Heart Rate Zones Calculator
Calculate your target heart rate zones using the Tanaka age-based formula and Karvonen heart rate reserve method. For adults aged 18+. For training guidance only.
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Measure in the morning before getting out of bed
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Enter your age and click calculate to see your heart rate zones
Recovery Zone (50-60%)
Activity: Light exercise, warm-up, and cool-down
Benefits: Improves overall health, aids recovery, and helps with warm-up/cool-down
Feel: Very comfortable, you can easily hold a conversation
Fat Burn Zone (60-70%)
Activity: Moderate intensity, comfortable pace — brisk walking, easy cycling, light jogging
Fuel source: At this intensity, roughly 60–65% of calories come from fat, with the remainder from carbohydrates. Your body has enough oxygen to oxidise fat as the primary fuel.
Optimal duration: 30–60 minutes. Fat oxidation increases the longer you sustain this zone, making it ideal for longer, steady workouts.
Feel: Comfortable — you can hold a full conversation without gasping
Important: Higher zones burn more total calories per minute, but the fat burn zone is easier to sustain for long durations and puts less stress on the body — making it excellent for beginners and active recovery days.
Cardio Zone (70-80%)
Activity: Hard training, challenging pace
Benefits: Improves cardiovascular fitness, increases stamina and aerobic capacity
Feel: Challenging, can speak in short sentences
Peak & Maximum (80-100%)
Peak Zone (80-90%): Very hard effort, increases performance capacity and speed. Use for interval training.
Maximum Zone (90-100%): Maximum effort, builds fast-twitch muscles and power. Only short bursts recommended.
⚠️ These zones should only be used for short intervals by trained athletes
Other Calculators
Using Heart Rate Zones
Vary Your Training: Don't train in the same zone every day. Mix different zones for optimal fitness gains.
80/20 Rule: Many athletes follow the 80/20 rule - 80% of training in lower zones (recovery/fat burn), 20% in higher zones.
Listen to Your Body: Heart rate is a guide, not a rule. Adjust based on how you feel.
Measuring Heart Rate
Chest Strap Monitors: Most accurate method for continuous heart rate monitoring during exercise.
Wrist-Based Monitors: Convenient but slightly less accurate, especially during high-intensity intervals.
Manual Measurement: Count pulse for 15 seconds and multiply by 4, or use 6-second count × 10.
Understanding the Formulas
Maximum HR: Estimated as 220 minus your age. This is a general guideline that varies individually.
Karvonen Formula: Uses resting HR for more personalized zones: ((max HR − resting HR) × %intensity) + resting HR
Why It Matters: The Karvonen method accounts for fitness level and provides more accurate training zones.
Safety Guidelines
- •Consult a doctor before starting high-intensity training
- •Stop if you experience chest pain or dizziness
- •Warm up before and cool down after workouts
- •Allow adequate recovery between intense sessions
- •Medications may affect heart rate readings
Resting Heart Rate by Age — Reference Chart
Beats per minute (bpm) · General adult values
| Age | Athlete | Excellent | Good | Average | Below Avg | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 – 25 | ≤ 55 | 56 – 61 | 62 – 65 | 66 – 69 | 70 – 73 | ≥ 74 |
| 26 – 35 | ≤ 54 | 55 – 61 | 62 – 65 | 66 – 70 | 71 – 74 | ≥ 75 |
| 36 – 45 | ≤ 54 | 55 – 61 | 62 – 66 | 67 – 70 | 71 – 74 | ≥ 75 |
| 46 – 55 | ≤ 54 | 55 – 61 | 62 – 66 | 67 – 71 | 72 – 76 | ≥ 77 |
| 56 – 65 | ≤ 54 | 55 – 61 | 62 – 67 | 68 – 71 | 72 – 75 | ≥ 76 |
| 65+ | ≤ 54 | 55 – 61 | 62 – 65 | 66 – 69 | 70 – 73 | ≥ 74 |
General reference values for adults. Women typically measure 1–2 bpm lower per category. Well-trained athletes commonly have resting HR below 50 bpm. A resting HR consistently above 100 bpm (tachycardia) warrants medical review.
Heart Rate Calculator — Common Questions
How is maximum heart rate calculated?
The most widely used formula is 220 minus your age. This calculator also offers the Tanaka formula (208 − 0.7 × age), which is more accurate for older adults and well-trained individuals. Neither is perfect — actual max HR can vary by 10–20 bpm between individuals of the same age.
What is the fat-burning heart rate zone?
The fat burn zone (Zone 2) is roughly 60–70% of your max HR. At this intensity a higher proportion of calories come from fat rather than carbohydrates. However, higher-intensity zones burn more total calories per minute — both matter for fat loss. Zone 2 is ideal for longer, sustainable sessions.
How do I measure my resting heart rate accurately?
Measure immediately after waking, before getting out of bed. Count beats for 60 full seconds with two fingers on your wrist (radial pulse). Average three morning readings for accuracy. Stress, caffeine, dehydration, and illness can all temporarily raise resting HR by 5–15 bpm.
What is the Karvonen formula?
The Karvonen method calculates target HR zones using your Heart Rate Reserve (max HR minus resting HR), then adds back your resting HR. This is more personalised than percentage-of-max alone because two people with the same max HR can have very different training zones if their resting HR differs.
Is Zone 5 training safe?
Zone 5 (90–100% max HR) is very high intensity and should only be reached in short bursts by healthy, trained individuals. If you have cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, or are new to exercise, avoid Zone 5 and consult a doctor before high-intensity training. Limit Zone 5 work to 5–10% of total weekly training volume.
How much time should I spend in each zone?
A balanced training week for fitness and health: Zone 2: 70–80% of total training time (aerobic base and fat burning), Zone 3–4: 15–20% (tempo and threshold work), Zone 5: 5–10%(high-intensity intervals). This "80/20" split is backed by research on endurance athletes.
Sources used on this page
Maximum HR (Tanaka): HRmax = 208 - (0.7 x age). Karvonen target zone: Target HR = ((HRmax - HRrest) x intensity%) + HRrest. Zones shown are general guidelines. Individuals with heart conditions should consult a physician before beginning exercise.