What is a target heart rate?
Your target heart rate is the range that gives a good workout without straining your heart. The American Heart Association suggests about 50% to 70% of your maximum heart rate for moderate exercise and 70% to 85% for vigorous exercise. The calculator estimates your maximum from your age and turns the percentages into beats per minute.
Example: at 30, the estimated maximum is 190 bpm, so moderate exercise is 95 to 133 bpm and vigorous exercise 133 to 162 bpm. With a resting heart rate of 60 bpm, the Karvonen method gives 125 to 171 bpm for the whole 50% to 85% range.
Two ways to set the zones
- Percent of maximum: target = maximum heart rate × intensity.
- Karvonen (heart rate reserve): target = (maximum − resting) × intensity + resting. It suits fit people with a low resting rate better.
Checking your heart rate
Wear a chest strap or watch, or count your pulse at the wrist for 15 seconds and multiply by 4. If you take medicine that changes heart rate, such as beta blockers, the zones may not apply; ask your doctor for a target.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is 220 minus age?
It is an average; real maximums vary by 10 to 20 bpm either way. The Tanaka formula is a little more accurate for people over 40.
Which zone burns the most fat?
Easier zones burn a higher share of fat, but harder zones burn more calories in total. For weight loss, total calories matter most.
What is a normal resting heart rate?
For adults, 60 to 100 bpm. Fit people often have 40 to 60 bpm.