Heart rate zone calculator: five training zones from your age
Heart rate zones are bands of effort based on your maximum heart rate. A common estimate of maximum is 208 − 0.7 × age (Tanaka). With a resting heart rate, the Karvonen method sets zones on your heart rate reserve, which fits trained people better. Zone 2 is the easy, conversational zone most endurance training lives in.
- Estimated maximum
- 184 bpm
- Zones use percentage of maximum
- Zone 1Very easy, recovery92–110 bpm
- Zone 2Easy, can hold a conversation110–128 bpm
- Zone 3Steady, short sentences128–147 bpm
- Zone 4Hard, threshold147–165 bpm
- Zone 5Very hard, short efforts165–184 bpm
How it works
Maximum heart rate
Tanaka: 208 − 0.7 × age. The older 220 − age is simpler but less accurate in older adults. A field test or a recent hard race gives a better number.
Zones
Zone 1: 50–60%, zone 2: 60–70%, zone 3: 70–80%, zone 4: 80–90%, zone 5: 90–100% of maximum (or of reserve with Karvonen).
Karvonen
Target = resting + percentage × (maximum − resting). It moves the zones up for people with a low resting heart rate.
Questions
What is zone 2 training?
Steady, conversational effort at about 60% to 70% of maximum heart rate. It builds aerobic fitness with little fatigue.
Why does my watch show different zones?
Watches use their own formulas or your measured maximum. Use one method consistently.
Do medications change heart rate zones?
Some, such as beta blockers, lower heart rate. If you take one, ask your clinician how to judge effort.
Related calculators
Sources
Accurate as of November 12, 2026. Training and nutrition guidance only, not medical advice. See a clinician for symptoms, injury or a medical condition.
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