Heart Rate Zone Calculator
Find your five training heart-rate zones by age.
How to use
- 1 Enter your age in years.
- 2 Optionally add your resting heart rate to use the personalised Karvonen method.
- 3 Choose the Fox or Tanaka maximum-heart-rate formula.
- 4 Read off the beats-per-minute target for each of the five zones.
- 5 Copy the zone table for your training plan.
About Heart Rate Zone Calculator
The Heart Rate Zone Calculator turns your age into the five training zones coaches use to structure cardio sessions, from gentle warm-ups to all-out efforts.
It first estimates your maximum heart rate with one of two well-known formulas: the classic Fox equation (220 minus your age) or the Tanaka equation (208 minus 0.7 times your age), which research suggests is more accurate for older athletes.
From that maximum it builds five bands — very light, light, aerobic, anaerobic and maximum — each defined as a percentage range of intensity, and shows the beats-per-minute target for each.
If you also enter your resting heart rate, the tool switches to the Karvonen, or heart-rate-reserve, method.
Instead of taking a flat percentage of your maximum, Karvonen works from the gap between your resting and maximum pulse, so a fitter heart with a low resting rate produces zones tailored to you.
Everything is computed locally in your browser; no numbers are uploaded or stored, so you can plan a session privately and offline.
Heart-rate zones are a general fitness guide and not medical advice — check with a professional before starting hard training, especially if you have a heart condition.
FAQ
What is the difference between the Fox and Tanaka formulas?
Fox uses 220 minus your age and is the long-standing rule of thumb; Tanaka uses 208 minus 0.7 times your age and tends to estimate maximum heart rate more accurately, especially for people over 40.
Why do my zones change when I add a resting heart rate?
With a resting rate the tool uses the Karvonen heart-rate-reserve method, which bases each zone on the range between your resting and maximum pulse rather than a flat percentage of the maximum.
Is this medical advice?
No. These zones are a general fitness estimate. Consult a doctor or qualified coach before starting intense training, particularly if you have any heart or health concerns.