Target Heart Rate Calculator
Find your target heart rate for aerobic exercise, and the beats-per-minute band for each of five exercise intensities.
Example
This is a sample result, not your calculation. Enter your own values to replace it.
Enter your age — or a measured maximum heart rate — then calculate.
Target heart rate during aerobic exercise
—
Zones by exercise intensity
| Exercise Intensity | Heart Rate Reserve | Target Heart Rate (bpm) |
|---|---|---|
| Very light | — | — |
| Light | — | — |
| Moderate | — | — |
| Hard | — | — |
| VO₂ Max (maximum) | — | — |
- Maximum heart rate
- — bpm
- Heart rate reserve
- — bpm
Percentages are of your heart rate reserve. Add a resting heart rate and the zones use the Karvonen method (reserve); leave it out and they are plain percentages of your maximum, which run lower. This is educational information, not medical advice.
Check your entries
How to use this calculator
- Choose how to get your maximum heart rate: estimate it from your age, or enter what a test measured.
- Optionally add your resting heart rate to switch to the more personalised Karvonen method.
- Press Calculate to see your aerobic target and the band for each of five intensities.
+ Settings holds two choices most people never change: which of three published equations estimates maximum heart rate from age, and which scale describes intensity — heart-rate reserve, or how hard the effort feels on one of the two Borg scales.
Why the resting heart rate is optional but changes everything
Leave it out and each zone is a plain percentage of your maximum. Add it and the calculator switches to the Karvonen method, where each zone is a percentage of your heart-rate reserve — the gap between maximum and resting — added back onto your resting rate. The two give genuinely different numbers: at 30 with a resting rate of 70, the aerobic band is 130 to 172 bpm on reserve and 95 to 162 bpm on maximum. The result panel names which one it used, because a percentage means nothing until you know what it is a percentage of.
The three maximum-heart-rate equations
Age equations are averages, and they disagree — by a few beats in your thirties and by more later on. The calculator offers three:
- Haskell & Fox (1971): 220 − age. The familiar one, and the default.
- Tanaka, Monahan & Seals (2001): 208 − 0.7 × age. Derived from a much larger meta-analysis, and generally a better fit for older adults.
- Nes, Janszky, Wisloff, Stoylen & Karlsen (2013): 211 − 0.64 × age. From a large Norwegian population study.
If you have ever done a supervised maximal test, use that figure instead — a measurement beats any estimate of it, and individual maximums vary from the age estimate by 10 to 20 bpm.
How training by heart rate works
Heart rate is a direct read-out of exercise intensity: the harder you work, the faster your heart beats, up to a personal maximum. By expressing intensity as a percentage of that maximum, you can aim for a specific zone — easy, moderate or hard — and keep your effort where you intend it, rather than guessing.
The formulas
Maximum heart rate is estimated from your age (with Haskell & Fox, the default):
Max HR = 220 − age
With just an age, each zone is a straight percentage of that maximum. Add a resting heart rate and the calculator switches to the Karvonen method, which works from your heart-rate reserve (the gap between maximum and resting):
Target = resting + intensity% × (max − resting)
- max — your estimated maximum heart rate
- resting — your resting heart rate, ideally measured on waking
- intensity% — the target percentage for the zone
A worked example
At age 30, estimated maximum heart rate is 220 − 30 = 190 bpm. A moderate 70% target is therefore 0.70 × 190 ≈ 133 bpm by the simple method. Add a resting rate of 60 bpm and Karvonen gives 60 + 0.70 × (190 − 60) = 151 bpm — higher, because it accounts for your fitness. That difference is why the resting-rate field is worth filling in.
The five training zones
Using the simple method at age 30 (max 190 bpm):
| Zone | % of max HR | Example (age 30) |
|---|---|---|
| Warm up / recovery | 50–60% | 95–114 bpm |
| Fat burn (light) | 60–70% | 114–133 bpm |
| Aerobic (moderate) | 70–80% | 133–152 bpm |
| Anaerobic (hard) | 80–90% | 152–171 bpm |
| Maximum effort | 90–100% | 171–190 bpm |
Which zone should you train in?
Different intensities build different systems. Lower zones develop aerobic endurance and let you accumulate volume; higher zones sharpen cardiovascular fitness and speed. Most balanced programs keep easy days genuinely easy (warm-up to aerobic) and reserve the anaerobic zone for shorter, harder efforts.
Cautions and accuracy
- 220 − age is an average. Individual maximums vary by 10–20 bpm, so treat the zones as starting points and adjust to how efforts actually feel.
- Medications and conditions. Some medications, such as beta-blockers, lower heart rate and shift every zone.
- Check first if in doubt. Consult a doctor before beginning intense exercise, especially with a heart condition.
To gauge running effort by pace as well, see the pace calculator. This is educational information, not medical advice.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my target heart rate?
First estimate your maximum heart rate as 220 minus your age. Your training zones are then percentages of that maximum — for example, 50–70% for moderate exercise. Adding your resting heart rate lets the calculator use the more accurate Karvonen (heart-rate reserve) method.
What is a target heart rate zone?
A target zone is the heart-rate range that keeps you at a chosen exercise intensity. Moderate activity is roughly 50–70% of your maximum heart rate and vigorous activity 70–85%. Training within a zone keeps effort where you intend it.
What is a normal maximum heart rate?
The common estimate is 220 minus your age, so about 190 bpm at 30 and 170 bpm at 50. It is only an average — individual maximums vary by 10–20 bpm — but it is a reliable starting point for setting zones.
What is the Karvonen method?
It calculates target heart rate using your heart-rate reserve (maximum minus resting), which accounts for your individual fitness level and gives more personalised zones than a simple percentage of maximum. The formula is: target = resting + intensity% × (max − resting).
What are heart rate zones for?
Different intensities train different systems. Lower zones (60–70%) build endurance and use fat for fuel; higher zones (80–90%) improve cardiovascular fitness and speed. Training across zones is more effective than always working at one intensity.
Which maximum heart rate formula should I use?
Haskell & Fox (220 − age) is the familiar one and the default. Tanaka, Monahan & Seals (208 − 0.7 × age) came from a much larger meta-analysis and generally fits older adults better. Nes and colleagues (211 − 0.64 × age) came from a large Norwegian population study. They agree closely in your thirties and diverge with age. If you have a measured maximum from a supervised test, use that instead.
What is the Borg scale?
It rates how hard exercise feels, from 6 (no effort) to 20 (maximal), and the modified CR10 scale does the same from 0 to 10. They describe the same five intensity bands the percentages do, which is why choosing one changes the column heading but never the beats per minute. They are what you use when you do not have a monitor to hand.
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About this calculator
Method reviewed for accuracy on August 28, 2026
Built on transparent, unit-tested formulas that run entirely in your browser — see how we build our calculators.
References: Target heart rate chart
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