Heart rate zone calculator
Heart rate zone calculator: your maximum and your zones in beats.
- Tanaka (208 − 0.7 × age)
- 187 bpm
- Traditional (220 − age)
- 190 bpm
- Heart rate reserve (max − rest)
- 127 bpm
| ACSM intensity | % of reserve | Heart rate | RPE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very light | Under 30% | Under 98 | Under 9 |
| Light | 30–39% | 98–110 | 9–11 |
| Moderate | 40–59% | 111–135 | 12–13 |
| Vigorous | 60–89% | 136–173 | 14–17 |
| Near-max | 90–100% | 174–187 | 18–20 |
Categories, percentages and RPE (6–20 scale) from ACSM’s position stand (Garber 2011). Beats a minute are rounded; each band runs up to where the next one starts. Medicines such as beta-blockers lower your heart rate, so these zones won’t fit: ask your doctor.
For healthy adults 18 and over. An estimate, not medical advice: age-based maximums can be 10 or more beats out. If you take beta-blockers or other heart medicines, have a heart condition or are pregnant, ask your doctor for your training range.
This heart rate zone calculator estimates your maximum heart rate with Tanaka’s equation or the traditional 220 − age, or takes the maximum you measured, then turns ACSM’s five intensity categories into beats a minute, by percentage of maximum or by heart rate reserve (Karvonen).
- Free, no sign-up
- By % of maximum or heart rate reserve
- Runs in your browser; nothing is saved
How the calculator works →Coaching clients? Try Trainaq free →
What are heart rate zones?
Heart rate zones are ranges of beats a minute that match an exercise intensity, from very light to near-maximal. They are set as a percentage of your maximum heart rate, or of your heart rate reserve, the gap between resting and maximum. Because maximum heart rate is usually estimated from age, every zone carries that estimate’s error.
- Maximum heart rate by Tanaka (208 − 0.7 × age), 220 − age or your own test
- ACSM’s five intensity categories with their published percentages
- By % of maximum, or by heart rate reserve (Karvonen)
- Perceived exertion (RPE) beside every zone
How it works
How does this heart rate zone calculator work?
It estimates your maximum heart rate from your age, or uses one you measured, then works out each of ACSM’s five intensity categories in beats a minute. By percentage of maximum, each zone is a share of your maximum; by heart rate reserve, it is a share of the gap between resting and maximum, added to your resting rate.
Estimate your maximum
Tanaka’s equation, 208 − 0.7 × age, came from a meta-analysis of 351 studies with 18,712 people, then a laboratory study of 514 healthy adults that found almost the same line. The traditional 220 − age is shown beside it. If you have reached your true maximum in a supervised test, use that.
- Tanaka found the same line for men and women
- Habitual activity level did not change it either
Measure your resting heart rate
Heart rate reserve needs your resting rate. Take it lying still for a few minutes, ideally just after waking, with a watch, a chest strap or by counting your pulse, on several mornings, and use the average. A lower resting rate gives a larger reserve.
- Not needed for zones by percentage of maximum
Choose the basis
Percentage of maximum is simpler. Heart rate reserve, Karvonen’s method, also uses your resting rate, and in laboratory tests its percentages matched percentages of oxygen uptake reserve closely. ACSM accepts both for prescribing exercise.
- ACSM notes the reserve method may be preferable, though not every study agrees
Read your zones
The table shows each category in beats a minute, with its percentage and the matching rating of perceived exertion on the 6–20 scale. Use the beats as your guide and how hard it feels as a check on the estimate.
- Each band runs up to where the next one starts
- Beats are rounded to whole numbers
Formulas
Which formulas does the calculator use?
Tanaka’s equation or the traditional one for maximum heart rate, or your measured maximum. A zone by percentage of maximum is that percentage times your maximum. A zone by heart rate reserve is your resting rate plus that percentage of the gap between your maximum and resting rates, which is Karvonen’s method.
HRmax = 208 − 0.7 × ageHRmax = 220 − ageHR = p × HRmaxHR = HRrest + p × (HRmax − HRrest)- HRmax: maximum heart rate; HRrest: resting heart rate; both in beats a minute
- p: the intensity as a fraction, such as 0.64 for 64%
- Age in years; HRmax − HRrest is your heart rate reserve
Intensity
What are the heart rate zones by intensity?
ACSM classifies intensity in five categories: very light, light, moderate, vigorous, and near-maximal to maximal. Moderate is 64 to 76% of maximum heart rate or 40 to 59% of heart rate reserve; vigorous is 77 to 95% of maximum or 60 to 89% of reserve. Each category has a perceived exertion range too.
| ACSM intensity | % of heart rate reserve | % of maximum heart rate | Perceived exertion (6–20) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very light | Under 30% | Under 57% | Under 9 (very light) |
| Light | 30–39% | 57–63% | 9–11 (very light to fairly light) |
| Moderate | 40–59% | 64–76% | 12–13 (fairly light to somewhat hard) |
| Vigorous | 60–89% | 77–95% | 14–17 (somewhat hard to very hard) |
| Near-maximal to maximal | 90% and up | 96% and up | 18 and up (very hard) |
Source: Garber et al. (2011), ACSM position stand, Table 5. ACSM adds that no study has compared all the methods at once, so a percentage of reserve and a percentage of maximum are not necessarily the same effort.
Worked example
What does a worked example look like?
Take a 30-year-old with a resting heart rate of 60. Tanaka gives 208 − 0.7 × 30 = 187 beats a minute as maximum, so the heart rate reserve is 127. Moderate intensity by reserve, 40 to 59%, starts at 60 + 0.40 × 127 = 111 and runs to 135 beats a minute.
- By percentage of maximum, moderate (64–76%) is 120 to 143 beats a minute
- Vigorous by reserve (60–89%) is 136 to 173 beats a minute
- 220 − age gives 190 at 30; at 60, Tanaka gives 166 and 220 − age gives 160
Measured maximums
How close are the formulas to measured maximum heart rates?
Close on average, loose for individuals. In the US FRIEND registry, measured maximums within each age decade had standard deviations of 11 to 21 beats a minute. Robergs and Landwehr put the error of age-based equations at 7 to 11 beats a minute or more, so your own maximum can sit well away from either formula.
| Men, by age | Mean age | Measured maximum | Tanaka predicts | 220 − age predicts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20–29 | 24.6 | 190 ± 11 | 191 | 195 |
| 30–39 | 34.9 | 185 ± 11 | 184 | 185 |
| 40–49 | 44.4 | 176 ± 14 | 177 | 176 |
| 50–59 | 54.0 | 168 ± 14 | 170 | 166 |
| 60–69 | 63.7 | 158 ± 17 | 163 | 156 |
| 70–79 | 72.7 | 147 ± 20 | 157 | 147 |
Measured maximums (mean ± standard deviation, beats a minute) from FRIEND: 4,611 men without cardiovascular disease tested on a treadmill in US laboratories (Kaminsky 2015, Tables 1 and 2). Women’s averages were within a beat of the men’s in every decade. Predictions use each group’s mean age. In this cohort 220 − age matched the older groups better; in Tanaka’s data the reverse held.
Accuracy
Where does 220 − age come from, and how good is it?
Robergs and Landwehr traced it to a 1971 review by Fox and colleagues, where it described a line “not far from many of the data points” rather than coming from its own research. Refitting those data gave 215.4 − 0.9147 × age, with an error of 21 beats a minute. It spread through textbooks and certification exams anyway.
- Most age-only equations carry errors above 10 beats a minute, Robergs and Landwehr found
- Tanaka found that 220 − age underestimates maximum heart rate in older adults
- ACSM recommends direct measurement for accuracy, and accepts estimates when testing isn’t practical
Limits
Who should not rely on these heart rate zones?
Anyone whose heart rate does not respond to exercise in the usual way. Beta-blockers lower the heart rate you reach: in over 64,000 stress tests, people taking them reached 83% of their age-predicted maximum on average, against 91% without. If you have a heart condition or take heart medicines, ask your doctor for your range.
- ACSM advises medical consultation and exercise testing when they are clinically indicated
- Robergs and Landwehr advise against age-based maximums for children 10 and younger
- If your doctor agrees, perceived exertion can guide your effort instead
For coaches
How do coaches use heart rate zones with clients?
Coaches use zones to set the intensity of cardio work. Trainaq has no heart rate zone field yet, so write the target range in the exercise note of a timed or distance exercise. If the client connects Apple Health or Health Connect, you also see their resting and average heart rate on their progress view.
- Apple Health and Health Connect sync is on Pro and Studio
- Cardio exercises are tracked by time, or by distance and time, in the free Trainaq app
- Add your own check-in questions, such as how hard the week’s sessions felt
Sources
Sources
- Tanaka H, Monahan KD, Seals DR. Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2001;37(1):153–156.
- Robergs RA, Landwehr R. The surprising history of the “HRmax=220-age” equation. J Exerc Physiol Online. 2002;5(2):1–10.
- Fox SM 3rd, Naughton JP, Haskell WL. Physical activity and the prevention of coronary heart disease. Ann Clin Res. 1971;3(6):404–432.
- Karvonen MJ, Kentala E, Mustala O. The effects of training on heart rate; a longitudinal study. Ann Med Exp Biol Fenn. 1957;35(3):307–315.
- Garber CE, Blissmer B, Deschenes MR, et al. American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuromotor fitness in apparently healthy adults: guidance for prescribing exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011;43(7):1334–1359.
- Swain DP, Leutholtz BC. Heart rate reserve is equivalent to %VO2 reserve, not to %VO2max. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1997;29(3):410–414.
- Kaminsky LA, Arena R, Myers J. Reference standards for cardiorespiratory fitness measured with cardiopulmonary exercise testing: data from the Fitness Registry and the Importance of Exercise National Database. Mayo Clin Proc. 2015;90(11):1515–1523.
- Hung RK, Al-Mallah MH, Whelton SP, et al. Effect of beta-blocker therapy, maximal heart rate, and exercise capacity during stress testing on long-term survival (from the Henry Ford Exercise Testing Project). Am J Cardiol. 2016;118(11):1751–1757.
FAQ
Heart rate zone calculator FAQ
Should I use Tanaka or 220 − age?
Use Tanaka if you have no test result: it came from far more data, including older adults, and its authors found that 220 − age underestimates maximum heart rate in older people. Both are averages, though, and other cohorts have matched 220 − age as well. A measured maximum from a supervised test beats either.
Is heart rate reserve better than percentage of maximum?
It accounts for your resting heart rate, and laboratory studies found its percentages track percentages of oxygen uptake reserve closely. ACSM says the reserve method may be preferable, though not every study supports that. Both work for planning training; use the one your coach or program uses so the numbers mean the same thing.
How do I find my real maximum heart rate?
Only a truly maximal effort shows it, ideally a supervised exercise test in a laboratory or clinic. Robergs and Landwehr note that a measured maximum is accurate to about 2 beats a minute when the person really reaches maximal exertion. If you have a heart condition or symptoms, get medical clearance before any maximal test.
Why does my watch show different zones?
Watches and apps set their own zone boundaries and may estimate your maximum in their own way. This calculator uses ACSM’s published categories. If the numbers differ, check which maximum, resting rate and percentages each one uses, then enter the same maximum in both so you compare like with like.
Does maximum heart rate change with fitness?
Not much, according to Tanaka’s analysis: maximum heart rate depended mainly on age, with no difference between active and sedentary people or between men and women. Your resting rate can change, though. If it does, enter the new value, because a lower resting rate widens your reserve and moves the Karvonen zones.
Can teenagers use this heart rate zone calculator?
It is built for adults 18 and over. Tanaka’s equation came from adults, and Robergs and Landwehr note that maximum heart rate follows a different pattern with age in children. Young athletes are better served by their coach and, if needed, a supervised test, and anyone with a medical condition should ask their doctor first.
