Heart Rate Zone Calculator
Enter your age to estimate your maximum heart rate and see the five training zones that coaches use to structure easy, moderate, and hard efforts. Switch between the familiar 220 − age rule and the more age-balanced Tanaka formula, and add your resting heart rate to refine the targets with the Karvonen reserve method. These are estimates for general fitness planning, not medical advice.
You & your formula
Estimates for general fitness planning only — not medical advice. Consult a doctor before starting or intensifying intense exercise.
Estimated maximum heart rate
190 bpm
220 − age
Full 5-zone table
Upper bpm bound by zone
Compare scenarios
Run the same calculation with two or three input sets side by side. Differences are highlighted; every number comes from the same tested formula as the calculator above.
| Input | Scenario A | Scenario B |
|---|---|---|
| Age | ||
| Formula | ||
| Resting HR |
How it works
Your maximum heart rate is the ceiling the zones are built on. The default estimate uses the classic 220 − age rule, which is simple and widely quoted but is a population average with a wide spread — individual maximums commonly differ from it by 10-20 beats per minute or more. The optional Tanaka formula (208 − 0.7 × age) was derived from a large meta-analysis and tends to be more accurate for older adults, where 220 − age systematically reads too low. Neither replaces a measured max from a supervised graded exercise test.
Each of the five zones is a percentage band of that maximum. By default the calculator multiplies your estimated max HR by the zone percentages — 50-60% for Zone 1 up to 90-100% for Zone 5 — to give a bpm range. Zone 1 is warm-up and recovery, Zones 2-3 build aerobic endurance, and Zones 4-5 push your lactate threshold and top-end capacity. The bands are contiguous, so the top of one zone is the bottom of the next.
If you enter a resting heart rate, the calculator switches to the Karvonen method, which works off your heart-rate reserve — the gap between resting and maximum. The target becomes (max HR − resting HR) × percentage + resting HR. Because it accounts for how low your heart drops at rest, Karvonen usually produces higher, more personalised zone boundaries than a plain percentage of max, especially for fit people with a low resting pulse.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is the 220 − age formula?+
It is a rough average, not a personal measurement. The 220 − age rule is easy to remember and fine for casual planning, but it was never meant to be precise: real maximum heart rates vary widely between people of the same age, often by 10-20 bpm in either direction, and the formula drifts too low for older adults. That is why we also offer the Tanaka formula (208 − 0.7 × age), which fits population data better across ages. The only way to know your true maximum is a properly supervised maximal exercise test. Treat every number here as a starting estimate to adjust against how you actually feel.
What does the Karvonen option change?+
Karvonen uses your resting heart rate to personalise the zones through your heart-rate reserve — the difference between your resting and maximum heart rate. Instead of taking a flat percentage of max HR, it takes that percentage of the reserve and adds your resting rate back on: target = (max HR − resting HR) × percentage + resting HR. This generally yields higher, more individualised zone limits, particularly for well-trained people whose resting pulse is low. For the most useful resting number, measure it first thing in the morning before getting out of bed, ideally averaged over several days.
Is this medical advice?+
No. This calculator provides general fitness estimates only and is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a training prescription. Estimated maximum heart rates and zone ranges can be inaccurate for any individual, and certain medications (such as beta-blockers), heart conditions, pregnancy, and other factors can change your safe and appropriate heart-rate response significantly. Talk to a doctor before beginning or intensifying vigorous exercise, and stop and seek medical attention if you feel chest pain, dizziness, or unusual shortness of breath while training.