Health
Target Heart Rate Calculator
Pick a method, enter your age (and resting HR for Karvonen). The calculator returns estimated maximum heart rate, AHA moderate and vigorous ranges, and Zone 1 to Zone 5 boundaries.
e.g. 35
Estimated max HR uses 220 − age. Karvonen adds resting heart rate to give a more individualized target.
Estimated max HR
185 bpm
Percent-of-max method
Estimates only. People with cardiac conditions, on rate-affecting medication (such as beta-blockers), pregnant, or with symptoms during exercise should ask a clinician before training to target zones.
Examples
Age 35, percent of max
max ≈ 185 · moderate 93 to 130 · vigorous 130 to 158
Age 50, percent of max
max ≈ 170 · moderate 85 to 119 · vigorous 119 to 145
Age 35, resting 65, Karvonen
reserve 120 · moderate 125 to 149 · vigorous 149 to 167
How it works
Max HR is estimated as 220 minus age. Zones are percentages of that max. Karvonen adds resting HR to the math, which personalizes the target ranges based on your starting fitness.
Max HR · HRmax ≈ 220 − age
Percent of max · target = intensity × HRmax
Karvonen · target = resting + intensity × (HRmax − resting)
AHA moderate ~50 to 70% · vigorous ~70 to 85%.
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Health note. Estimated zones are for planning use. People with cardiac conditions, on heart-rate-affecting medication (such as beta-blockers), pregnant, or with new exercise symptoms should talk to a clinician before training to target zones.
Frequently asked questions
The classic estimate is 220 minus your age, in beats per minute. So a 35-year-old has an estimated max HR around 185 bpm. This formula is widely used but is a population average; individual max HR can vary by 10 to 15 bpm.
Zones 1 to 5 split percentages of max HR. Zone 1 (very light) is 50 to 60%, Zone 2 (light) is 60 to 70%, Zone 3 (moderate) is 70 to 80%, Zone 4 (hard) is 80 to 90%, Zone 5 (max) is 90 to 100%. Different training plans use slightly different ranges, but the layout is standard.
Karvonen uses heart-rate reserve: max HR minus resting HR. The target HR is resting + (intensity × reserve). This personalizes zones to your resting fitness. A fitter person with a lower resting HR has lower absolute target numbers for the same percent intensity, which often matches perceived effort better.
The American Heart Association suggests moderate intensity at roughly 50 to 70 percent of max HR and vigorous intensity at roughly 70 to 85 percent. Adults are advised to get at least 150 minutes of moderate activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, per week.
It is a useful starting estimate, not a measurement. Individual max HR varies. More accurate values come from a supervised maximal exercise test. For everyday training, 220 minus age is fine; for performance training, a measured max may be worth getting.
Watches and apps may use different formulas (Tanaka 208 − 0.7×age, lab-tested max HR, lactate threshold zones) and different zone boundaries. If your device measures HR directly during workouts, you can refine zones over time from real data.
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