Heart rate zone calculator

Five training zones from your age or measured max heart rate — with the resting-heart-rate method that fits fit runners better.

Max HR formula
Zone method
Max heart rate184bpmestimated: 208 − 0.7 × age
ZoneHeart rateWhat it feels like
Z1 · Recovery122–134 bpmVery easy, full conversation. Warm-ups and recovery jogs.
Z2 · Aerobic / easy134–146 bpmRelaxed, nasal breathing possible. Most of your weekly running.
Z3 · Tempo146–159 bpmSteady, short sentences. Marathon-pace territory for many.
Z4 · Threshold159–171 bpmComfortably hard, a few words at a time. Hour-race effort.
Z5 · VO2 max171–184 bpmHard intervals of 2–5 minutes. Talking isn’t an option.

Why resting heart rate moves your zones

%HRmax zones start counting from zero bpm; Karvonen starts from your resting heart rate, because the beats between rest and max — your heart rate reserve — are the ones you can actually spend. Change your resting HR above or flip the method and compare the two bars.

Karvonen (heart rate reserve)
Z1Z2Z3Z4Z5
Zone 2: 134–146 bpm · Zone 4: 159–171 bpm
% of max HR
Z1Z2Z3Z4Z5
Zone 2: 110–128 bpm · Zone 4: 147–165 bpm

The lower your resting heart rate, the further Karvonen zones sit below %HRmax zones at the easy end — so a fit runner using %HRmax often does “easy” runs too hard.

Using heart rate zones in running

Heart rate is a measure of effort, not speed, which makes it valuable on hills, in heat and on tired days when your normal pace would be too hard. It lags: in a 400 m repeat, HR barely rises before the rep ends, so for short intervals use pace from your VDOT instead.

Chest straps are more reliable than wrist optical sensors, which can lock onto your cadence. Measure resting heart rate on waking for several mornings and use the lowest typical value. Zone percentages follow the common five-zone model used by coaches; the Karvonen method dates from Martti Karvonen’s 1957 study.

Questions runners ask

How do I calculate my heart rate zones?

Find your maximum heart rate (ideally measured, otherwise estimated, e.g. Tanaka: 208 − 0.7 × age). For %HRmax zones multiply it by each zone’s percentages. For the Karvonen method, subtract resting HR to get heart rate reserve, multiply that by the percentages, then add resting HR back.

Which is better, %HRmax or Karvonen?

Karvonen (heart rate reserve) accounts for your resting heart rate, so it fits fit runners with low resting HR better, and its percentages track %VO2max more closely. %HRmax is simpler and fine when you don’t know your resting HR.

Is 220 minus age accurate?

It is easy but often wrong by 10–12 bpm for an individual, and it underestimates max HR in older adults. Tanaka, Monahan and Seals (2001) found 208 − 0.7 × age fits large groups better. A hard hill-repeat session with a chest strap is more accurate than any formula.

What heart rate zone should most runs be in?

Zone 2 (roughly 60–70% of HRmax). Elite endurance athletes do around 75–80% of their training at low intensity, a pattern described by researcher Stephen Seiler as polarised training.

Why is my heart rate higher than usual today?

Heat, dehydration, poor sleep, caffeine, stress and an oncoming illness all raise heart rate at a given pace. That’s the value of heart-rate zones: they tell you the effort is higher even if the pace looks the same.

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