Target Heart Rate Calculator

1. Enter your age.
2. Optionally add your resting heart rate for the more personal Karvonen method.
3. Read your maximum heart rate.
4. See your moderate and vigorous training zones.

Here is what each result means:

Your target heart rate is the range your heart should beat within during exercise to train effectively and safely. Working out too gently brings little benefit, while pushing too hard is tiring and risky. Staying in the right zone for your goal, whether that is burning fat or building fitness, makes each session count.

The zones are set as percentages of your maximum heart rate, the fastest your heart can safely beat. A common estimate of the maximum is 220 minus your age, so it falls as you get older. From that maximum, the moderate zone is about 50 to 70 percent and the vigorous zone about 70 to 85 percent.

If you know your resting heart rate, the Karvonen method gives more personal zones. It works from your heart-rate reserve, the gap between your maximum and resting rates, so it accounts for how fit you already are. A fitter person with a low resting rate gets a slightly different, more tailored set of zones.

It estimates your maximum heart rate, then finds each zone.

1. Estimate the maximum heart rate as 220 minus your age.
2. Without a resting rate, take a percentage of the maximum for each zone.
3. With a resting rate, use the Karvonen method on your heart-rate reserve.

Pair training with recovery and nutrition; see the water intake calculator and the BMR calculator.

A person is 30 years old.

Calculation: the maximum heart rate is 220 minus 30, which is 190 beats per minute. The moderate zone (50 to 70 percent) is about 95 to 133 beats per minute, and the vigorous zone (70 to 85 percent) is about 133 to 162. A resting rate of 60 would shift these using the Karvonen method.

Different intensities suit different goals.

Most everyday exercise should sit in the moderate to vigorous range. The peak zone is demanding and meant for brief intervals, not sustained effort. Beginners should build up gradually and spend most time in the lower zones.

Two ways to set zones, one simpler and one more personal.

The percentage-of-maximum method is simplest and needs only your age. The Karvonen method adds your resting heart rate to work from your heart-rate reserve, giving zones that reflect your current fitness. If you know your resting rate, Karvonen is usually the better choice.

Your Age

Maximum heart rate falls with age, so zones move lower as you get older.

Your Fitness

A fitter heart has a lower resting rate, which shifts the Karvonen zones.

Medication and Health

Some medicines and conditions change heart rate, so zones may not apply. Ask a doctor.

Planning Cardio

Set the right intensity for running, cycling or classes.

Using a Heart-rate Monitor

Know which numbers to aim for on your watch or chest strap.

Training for a Goal

Match your zone to fat burning, endurance or peak fitness.

1. Treating 220 Minus Age as Exact

It is an estimate with a fair spread. Individual maximums vary by 10 to 12 beats either way.

2. Always Training at Peak

Most sessions should be moderate to vigorous. The peak zone is for short intervals only.

3. Guessing Your Resting Rate

Measure it on waking, before getting up, for an accurate Karvonen result.

4. Ignoring Medication

Beta blockers and other drugs lower heart rate, making these zones misleading.

5. Not Warming Up

Ease into your zone with a warm-up rather than starting at full effort.

These are population estimates; individual maximum heart rates vary, so use the zones as a guide.

It is the range your heart should beat within during exercise. For a 30 year old, the moderate zone is about 95 to 133 beats per minute and the vigorous zone about 133 to 162.

A common estimate is 220 minus your age. For a 40 year old, that is about 180 beats per minute. Individual maximums vary by around 10 to 12 beats.

It sets zones from your heart-rate reserve, the gap between your maximum and resting rates. Adding your resting heart rate gives more personal zones than the percentage-of-maximum method.

For general fitness, aim for the moderate to vigorous range, about 50 to 85 percent of your maximum. Beginners should start lower and build up gradually.

It is roughly 60 to 70 percent of maximum heart rate, where a higher share of calories comes from fat. Higher intensities burn more total calories, however.

Count your pulse for a minute when you first wake, before getting up. A typical adult resting rate is 60 to 100 beats per minute, and fitter people are often lower.

It is a useful estimate but not exact, with a spread of about 10 to 12 beats either way. A supervised test gives your true maximum heart rate.

Ask your doctor first. Beta blockers and similar medicines lower heart rate, so standard zones may not apply to you.

No. The calculation runs in your browser and nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere, unless you choose Save, which keeps the result only on this device.

• Heart rate (Wikipedia).
• Karvonen (heart rate reserve) (Wikipedia).
• Target heart rate (US CDC).