Target Heart Rate Calculator

For moderate exercise, aim for about 50–70% of your maximum heart rate; for vigorous exercise, 70–85% (American Heart Association). For a 35-year-old with an estimated max of 184 bpm that is roughly 92–128 bpm moderate and 128–156 bpm vigorous.

The classic formula is 220 minus your age. The Tanaka formula (208 − 0.7 × age) is more accurate for most adults, and Gulati's (206 − 0.88 × age) was developed for women. All are estimates within about ±10 bpm; a supervised max test gives your real value.

It uses your heart rate reserve — max heart rate minus resting heart rate. Target = resting HR + (max HR − resting HR) × intensity. Because it accounts for fitness, it gives higher, more personal zones for people with a low resting heart rate.

Zone 2 is about 60–70% of max heart rate: an easy, conversational pace that builds aerobic endurance and fat-burning capacity. Many endurance athletes spend most of their training time there.

Around 60–70% of max heart rate (zones 1–2) your body gets a larger share of energy from fat. Total calories burned are higher at harder intensities, though, so for weight loss the overall amount of exercise matters most.

For adults it's typically 60–100 bpm; fit people and athletes often have 40–60 bpm. Measure it in the morning before getting up by counting your pulse for 60 seconds, ideally on several days.