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Heart rate zone calculator and max heart rate calculator

Max heart rate formula (click to pick the one used for zones)

The Gulati formula, developed in women, appears when you select “Female”.

Zone method

Enter your resting heart rate to use the Karvonen method.

Your training zones
Zone% of max HRBeats per minuteHow it feels and what it is for
Recovery 50–60% Very easy. Warm-up, cool-down, brisk walking.
Endurance 60–70% Easy, you can hold a conversation. Long runs and rides, aerobic base.
Aerobic, tempo 70–80% Moderately hard, short sentences. Steady, faster efforts.
Threshold 80–90% Hard, only a few words. Long intervals.
Maximum effort 90–100% Very hard, no talking. Short intervals, sprints.
How it is calculated

These figures are estimates: your actual max heart rate can differ from the formulas by more than 10 bpm, and some medicines (beta blockers in particular) lower your heart rate. Talk to a doctor before starting or returning to exercise. Chest pain or pressure, feeling faint, unusual shortness of breath or palpitations: stop exercising and call emergency services.

Check my pulse

Place two fingers on your wrist, below the thumb, or on the side of your neck, then pick a method.

Tap on every beat

Tap the button on every beat.

You can also use the space bar. A pause longer than 2.5 s starts a new measurement.

Count for 15 seconds

15

Your settings are saved on this device.

Find your max heart rate and train in the right zone

This heart rate zone calculator estimates your maximum heart rate from your age, then splits your effort into five training zones in beats per minute. With a chest strap or a smartwatch, you can then check that an easy run really is easy and that your intervals are hard enough.

The calculator shows four max heart rate formulas side by side, because none of them fits everyone. Add your resting heart rate and it also offers the Karvonen method, which uses your heart rate reserve.

How to use it

  1. Enter your “Age (years)”. “Sex” is optional: pick “Female” and the Gulati formula is added and selected.
  2. If you know it, enter your “Resting heart rate (bpm)”, taken in the morning before getting up. If you have done a supervised exercise test, enter your “Measured max heart rate (bpm)”: it then replaces the formulas.
  3. Click the formula row you want to use, then choose “% of max heart rate” or “Karvonen (heart rate reserve)”.
  4. The table lists each zone with its bpm range, name and purpose. “How it is calculated” shows every step.

No monitor at hand? Under “Check my pulse”, tap “Beat” on every pulse, or start the 15-second timer, count, and the tool multiplies by 4. Counting 19 beats gives 76 bpm. One more button copies the result into “Resting heart rate”.

Formulas, zones and the Karvonen method

The best-known formula is 220 − age. Tanaka (208 − 0.7 × age) and Gellish (207 − 0.7 × age) come from later studies and give higher values after 40. Gulati (206 − 0.88 × age) was developed in women. At 50, you get 170, 173 and 172 bpm, and 162 bpm with Gulati.

Age220 − ageTanaka
20200194
30190187
40180180
50170173
60160166
70150159

As a % of max heart rate, each zone spans 10 points: zone 1 is 50–60%, zone 2 is 60–70%, and so on up to zone 5 at 90–100%. With a max of 170 bpm, zone 2 runs from 102 to 119 bpm.

The Karvonen method starts from your heart rate reserve: max heart rate minus resting heart rate. Each zone is resting rate + percentage × reserve. Example: age 50, max 170 bpm (220 − age), resting rate 70 bpm. The reserve is 100 bpm, so zone 2 goes from 70 + 0.6 × 100 = 130 to 70 + 0.7 × 100 = 140 bpm, well above the 102–119 bpm of the plain percentage method.

A simple check is the talk test: in zone 2 you can chat in full sentences, in zone 4 only a few words come out. Many runners and cyclists do most of their weekly volume in zones 1 and 2.

A word of caution

All these numbers are estimates. Your real max heart rate can differ from the formulas by more than 10 bpm, and some medicines, beta blockers in particular, lower your heart rate. Talk to your doctor before starting or returning to exercise, especially if you have a health condition. Chest pain or pressure, feeling faint, unusual shortness of breath or palpitations: stop and call emergency services (911 in the US, 999 in the UK).

FAQ

Which formula should I use?

For most adults, Tanaka is a reasonable default, and the formulas barely differ before 40. A max heart rate measured during a supervised exercise test beats any formula.

How do I measure my resting heart rate?

Lie still in the morning before getting up, count your pulse for 15 seconds with the built-in timer, or tap “Beat” for about 20 pulses. Average several mornings.

Why are my watch zones different?

Each brand picks its own formula and zone limits, and some use heart rate reserve. Check the zone method in your watch settings.

Is my data sent anywhere?

No. Everything runs in your browser. Your settings stay on this device, and “Clear all” deletes them.