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Heart rate zone calculator

  

Maximum heart rate is estimated, not measured, and can be off by 10 beats or more. With a resting rate the zones use the Karvonen (heart-rate reserve) method; without one they are a plain percentage of maximum. Not for people with heart conditions.

bpm

Measure it lying down, first thing in the morning.

Maximum heart rate formula

Estimated maximum heart rate

184 bpm

Zones use your resting rate of 65 bpm. The American Heart Association calls 50% to 70% of maximum moderate exercise and 70% to 85% vigorous.

Using heart rate to pace your training

Heart rate zones turn effort into a number. Most people either go too hard every session or never leave the comfort zone, and zones help you spread the effort better.

Start with the maximum. The old rule of 220 minus age is easy but crude. A study by Tanaka and colleagues in 2001 found 208 − 0.7 × age fitted better across ages. For a 40-year-old both give 180 beats a minute. For a 60-year-old the old formula says 160 and the Tanaka one says 166.

Then the zones. With a resting rate of 60 and a maximum of 180, the Karvonen method puts zone 2, the easy aerobic zone at 60% to 70% of your reserve, at 132 to 144 beats per minute. Most training time should be spent at that easy end, with a little at the hard end.

These are estimates, and a few people have a true maximum 10 to 20 beats away. Use how you feel along with the number. If you have a heart condition, take medicine such as beta-blockers, or feel dizzy or have chest pain, talk to a doctor before using zones.

Sources

What this calculator does not account for

  • Your true maximum heart rate.
  • Medicines that slow the heart.
  • Heart conditions.

How this is calculated

Formula: Maximum and zones

max HR =208 − 0.7 × age; zone =rest + (max − rest) × %

What the symbols mean

  • 208 − 0.7 × ageThe Tanaka equation. The older formula is 220 − age.
  • restResting heart rate. When given, the zones use the Karvonen method.

Good to know

  • Without a resting rate, zones are simple percentages of the maximum.
  • The 220 − age formula underestimates for older adults.

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Worked examples

Each example is worked out by the same code as the calculator above.

Age 40, resting rate 60, Tanaka maximum 180

Zone 2, 60% to 70% of reserve: 132 to 144 beats per minute.

Embed this calculator

The frame shows the tool only.

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Questions

What is my maximum heart rate?

For a 40-year-old, about 180 beats per minute by either formula. It is an estimate and can be off by 10 beats or more.

Which zone burns the most fat?

Easy zone 2 uses fat as a larger share of fuel, but total calories rise with intensity. Mix both.

What is moderate exercise?

The AHA defines it as 50% to 70% of maximum heart rate and vigorous as 70% to 85%.

How do I take my resting rate?

Count your pulse for 60 seconds lying down, first thing in the morning, for a few days and take the average.