Formula
Max HR ≈ 220 − age, or 208 − 0.7 × age (Tanaka)Karvonen: target = resting HR + intensity × (max HR − resting HR)Without resting HR: target = intensity × max HR How it works
Heart rate zones divide your effort into bands, from easy recovery work to all-out sprints. Training in specific zones lets you control intensity: most endurance programs prescribe lots of easy zone 1–2 work to build aerobic fitness, with smaller doses of zone 4–5 intervals.
Your maximum heart rate sets the top of the scale. The well-known 220 − age formula is simple but can be off by 10 or more beats per minute; the Tanaka formula is a little more accurate for older adults. If you have reached your true maximum in a hard race or a supervised test, enter it instead of the estimate.
The Karvonen method uses heart rate reserve — the difference between maximum and resting heart rate — so the zones reflect your own fitness. A fitter person with a low resting pulse gets higher, more realistic easy-zone targets than plain percentages would give. This is general fitness information, not medical advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is zone 2 training?
Steady exercise at a conversational effort — you can still talk in full sentences. It builds aerobic base and fat-burning capacity with little fatigue, so endurance athletes spend most of their training time there.
How do I measure resting heart rate?
Count your pulse for 60 seconds right after waking, before getting up, on several mornings, and take the average. Many fitness watches report it automatically.