Target heart rate calculator

How do I find my maximum heart rate?

A common estimate is 220 minus your age: 180 beats per minute at 40. It is an average — your real maximum can differ.

What is my target heart rate?

The American Heart Association gives about 50% to 70% of your maximum for moderate exercise and 70% to 85% for vigorous exercise. At 40 that is about 90–126 bpm moderate and 126–153 bpm vigorous.

How do I check my heart rate while exercising?

Count your pulse at the wrist for 15 seconds and multiply by 4, or read a heart-rate monitor or watch.

Should beginners aim high?

If you are just starting, the lower end of the moderate zone is a comfortable place to begin, working up as your fitness improves. Check with your doctor first if you have a heart condition or have not been active.

Do medications change it?

Yes — some, such as beta-blockers, lower your heart rate, so the usual targets may not apply. Ask your doctor what range is right for you.

What is the Karvonen (heart rate reserve) method?

It sets the target between your resting and maximum heart rate instead of between zero and the maximum: target = resting rate + percent × (maximum − resting rate). For a 40-year-old with a resting rate of 60 bpm, the reserve is 180 − 60 = 120 bpm, so 50% is 120 bpm and 70% is 144 bpm, higher than the 90 and 126 bpm from the simple percentage of maximum. The calculator uses the simple percentage of maximum; apply the reserve formula by hand if you know your resting rate.

Is there a more accurate formula than 220 minus age?

A widely cited alternative from a 2001 analysis by Tanaka and colleagues is 208 − 0.7 × age. It gives 194 at age 20 (against 200 from 220 − age), 180 at 40 (180) and 166 at 60 (160). Both are population averages, and individual maximums vary widely, so a formula cannot tell you your own.

How the zones are calculated

The estimated maximum heart rate is 220 minus your age in years. The American Heart Association's target zones are percentages of that maximum: 50% to 70% for moderate-intensity activity and 70% to 85% for vigorous activity. The calculator multiplies the maximum by each percentage and rounds to the nearest beat. The table lists intermediate percentages in steps of five so that you can pick a point inside a zone. Everything here is an average for the population, not a measurement; two people of the same age can have maximum heart rates that differ by a good many beats per minute.

Worked example: age 40

The estimated maximum is 220 − 40 = 180 bpm. The moderate zone is 50% to 70% of 180, which is 90 to 126 bpm. The vigorous zone is 70% to 85%, which is 126 to 153 bpm. A 10-second pulse count in the middle of the moderate zone, at 60%, would be about 18 beats. Counting for 15 seconds and multiplying by 4 means a one-beat miscount changes the result by 4 bpm, so count a full 30 seconds when you can, or use a watch or chest strap.

Using effort as a check

Because the maximum is only an estimate, it is useful to compare the number with how the exercise feels. The CDC describes moderate-intensity activity as a level where you can talk but not sing, and vigorous activity as a level where you cannot say more than a few words without pausing for breath. If the numbers and the feel disagree, for example you are well below your zone but short of breath, trust the effort and the advice of your doctor over the formula. Heart rate also climbs with heat, dehydration, caffeine, illness and lack of sleep.

Common mistakes

Treating the estimated maximum as a limit that must never be exceeded is the main one; it is an average, and some healthy people reach rates above it. Another is applying the zones when taking medicines that lower the heart rate, such as beta-blockers, which makes the percentages meaningless. A third is starting too hard: a beginner who aims for the top of the vigorous zone in the first week may quit or get hurt, and the lower end of the moderate zone is the usual place to begin. Finally, a person with a heart condition, chest pain, dizziness or no recent exercise should get a doctor's advice before choosing a target at all.

Sources: American Heart Association, "Target heart rates chart" (maximum 220 minus age; 50-70% moderate and 70-85% vigorous); CDC, "Measuring physical activity intensity" (talk test); H. Tanaka, K. D. Monahan, D. R. Seals, "Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited", Journal of the American College of Cardiology 37 (2001) 153-156 (208 − 0.7 × age); the heart rate reserve method of Karvonen. This page gives general information, not medical advice. Related: BMR calculator, calorie calculator and BMI calculator.

For general information only — not medical advice. Talk with your doctor or another health professional about your own health. How we check our calculators.