CalculatorsHeartHeart rate zones calculator
Heart rate zones calculator
Get your five training zones, Zone 2 included, from your age. Add your resting heart rate and a measured max and they become your own.
180bpm
- Zone 1
- 90 to 108 bpmVery easy, recovery
- Zone 2
- 108 to 126 bpmEasy, you can hold a conversation
- Zone 3
- 126 to 144 bpmSteady, talking gets harder
- Zone 4
- 144 to 162 bpmHard, a few words at a time
- Zone 5
- 162 to 180 bpmVery hard, short efforts
- The older 220 minus age
- 180 bpmTends to read high at older ages
See the working
Max = 208 − 0.7 × 40 = 180 bpmZone = % × max, so Zone 2 starts at 0.6 × 180 = 108Age-based estimates can miss by 10 beats or more. Medicines such as beta blockers change your heart rate, so ask your doctor what to use instead. Stop and get help for chest pain, faintness or unusual breathlessness.
How we work them out
Maximum heart rate is estimated with the Tanaka equation, 208 minus 0.7 times your age. It comes from a large analysis and holds up better at older ages than the familiar 220 minus age, which we show beside it.
If you add a resting heart rate, we use the Karvonen method, which measures zones across the range between rest and max. It usually puts them a little higher than a plain percentage, and suits fitter people better.
What the zones are for
Five zones is a coaching convention, and the percentages differ between sources. Official guidance is broader: the American College of Sports Medicine calls about 64 to 76% of your max moderate, and 77 to 95% vigorous.
Zone 2 is the easy end, where you could hold a conversation. A lab can find your true thresholds, but the talk test is a fair check: if you can't get a sentence out, you've left it.
Questions
How do I find my Zone 2?
It's roughly 60 to 70% of your max. The second row of the results gives it in beats per minute, and it should feel easy enough to talk in sentences.
Why is my watch different?
Watches use their own formulas, and some learn from your workouts. If yours has a good estimate of your max, enter it above and the zones will line up better.
How do I measure my max?
A hard, all-out test is the only direct way, and it isn't safe for everyone. If you're new to exercise or have a heart condition, ask your doctor first.
I take a beta blocker. Do these apply?
No. Beta blockers lower your heart rate, so these numbers will be too high. Ask your doctor, and use how the effort feels instead.
Sources
- Tanaka H et al. Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited. JACC, 2001.
- Garber CE et al. Quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory fitness. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2011.
Written by LifeFrom from the sources above, and not yet reviewed by a clinician. An estimate for your own understanding: it doesn't diagnose or treat anything, and it doesn't replace your doctor.
