Heart Rate Zones by Age
Your training heart-rate zones fall as your maximum heart rate declines with age. This chart lists the five zones in beats per minute for each age, using the Tanaka estimate of maximum heart rate (208 − 0.7 × age).
| Age | Max HR | Zone 1 | Zone 2 | Zone 3 | Zone 4 | Zone 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 194 | 97 to 116 | 116 to 136 | 136 to 155 | 155 to 175 | 175 to 194 |
| 25 | 191 | 95 to 114 | 114 to 133 | 133 to 152 | 152 to 171 | 171 to 191 |
| 30 | 187 | 94 to 112 | 112 to 131 | 131 to 150 | 150 to 168 | 168 to 187 |
| 35 | 184 | 92 to 110 | 110 to 128 | 128 to 147 | 147 to 165 | 165 to 184 |
| 40 | 180 | 90 to 108 | 108 to 126 | 126 to 144 | 144 to 162 | 162 to 180 |
| 45 | 177 | 88 to 106 | 106 to 124 | 124 to 141 | 141 to 159 | 159 to 177 |
| 50 | 173 | 87 to 104 | 104 to 121 | 121 to 138 | 138 to 156 | 156 to 173 |
| 55 | 170 | 85 to 102 | 102 to 119 | 119 to 136 | 136 to 153 | 153 to 170 |
| 60 | 166 | 83 to 100 | 100 to 116 | 116 to 133 | 133 to 149 | 149 to 166 |
| 65 | 163 | 81 to 98 | 98 to 114 | 114 to 130 | 130 to 146 | 146 to 163 |
| 70 | 159 | 80 to 95 | 95 to 111 | 111 to 127 | 127 to 143 | 143 to 159 |
How to read it
Find your age, read across for each zone's beats-per-minute range. Zone 2 is the comfortable, conversational aerobic band most endurance work should live in; zones 4 to 5 are hard intervals. For a personalised version that can also use your resting heart rate (the Karvonen method), use the calculator.
Sources
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Frequently asked questions
- Which max-heart-rate formula is this?
- The Tanaka equation (208 − 0.7 × age), which is more accurate across ages than the older 220 − age rule of thumb. Individual maximums still vary, so treat the numbers as a starting guide.
- How do I use resting heart rate?
- Factoring in resting heart rate (the Karvonen or heart-rate-reserve method) personalises the zones. This static chart uses percentage of maximum heart rate; the calculator can do both.