Heart rate zone calculator
Enter your age (and resting pulse, if you know it) to get your estimated maximum heart rate and five training zones, from easy recovery to all-out effort.
| Zone | Intensity | BPM | Feels like |
|---|
Calculated in your browser. For healthy adults; check with a doctor before starting hard exercise.
Formulas used
- Tanaka: max HR = 208 − 0.7 × age. Based on a large meta-analysis and more accurate for older adults than 220 − age.
- Karvonen: when you enter a resting heart rate, zones are calculated from your heart-rate reserve: target = resting + intensity × (max − resting). This adjusts for fitness.
Formulas can be off by 10–20 beats for an individual. A supervised exercise test, or the highest reading from a hard race effort on a chest-strap monitor, is more accurate.
Training in zones
Most endurance training — often around 80% of it — happens in zones 1–2. Short intervals in zones 4–5 build speed. Measure resting heart rate in the morning before getting up.
Turn your runs into paces with the running pace calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What is a normal resting heart rate?
For adults, 60–100 bpm is typical; fit athletes are often in the 40s or 50s.
Is the “fat-burning zone” real?
At low intensity a higher share of energy comes from fat, but total calories burned is lower. For fat loss, total activity matters more than zone.
Should I use 220 minus age?
It’s simple but tends to underestimate max heart rate for people over 40. Tanaka is the default here.