❤️ Heart Rate Zone Calculator
Find your maximum heart rate and the five training zones for your age.
Quick answer: Maximum heart rate is roughly 220 minus your age. At age 30 that is 190 bpm, so zone 2 (60–70% of max) is 114–133 bpm.
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Heart Rate Zone Calculator inputs
Result
Maximum heart rate
190 bpm
Zones use % of maximum heart rate
- 220 − age
- 190 bpm
- Tanaka
- 187 bpm
- Zone 2
- 114–133 bpm
| Zone | Intensity | Heart rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 · Very light – recovery | 50–60% | 95–114 bpm |
| 2 · Light – endurance base | 60–70% | 114–133 bpm |
| 3 · Moderate – aerobic | 70–80% | 133–152 bpm |
| 4 · Hard – threshold | 80–90% | 152–171 bpm |
| 5 · Maximum – VO₂ max | 90–100% | 171–190 bpm |
What each zone feels like
| Zone | Feels like |
|---|---|
| Zone 1 | Easy, warm-up and cool-down |
| Zone 2 | Conversational, fat-burning base |
| Zone 3 | Comfortably hard, improves aerobic fitness |
| Zone 4 | Hard, short sentences only |
| Zone 5 | All-out, short intervals |
How heart rate zones are calculated
Zones are bands of effort expressed as a percentage of your maximum heart rate. Max HR is estimated from age; if you know your resting heart rate, the Karvonen method personalises the zones.
Max HR = 220 − age · Tanaka: Max HR = 208 − 0.7 × age
Zone HR = Max HR × % · Karvonen: Zone HR = Resting + % × (Max − Resting)
Worked example
A 30-year-old: max HR = 220 − 30 = 190 bpm (Tanaka gives 187 bpm). Zone 2 is 60–70% of 190 = 114–133 bpm. With a resting heart rate of 60 bpm, Karvonen zone 2 becomes 60 + 0.6 × 130 = 138 to 60 + 0.7 × 130 = 151 bpm.
The five training zones
| Zone | % of max | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 1 – Very light | 50–60% | Recovery, warm-up |
| 2 – Light | 60–70% | Aerobic base, endurance |
| 3 – Moderate | 70–80% | Aerobic fitness, tempo |
| 4 – Hard | 80–90% | Lactate threshold |
| 5 – Maximum | 90–100% | Speed, VO₂ max intervals |
Training tips
- Most endurance plans spend around 80% of training time in zones 1–2.
- Heart rate lags behind effort for 1–2 minutes – judge intervals by the second half.
- Heat, caffeine, poor sleep and dehydration all raise heart rate at a given pace.
- Beta blockers and some other medicines lower heart rate – ask your doctor which zones suit you.
Recheck your zones every year or two, as maximum heart rate drops gradually with age.
For general information only – not medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional.
Frequently asked questions
What is zone 2 training?
Zone 2 is easy, steady aerobic work at about 60–70% of maximum heart rate – a pace where you can still hold a conversation. It builds endurance and fat-burning capacity with little fatigue.
Which max heart rate formula is more accurate?
The Tanaka formula (208 − 0.7 × age) fits research data better than 220 − age, especially for older adults. Both can be off by 10 bpm or more for an individual; a supervised max test is the most accurate.
What is the Karvonen method?
It bases zones on heart-rate reserve – max HR minus resting HR – so it accounts for fitness. Target = resting HR + intensity × (max HR − resting HR).
How do I measure resting heart rate?
Count your pulse for 60 seconds right after waking, before getting out of bed, on several mornings and take the average. Many fitness watches report it automatically.