Target Heart Rate Calculator
Enter your age and, if you like, the percentage of maximum effort you want to train at. The calculator returns your estimated maximum heart rate, the 50-85% exercise zone and the exact beats per minute for your target.
Created by the Reeliy Editorial Team. Last updated: Oct 19, 2026
Using the calculator step by step
Type your age in years (the calculator accepts 8 to 81) and pick the body-fat option that fits you: under 30%, or 30% and above. If you already know how hard you want to work, put that intensity in the optional box, given in percent of your maximum heart rate. The smallest value allowed is 10.
The result table then shows up to three lines:
- Max. Heart Rate: the estimated highest rate your heart can reach, in beats per minute (bpm).
- Recommended zone (50-85%): the range of rates that covers moderate to vigorous training, from half to 85% of your maximum. Without a target level this line is titled Target HR zone.
- Target heart rate: the rate that matches the intensity you typed. It appears only when you fill in the optional box.
All figures are rounded to whole beats. A target level with decimals is cut down to a whole percentage first, so 70.9 is treated as 70.
How maximum heart rate is estimated
The only sure way to learn your true maximum is a supervised exercise test taken to exhaustion. For everyone else, an equation based on age gives a workable estimate. Maximum heart rate drifts downward by roughly two-thirds of a beat for every year of age, and that is the pattern the equations capture.
Body fat under 30%
max HR = 206.9 − 0.67 × ageA linear model from longitudinal data on healthy adults (Gellish and colleagues, 2007).
For a 55-year-old this gives 206.9 − 36.85 = 170.05, shown as 170 bpm.
Body fat 30% or higher
max HR = 200 − 0.5 × ageA model fitted to people with obesity (Miller and colleagues, 1993).
In this group the decline with age is gentler, so the two equations differ by only a few beats. If you do not know your body-fat percentage, you can estimate it with the body fat calculator.
Zone and target rate
zone = (50% to 85%) × max HR
target HR = (level ÷ 100) × max HR
Worked example
A 55-year-old with body fat under 30% wants to train at 65% of maximum effort.
- Maximum: 206.9 − 0.67 × 55 = 170.05, which rounds to 170 bpm.
- Lower end of the zone: 0.50 × 170.05 = 85.0, so 85 bpm.
- Upper end of the zone: 0.85 × 170.05 = 144.5, so 145 bpm.
- Target for 65%: 0.65 × 170.05 = 110.5, so 111 bpm.
In words: keep the pulse between 85 and 145 beats a minute during the session, and aim for about 111 when you want a steady, comfortable pace.
Maximum heart rate by age
The table compares the calculator's estimates with the familiar rule of thumb of 220 minus your age. The two agree around age 40 and drift apart on either side: the older rule overstates the maximum for young adults and understates it for older ones.
| Age | 220 − age | Max HR, body fat under 30% | Max HR, body fat 30%+ | 50-85% zone, under 30% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 190 | 187 | 185 | 93 - 159 |
| 40 | 180 | 180 | 180 | 90 - 153 |
| 50 | 170 | 173 | 175 | 87 - 147 |
| 60 | 160 | 167 | 170 | 83 - 142 |
| 70 | 150 | 160 | 165 | 80 - 136 |
| 80 | 140 | 153 | 160 | 77 - 130 |
What the training zones mean
Training zones are slices of your maximum heart rate. Public-health guidance usually calls 50-70% of maximum moderate effort and 70-85% vigorous effort, which is why the calculator highlights the 50-85% range. The last column shows what each band would be for the 55-year-old in the example above (maximum 170).
| Share of max | Effort | How it feels | At max 170 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50-60% | Very light | Warm-up, recovery walks, easy breathing | 85 - 102 bpm |
| 60-70% | Light to moderate | You can hold a full conversation; builds a base | 102 - 119 bpm |
| 70-80% | Moderate to vigorous | Short sentences only; the core aerobic zone | 119 - 136 bpm |
| 80-90% | Hard | Breathing is heavy; suited to short, planned bouts | 136 - 153 bpm |
| 90-100% | Maximal | Brief intervals for trained people; not for beginners | 153 - 170 bpm |
If you are new to exercise or returning after a break, start near the bottom of the zone and add intensity gradually over several weeks. For pacing questions in running, see the pace calculator; for the calories a session uses and your daily needs, try the TDEE calculator.
Resting heart rate, for context
Your resting pulse is a separate number from your maximum. For most adults a resting rate between 60 and 100 beats a minute is considered normal. Well-trained endurance athletes often sit lower, sometimes in the 40s or 50s, while fever, dehydration, stress, caffeine and some medicines push it up. Check it after a few minutes of quiet sitting, ideally at the same time each day, and watch the trend rather than a single reading.
A lower resting rate over months of training is a common sign of improved aerobic fitness. It is not a target in itself, and an unusually slow or fast pulse with dizziness or chest discomfort needs medical attention.
Limits of age-based predictions
Equations like these describe averages. Individual maximum heart rates scatter widely around the line, commonly by ten beats a minute or more in either direction, and genetics, training history, altitude, heat and sleep all play a part. Two people of the same age can have very different true maxima.
Some medicines, notably beta blockers, hold the heart rate down and make any percentage-of-maximum target unreliable. People with heart disease, high blood pressure or other conditions should take their zone from a clinician. Use the numbers here as a starting guide and let perceived effort, such as the ability to talk, confirm whether the pace feels right.
These results are estimates for general information, not medical advice. See the disclaimer, and talk to a doctor before starting a demanding exercise programme if you have any health concerns.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good target heart rate for exercise?
For most healthy adults the useful range is 50% to 85% of maximum heart rate. The lower half of that range counts as moderate exercise and the upper half as vigorous exercise. Beginners should stay near the bottom of the range.
Is 220 minus age accurate?
It is a rough rule of thumb. It is close around age 40 but overestimates the maximum of young adults and underestimates it for people over about 50. This calculator uses a research-based age equation that tracks the decline with age more closely, although any prediction can be off by ten beats or more for an individual.
Why does the calculator ask about body fat?
Research on people with higher body fat found that their maximum heart rate falls more slowly with age, so a separate equation is used when body fat is 30% or more. The difference is usually only a few beats per minute.
What should I enter as the target exercise level?
Type the intensity you plan to train at, in percent of your maximum heart rate, for example 70 for a steady aerobic session. Leave the box empty if you only want the zone. Decimal places are ignored, so 70.9 is read as 70.
References
- Tanaka H, Monahan KD, Seals DR. Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2001;37(1):153-156.
- Gellish RL, et al. Longitudinal modeling of the relationship between age and maximal heart rate. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 2007;39(5):822-829.
- Miller WC, Wallace JP, Eggert KE. Predicting max HR and the HR-VO2 relationship for exercise prescription in obesity. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 1993;25(9):1077-1081.
- American Heart Association: Target heart rates chart.
Cite this calculator and page
If you use this page in your work, you can cite it as:
Reeliy Editorial Team. (2026). Target Heart Rate Calculator. Reeliy. https://reeliy.com/calculators/target-heart-rate-calculator“Target Heart Rate Calculator.” Reeliy, 2026, https://reeliy.com/calculators/target-heart-rate-calculator.