Target Heart Rate Calculator
Persons' Details
Calculated Target Heart Rates
Very Light | <19% | {{tHrrValue(0.19)}} | <34% | {{tHrmaxValue(0.34)}} | <10 |
Light | 20% - 39% | {{tHrrValue(0.2)}} - {{tHrrValue(0.39)}} | 35% - 54% | {{tHrmaxValue(0.35)}} - {{tHrmaxValue(0.54)}} | 10 - 11 |
Moderate | 40% - 59% | {{tHrrValue(0.4)}} - {{tHrrValue(0.59)}} | 55% - 69% | {{tHrmaxValue(0.55)}} - {{tHrmaxValue(0.69)}} | 12 - 13 |
Hard | 60% - 84% | {{tHrrValue(0.6)}} - {{tHrrValue(0.84)}} | 70% - 89% | {{tHrmaxValue(0.7)}} - {{tHrmaxValue(0.89)}} | 14 - 16 |
Very Hard | 85% - 100% | {{tHrrValue(0.85)}} - {{tHrrValue(1)}} | 90% - 100% | {{tHrmaxValue(0.9)}} - {{tHrmaxValue(1)}} | 17 - 19 |
References
Nearly all exercise is good. But to be sure you’re getting the most from your workout yet staying at a level that’s safe for you, you can monitor how hard your heart is working.
Aiming for what’s called a “target heart rate” can help you do this, says Johns Hopkins cardiologist Seth Martin, M.D., M.P.H. Think of it as the “sweet spot” between not exercising hard enough and overexerting.
What is Target Heart Rate?
Your target heart rate is a range of numbers that reflect how fast your heart should be beating when you exercise. “A higher heart rate is a good thing that leads to greater fitness,” says Johns Hopkins cardiologist Michael Blaha, M.D., M.P.H. During exercise, you can monitor heart rate and try to reach this target zone. Doctors also use target heart rate to interpret the results of a cardiac stress test.
How to Find Your Target Heart Rate
First, it helps to know your resting heart rate, Martin says. Find your pulse (inside your wrist, on the thumb side, is a good place). Then count the number of beats in a minute—that’s your resting heart rate. (Alternately, you can take your pulse for 30 seconds and double it.) The average resting heart rate is between 60 and 100, he says. The more fit you are, the lower your resting heart rate; for very fit people, it’s in the range of 40 to 50 beats per minute.
Target heart rate is generally expressed as a percentage (usually between 50 percent and 85 percent) of your maximum safe heart rate. The maximum rate is based on your age, as subtracted from 220. So for a 50-year-old, maximum heart rate is 220 minus 50, or 170 beats per minute. At a 50 percent exertion level, your target would be 50 percent of that maximum, or 85 beats per minute. At an 85 percent level of exertion, your target would be 145 beats per minute. Therefore, the target heart rate that a 50-year-old would want to aim for during exercise is 85 to 145 beats per minute.
But there’s an easier way to figure it out if you want to skip the math: Wear a fitness tracking device, or exercise on a treadmill or other machine that calculates target heart rate for you, Blaha suggests.
Heart Rate Tips to Keep in Mind
- Start at your beginning. Before getting overly concerned about your heart rate, Martin says, it’s best to simply get moving. If you haven’t exercised much before, start where you’re comfortable (around 50 percent of maximum heart rate) and gradually exert yourself more over time.
- Listen to your body. Your body provides other indicators of how hard it’s working that you need to consider along with heart rate. Pay attention to how hard you’re breathing or sweating, and stop if you feel very uncomfortable, Martin says. Devices recording your heart rate have been known to malfunction, for example—another reason listening to your body is important.
- Remember that target heart rate is just a guide. “Don’t get overly fixated on numbers,” Martin says. Ideally, they just push you to work a little harder.
For Johns Hopkins cardiologist Michael Blaha, M.D., M.P.H., most workouts
take place on an elliptical trainer in his home. His machine has electrodes
on which he can place his hands to automatically see his heart rate. “It
gives me a sense of how hard I’m working,” he says.
Blaha also uses his targeted heart rate to guide the course that he
programmed into the machine, so that he works up to where he wants to be in
terms of exertion. “Knowing your target heart rate and trying to achieve it
can be very motivating,” he says.
If you have a new or existing heart problem, it's vital to see a doctor. Our heart health checklist can help you determine when to seek care.
Home > Fitness Testing > Resources > Heart Rate > Max > Chart
The maximum heart rate can be estimated using the commonly used formula of 220 minus your age in years (220-age), or a more accurate formula 208 - 0.7 x age (Tanaka et al., 2001).
These formula only give an estimation of maximum heart rate - ideally you should measure it. See the discussion on maximum heart rate. See also Heart Rate training ranges based on the Karvonen Formula.
10 | 210 | 200 |
11 | 209 | 199 |
12 | 208 | 199 |
13 | 207 | 198 |
14 | 206 | 197 |
15 | 205 | 197 |
16 | 204 | 196 |
17 | 203 | 195 |
18 | 202 | 194 |
19 | 201 | 194 |
20 | 200 | 193 |
21 | 199 | 192 |
22 | 198 | 192 |
23 | 197 | 191 |
24 | 196 | 190 |
25 | 195 | 190 |
26 | 194 | 189 |
27 | 193 | 188 |
28 | 192 | 187 |
29 | 191 | 187 |
30 | 190 | 186 |
31 | 189 | 185 |
32 | 188 | 185 |
33 | 187 | 184 |
34 | 186 | 183 |
35 | 185 | 183 |
36 | 184 | 182 |
37 | 183 | 181 |
38 | 182 | 180 |
39 | 181 | 180 |
40 | 180 | 179 |
41 | 179 | 178 |
42 | 178 | 178 |
43 | 177 | 177 |
44 | 176 | 176 |
45 | 175 | 176 |
46 | 174 | 175 |
47 | 173 | 174 |
48 | 172 | 173 |
49 | 171 | 173 |
50 | 170 | 172 |
51 | 169 | 171 |
52 | 168 | 171 |
53 | 167 | 170 |
54 | 166 | 169 |
55 | 165 | 169 |
56 | 164 | 168 |
57 | 163 | 167 |
58 | 162 | 166 |
59 | 161 | 166 |
60 | 160 | 165 |
61 | 159 | 164 |
62 | 158 | 164 |
63 | 157 | 163 |
64 | 156 | 162 |
65 | 155 | 162 |
66 | 154 | 161 |
67 | 153 | 160 |
68 | 152 | 159 |
69 | 151 | 159 |
70 | 150 | 158 |
71 | 149 | 157 |
72 | 148 | 157 |
73 | 147 | 156 |
74 | 146 | 155 |
75 | 145 | 155 |
76 | 144 | 154 |
77 | 143 | 153 |
78 | 142 | 152 |
79 | 141 | 152 |
80 | 140 | 151 |
Reference
- Tanaka, H., Monahan, K.D., & Seals, D.R. (2001). Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited. J Am Coll Cardiol. Jan;37(1):153-6.
Commenting is closed on this page, though you can read some previous comments below which may answer some of your questions.
- Ian (2014)
I am 69 and can maintain 190 bpm during maximum effort , is this potentially a problem ? do I need to keep it lower - Waleed assaf Ian (2016)
Yes you do, you are increasing the risk of myocardial infarction if you go higher than the charts maxs - Barry Jutt Ian (2017)
I am 72 year old male. 131. Not use to a heart rate above 54, 55 with meds. Still on meds and has been changing each time I take. 84 to 131. - Nelson Ian (2015)
No sir is actually pretty good It means you can beat as hard as a 30 year old guy ....of course that goes hand in hand with previous existing conditions.
Myself I'm 29 when tested was 201 so I'm like 19 according to the table :p
- Christopher Cheng Sum Yan (2015)
I am 9 and I tried skiing with 210 bpm and still alive so is it good for me? - Saad (2019)
I am 82 year old adult male who has undergone 2 times quadruple by pass surgeies at age 45 and 56. As part of my fitness regimen I go to gym and work on treadmill for between 25 to 35 minutes.. When indicator shows high heart beat rate i reduce speed and bring up the speed later. I have been doing this routine for at least last 2/3 years. I have noticed that my heart beat which has been lowered to around 55 by use of concorr 2.5 now rises into high heart rate more often. Otherwise I am v fit and active. Please advise what I should do. - Manju (2016)
I am 55 year old my max hr after running is 193 after running & average 143 is it ok - Alan Manju (2016)
As long as that's regular for you, that's a good thing. I'm 50 and quite regularly get 204 or so on hill sprints . Resting minimum rate of 41. Definitely not a problem. - Waleed assaf Manju (2016)
You must keep it in the range that is stated above