (50–70%) | 93–130 bpm |
| Vigorous (70–85%) | 130–157 bpm |
Percent of maximum heart rate (185 bpm). The AHA treats these as a starting point rather than a rule, and estimates maximum as 220 − age.
An estimate, not medical advice. Some medicines, including beta blockers and other blood pressure drugs, lower your heart rate and maximum, so these zones won’t fit: ask your doctor what range to use. The same applies if you have a heart condition, are pregnant or are starting to exercise after a long break.
- Free, no sign-up
- Works on phone and desktop
How to find your heart rate zones
- 1
Choose how to set your maximum heart rate: 220 − age, Tanaka’s formula, or a maximum you’ve measured.
- 2
Enter your age, or your measured maximum in beats per minute.
- 3
Optional: add your resting heart rate to switch to the Karvonen (heart rate reserve) method.
- 4
Read your five zones in beats per minute, with zone 2 and the American Heart Association’s targets.
Features
Five zones in bpm
The common 50–100% model, with what each zone is for and how it feels.
Two formulas or your own max
220 − age, Tanaka’s 208 − 0.7 × age, or a measured maximum, with the Karvonen method if you know your resting rate.
AHA targets included
See the American Heart Association’s moderate and vigorous ranges next to your zones.
Private
Nothing you enter leaves your device or stays in the page address.
How the zones are calculated
First the calculator needs your maximum heart rate. You can enter one you’ve measured, or estimate it from your age with either of two formulas:
- 220 − age: the long-standing rule of thumb, used in the American Heart Association’s target heart rate chart.
- Tanaka: 208 − 0.7 × age, from a 2001 analysis of 351 studies covering 18,712 people, confirmed in a lab study of 514 adults. It matches 220 − age at 40, reads a little lower for younger people and higher for older ones.
Each zone is then a band of percentages, applied in one of two ways:
- Percent of maximum (the default): target = % × max.
- Heart rate reserve, or Karvonen (when you add a resting rate): target = resting + % × (max − resting).
Worked examples
- Age 35, 220 − age: max 185 bpm. Zone 2 is 60–70% of that, 111–130 bpm, and zone 4 is 148–167 bpm.
- Same person, resting rate 60: the reserve is 185 − 60 = 125 beats. Zone 2 becomes 60 + 0.6 × 125 to 60 + 0.7 × 125, or 135–148 bpm.
- Age 55: 220 − age gives a max of 165 bpm and Tanaka gives 170. Zone 2 is 99–115 or 102–119 bpm depending on the formula: a reminder that both are estimates.
Maximum and zone 2 by age
| Age | Max (220 − age) | Max (Tanaka) | Zone 2 | AHA moderate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 200 | 194 | 120–140 | 100–140 |
| 30 | 190 | 187 | 114–133 | 95–133 |
| 40 | 180 | 180 | 108–126 | 90–126 |
| 50 | 170 | 173 | 102–119 | 85–119 |
| 60 | 160 | 166 | 96–112 | 80–112 |
| 70 | 150 | 159 | 90–105 | 75–105 |
Zone 2 and the AHA column use 220 − age and percent of maximum, without a resting heart rate. All figures are beats per minute.
What each zone is for
| Zone | Share of max | Used for | Talk test |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1: very light | 50–60% | Warm-ups, cool-downs and easy recovery days. | You can talk and even sing. |
| 2: light | 60–70% | Long, easy sessions that build endurance, and most of an easy week. | You can hold a full conversation. |
| 3: moderate | 70–80% | Steady aerobic runs and rides: comfortably hard. | You can speak in short sentences. |
| 4: hard | 80–90% | Tempo efforts and longer intervals. | A few words at a time. |
| 5: maximum | 90–100% | Short all-out intervals, from seconds to a few minutes. | You can’t talk. |
The American Heart Association describes moderate exercise as about 50–70% of maximum heart rate and vigorous exercise as about 70–85%, and treats those figures as a starting point rather than a rule. The talk test in the table is a useful cross-check: if the number and the feeling disagree, trust the feeling and adjust.
How far to trust the numbers
Age formulas describe averages. In the HUNT fitness study of healthy Norwegian adults, predicting maximum heart rate from age left a standard error of about 11 beats per minute, so two people of the same age can have maximums 20 or more beats apart. If your zones feel wrong (zone 2 is a struggle, or zone 4 feels easy), your real maximum is probably different from the estimate. A maximum measured in a hard race or test, or a few weeks of watching how efforts feel, will tell you more.
Medicines matter too. Beta blockers and some other blood pressure drugs lower your heart rate and its maximum, so formula-based zones won’t fit; ask your doctor what range to use.
Pair your zones with the pace calculator to plan runs, and see how much energy training adds with the TDEE calculator. The sleep calculator helps with recovery, and the body fat calculator and BMI calculator track body changes over time.
Sources
- Tanaka H, Monahan KD, Seals DR. Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2001.
- Nes BM et al. Age-predicted maximal heart rate in healthy subjects: the HUNT fitness study. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 2013.
- Karvonen MJ, Kentala E, Mustala O. The effects of training on heart rate: a longitudinal study. Annales Medicinae Experimentalis et Biologiae Fenniae, 1957.
- American Heart Association. Target heart rates chart.
- American Heart Association. How do beta blocker drugs affect exercise?
These zones are estimates for healthy adults, not medical advice. If you have a heart condition, take medicine that affects your heart rate, are pregnant, or are starting exercise after a long break, talk to your doctor before training by heart rate.
Frequently asked questions
What is zone 2?
In the five-zone model used here, zone 2 is 60–70% of your maximum heart rate: an easy effort where you can still hold a conversation. For a 35-year-old using 220 − age, that’s 111–130 beats per minute. Different apps and coaches draw the zones differently, so your watch’s zone 2 may not match this one exactly.
Which maximum heart rate formula is best?
Neither is precise for one person. Tanaka’s 208 − 0.7 × age came from 351 studies and a lab check of 514 adults, and reads higher than 220 − age after 40. But any age formula can be off by about 11 beats a minute for a typical person, and by more for some. A maximum measured in a hard, all-out effort is better than either formula.
What is the Karvonen method?
It works from your heart rate reserve, the gap between your resting and maximum heart rate: target = resting + % × (max − resting). It gives higher numbers for the easy zones than percent of max does. For a 35-year-old with a resting rate of 60, zone 2 is 135–148 bpm instead of 111–130.
How do I measure my resting heart rate?
Count your pulse for a full minute while sitting quietly, ideally in the morning before coffee or exercise. Do it on a few days and use the average. Many fitness watches also record it overnight.
Do medicines change heart rate zones?
Yes. Some medicines, including beta blockers and some other blood pressure drugs, lower your heart rate and how high it can go during exercise, so zones from a formula won’t fit. The American Heart Association advises asking your doctor what target to use.
What heart rate is moderate exercise?
The American Heart Association puts moderate intensity at about 50–70% of maximum heart rate and vigorous intensity at about 70–85%. For a 55-year-old, with a maximum of 165 by 220 − age, that’s 83–115 bpm for moderate and 115–140 bpm for vigorous.
More free tools
- TDEE CalculatorYour maintenance calories.
- Calorie Deficit CalculatorDaily calories and a goal date.
- Macro CalculatorProtein, carbs and fat in grams.
- BMI CalculatorBody mass index for adults.
- Body Fat CalculatorBody fat from a tape measure.
- Pace CalculatorPace, finish time and splits.
- Sleep CalculatorBedtimes that fit sleep cycles.
- Due Date CalculatorDue date and weeks pregnant.
- Ovulation CalculatorFertile window and ovulation date.
- Dog Age CalculatorDog years to human years.