Heart rate zones calculator
Enter your age or your measured max heart rate to get your five training zones in beats per minute.
How the calculation works
First the calculator needs your maximum heart rate. If you enter a measured value it uses that. Otherwise it estimates it from your age with the formula you choose.
The zones are then five bands of 10% each, from 50 to 100%. In the max heart rate model a band is a share of your maximum. In the heart-rate reserve model (Karvonen) a band is your resting heart rate plus that share of the difference between max and resting. Each zone starts one beat above the previous one, so zones never overlap.
max = 208 − 0.7 × age
zone = rest + share × (max − rest)
- max
- your maximum heart rate
- rest
- your resting heart rate
- share
- the zone's share (for example 0.60 for 60%)
Maximum heart rate by age
| Age | Max (Tanaka) | Max (220 − age) | Zone 2 (Tanaka) | Zone 4 (Tanaka) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 194 | 200 | 117–136 | 156–175 |
| 30 | 187 | 190 | 113–131 | 151–168 |
| 40 | 180 | 180 | 109–126 | 145–162 |
| 50 | 173 | 170 | 105–121 | 139–156 |
| 60 | 166 | 160 | 101–116 | 134–149 |
| 70 | 159 | 150 | 96–111 | 128–143 |
Using the zones
Most of a runner's weekly volume belongs in zones 1 and 2, where the effort is easy and you recover quickly. Zones 3 and 4 are for steady and tempo work, and zone 5 for short intervals. Heart rate rises with heat, caffeine, stress, dehydration and fatigue, and lags at the start of an effort, so use it together with pace and how the run feels.
This calculator gives general guidance and is not medical advice. If you have a heart condition, take medication that affects heart rate, or have any doubt, ask a doctor before training hard.
Examples
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my max heart rate?
The classic formula is 220 minus your age. The Tanaka formula, 208 minus 0.7 times your age, fits a wider range of ages better. Either is an estimate; a measured value from a hard race or test is more reliable.
What is zone 2?
The easy aerobic zone, 60 to 70% of max heart rate. You can hold a conversation. Most easy and long runs are run here, and it builds the aerobic base that faster running relies on.
What is the Karvonen method?
It sets zones as a share of your heart-rate reserve, the difference between max and resting heart rate, and adds the resting rate back. Because it uses your resting heart rate it adapts to fitness, so zones are higher for the same percentage in a fitter runner.
How accurate are the formulas?
Individual max heart rates can differ from the formula by 10 beats per minute or more. Use the zones as a starting point and go by how the effort feels, or measure your max with a hard, supervised test.
Related calculators
Sources
- Tanaka, H., Monahan, K. D., Seals, D. R. (2001). Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 37(1), 153–156.
- Fox, S. M., Naughton, J. P., Haskell, W. L. (1971). Physical activity and the prevention of coronary heart disease. Annals of Clinical Research, 3, 404–432.
- Karvonen, M. J., Kentala, E., Mustala, O. (1957). The effects of training on heart rate, a longitudinal study. Annales Medicinae Experimentalis et Biologiae Fenniae, 35(3), 307–315.