Heart rate zone calculator
Zones 1 to 5 and your zone 2 range from age, with 220 minus age, Tanaka and Karvonen.
- ๐บ๐ธ US federal & state rules
- See sources
Zone 2 heart rate
108 to 126 bpm
Max heart rate 180 bpm (220 - age), percent of max heart rate
- Max heart rate
- 180 bpm
- Tanaka formula
- 180 bpm
This is an example. Enter your numbers above and press the button to see your own result.
Heart rate zones, percent of max heart rate
| Zone 1, Very light (50 to 60%): warm-up and recovery | 90 to 108 bpm |
|---|---|
| Zone 2, Light (60 to 70%): easy aerobic base, can hold a conversation | 108 to 126 bpm |
| Zone 3, Moderate (70 to 80%): steady aerobic work | 126 to 144 bpm |
| Zone 4, Hard (80 to 90%): tempo and threshold | 144 to 162 bpm |
| Zone 5, Maximum (90 to 100%): short all-out intervals | 162 to 180 bpm |
- Age formulas are averages. A real max can be 10 to 12 beats higher or lower, so a fitness test or a hard race effort gives better zones.
- Add your resting heart rate (taken in bed after waking) to use the Karvonen method, which fits fitter people better.
- Beta blockers and some other medicines lower heart rate, so these zones may not apply. This is an estimate for general information, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor or registered dietitian before a big change in diet or exercise, especially if you are pregnant or have a health condition.
Show the math
| Max heart rate | 220 - 40 = 180 |
|---|---|
| Zone 2 | 180 ร 60% to 70% = 108 to 126 bpm |
What to do next
How it works
First the calculator estimates max heart rate, either 220 - age or the Tanaka formula, 208 - 0.7 ร age. The five zones are 50 to 60%, 60 to 70%, 70 to 80%, 80 to 90% and 90 to 100% of that max.
If you add your resting heart rate, it uses the Karvonen method instead: resting heart rate plus the zone percentage of your heart rate reserve (max minus resting).
Things to keep in mind
Max heart rate varies a lot between people of the same age. If your watch shows a higher peak in a hard race, enter zones from that number instead.
Heat, caffeine, poor sleep and dehydration push heart rate up at the same effort. If you take heart medicine or have heart symptoms, talk to your doctor before training by heart rate. This is not medical advice.
Sources
- Polar: Heart rate zones (zones 1 to 5 as percent of max heart rate)Checked 2026-10-19
- Tanaka H, Monahan KD, Seals DR. Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited. J Am Coll Cardiol 2001;37(1):153-6Checked 2026-10-19
- Karvonen MJ et al. The effects of training on heart rate; a longitudinal study. Ann Med Exp Biol Fenn 1957;35(3):307-15Checked 2026-10-19
Frequently asked questions
What is my zone 2 heart rate?
Zone 2 is 60 to 70% of max heart rate. At 40, with a max of 180 (220 - 40), that is 108 to 126 bpm.
220 minus age or Tanaka: which should I use?
Tanaka (208 - 0.7 ร age) was built from a larger set of studies and fits people over 40 better. At 40 the two agree exactly, at 180 bpm; at 60 Tanaka gives 166 instead of 160.
What is the Karvonen formula?
It uses heart rate reserve: resting + (max - resting) ร intensity. With a max of 180 and a resting rate of 60, 70% is 60 + 120 ร 0.7 = 144 bpm.
How do I know my zones are right?
Zone 2 should feel easy enough to speak in full sentences. If the number and the feeling disagree, trust the talk test and adjust.