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Heart rate zone calculator: train at the right intensity.
Enter your age, and your resting heart rate if you know it, to get your estimated maximum heart rate and five training zones in beats per minute.
General guidance from a Health & Fitness professional-led team. These calculators give estimates for healthy adults and are not medical advice, a diagnosis or a treatment plan. If you are pregnant, under 18, take regular medicines or have a medical condition (for example diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease), speak to your doctor or pharmacist before changing your diet or training.
How the heart rate zone calculator works
Heart rate is a simple, real-time measure of how hard you are working. Training zones turn that into a plan: easy zone 2 sessions build your aerobic base and help recovery, while short efforts in zones 4 and 5 improve speed and fitness. The calculator first estimates your maximum heart rate from your age, then works out five zones as percentages of it.
The formula
Maximum heart rate (Tanaka) = 208 − 0.7 × ageZones = 50–60% · 60–70% · 70–80% · 80–90% · 90–100% of maximumWith resting heart rate (Karvonen): target = (maximum − resting) × % + restingI use the Tanaka formula because, in a large review of studies, it predicted maximum heart rate better than the old “220 minus age” rule. If you add your resting heart rate (count your pulse for a full minute when you wake up), the calculator switches to the Karvonen method, which uses your heart rate reserve and gives more personal zones.
How to read your result
- Zone 1 (50–60%): warm-ups, cool-downs and easy walks
- Zone 2 (60–70%): long, easy cardio at a pace where you can still hold a conversation
- Zone 3 (70–80%): steady runs, rowing or cycling
- Zone 4 (80–90%): hard intervals you can hold for a few minutes
- Zone 5 (90–100%): short, all-out efforts
For most of our clients, the bulk of weekly cardio sits in zones 1 and 2, with one or two harder sessions.
Limits
Age-based formulas are averages; your true maximum can be 10 or more beats a minute higher or lower. Wrist trackers can also lag or misread during intervals. Heat matters in Dubai: on hot, humid days your heart rate runs higher at the same pace, so slow down rather than chase the number, and drink water.
When to see a doctor
As a pharmacist, this is the one I always flag: beta-blockers and some other heart and blood pressure medicines lower your heart rate, so these zones won’t apply. Use how hard the effort feels instead, and ask your doctor what intensity is safe for you. See a doctor before starting hard training if you have a heart condition, high blood pressure or diabetes, or are coming back to exercise after a long break. Stop straight away and get help if you feel chest pain, severe breathlessness, dizziness or an irregular heartbeat.
Want a plan built around your result? Your first session and assessment are free. We look at your health, medicines, movement and body composition, then build your training and nutrition around you.
WhatsApp 058 572 2691Heart-rate zones questions.
What is the best heart rate zone for fat loss?
Zone 2 (about 60 to 70% of your maximum) is often called the fat-burning zone because your body uses a higher share of fat for fuel there. For fat loss overall, total calories, strength training and consistency matter more than the zone, so combine easy cardio with strength sessions.
Why not use 220 minus age?
It's easy to remember but less accurate. The Tanaka formula (208 − 0.7 × age) was developed from a large review of studies and predicts maximum heart rate better across age groups.
How do I measure my resting heart rate?
Sit or lie quietly after waking, before coffee, and count your pulse at the wrist or neck for 60 seconds. Do this on three mornings and use the average.
Do these zones work if I take blood pressure medicine?
Not if the medicine lowers your heart rate, as beta-blockers do. Use perceived effort instead, and ask your doctor or pharmacist what intensity is right for you.
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