Target Heart Rate Calculator: Max HR and Karvonen Zones
Find your maximum heart rate by 220 − age and the Tanaka formula, five training zones by percent of maximum or the Karvonen heart rate reserve method, and the AHA moderate and vigorous bands. Runs in your browser; nothing is sent.
Enter your age to see your maximum heart rate and training zones.
About the Target Heart Rate Calculator
The Target Heart Rate Calculator estimates your maximum heart rate from your age and turns it into training zones in beats per minute. It shows the maximum by two formulas side by side: the classic 220 minus age, from Fox and colleagues, and the newer Tanaka formula, 208 minus 0.7 times age, which fits adults better on average. You choose which one the zones use.
Enter your resting heart rate as well, and the zones switch to the Karvonen method, which works from your heart rate reserve, the gap between your resting and maximum rates. Because it accounts for fitness, the Karvonen method usually gives higher, more personal targets than a plain percentage of maximum. Alongside the five zones, the page shows the moderate and vigorous intensity bands that the American Heart Association describes.
This is an estimate, not medical advice. Age formulas can be 10 or more beats a minute out for one person, and medicines such as beta blockers lower the heart rate. Ask a doctor before starting vigorous exercise if you have a heart condition or have not exercised for a long time.
How to find your target heart rate
Steps
- Enter your age in whole years.
- Optionally, enter your resting heart rate, best measured in the morning before you get up.
- Choose the maximum heart rate formula: 220 − age or Tanaka.
- Read your maximum heart rate, the AHA moderate and vigorous bands, and the five training zones.
The five zones
Zone 1 (50 to 60 percent) is very light recovery work. Zone 2 (60 to 70 percent) is easy endurance pace, where you can still hold a conversation. Zone 3 (70 to 80 percent) is moderate aerobic work, zone 4 (80 to 90 percent) is hard threshold work, and zone 5 (90 to 100 percent) is a maximal effort you can hold only briefly.
The formulas
The American Heart Association describes moderate intensity as about 50 to 70 percent and vigorous intensity as about 70 to 85 percent of maximum heart rate; those bands are always shown as a percentage of maximum.
Worked examples
- Age 40, no resting rate: both formulas give a maximum of 180 bpm. Zone 2 is 108 to 126 bpm, moderate intensity is 90 to 126 bpm and vigorous intensity is 126 to 153 bpm.
- Age 40, resting rate 60 bpm: the reserve is 120 beats, so zone 1 is 60 + 60 = 120 to 60 + 72 = 132 bpm.
- Age 30, Tanaka: the maximum is 208 − 21 = 187 bpm, against 190 bpm by 220 − age.
Privacy
Nothing is uploaded; the calculation runs in your browser and never leaves your device.
Related tools
Work out your running pace and splits with the Pace Calculator, find your exact age with the Age Calculator, or estimate the calories a workout uses with the Calories Burned Calculator.
Sources
- Fox SM, Naughton JP, Haskell WL. Physical activity and the prevention of coronary heart disease. Annals of Clinical Research 1971;3(6):404–432.
- Tanaka H, Monahan KD, Seals DR. Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited. Journal of the American College of Cardiology 2001;37(1):153–156.
- Karvonen MJ, Kentala E, Mustala O. The effects of training on heart rate: a longitudinal study. Annales Medicinae Experimentalis et Biologiae Fenniae 1957;35(3):307–315.
- American Heart Association. Target Heart Rates Chart.
Open-source credits
The calculations are implemented in-house in TypeScript. They follow the published Fox and Tanaka maximum heart rate formulas, the Karvonen heart rate reserve method and the American Heart Association intensity bands, and no third-party code is used.
Frequently asked questions
What is my maximum heart rate?
It is the fastest your heart can beat during all-out effort. The simple estimate is 220 minus your age; the Tanaka formula, 208 minus 0.7 times your age, matches adults better on average. Both can be 10 or more beats a minute out for one person, and only a supervised exercise test measures it directly.
What is the Karvonen method?
Karvonen works from your heart rate reserve, the difference between your maximum and resting heart rates. The target is your resting rate plus the chosen percentage of the reserve, so a fitter person with a low resting rate gets more personal targets than a plain percentage of maximum.
What heart rate counts as moderate or vigorous exercise?
The American Heart Association describes moderate intensity as about 50 to 70 percent of maximum heart rate and vigorous intensity as about 70 to 85 percent. For a 40-year-old with a maximum of 180 bpm, that is 90 to 126 bpm and 126 to 153 bpm.
How do I measure my resting heart rate?
Count your pulse for a full minute in the morning, before you get out of bed, on a few days in a row and take the average. Most adults are between 60 and 100 beats a minute, and well-trained athletes can be lower.
Do medicines affect my target heart rate?
Yes. Some medicines, such as beta blockers, lower the heart rate, so age-based targets may be too high. Ask your doctor what range is right for you.