Estimate moderate- and vigorous-intensity heart rate ranges from age or a known maximum heart rate.
Values are calculated on this page only; they are not sent to or saved on a server.
What does a target heart rate tell you?
Heart rate is one way to describe exercise intensity. This calculator uses the American Heart Association's general ranges: 50–70% of maximum heart rate for moderate activity and 70–85% for vigorous activity. Being inside a calculated range does not guarantee that an activity is safe or appropriate for an individual.
Resting, maximum, and target heart rates are different. Resting heart rate is your pulse while at rest. Maximum heart rate is the reference used to calculate percentages here. Do not use resting pulse as your maximum heart rate.
How to enter age and maximum heart rate
- Under “Maximum-heart-rate basis”, select “Estimate from age (220 − age)” and enter an adult age from 18 to 90.
- Age-estimate mode uses 220 − age as an approximate maximum heart rate.
- If you have an appropriately assessed maximum heart rate, select “Use a known maximum heart rate” and enter it in bpm. This mode uses that entered maximum as the calculation basis.
- The highest number seen during an ordinary workout is not necessarily your true maximum. Do not attempt an unsupervised all-out test just to obtain a number for this tool.
The age range and accepted maximum of 80–230 bpm are software limits for this calculator. Falling within them is not medical clearance to exercise.
Formula and a worked example at age 40
Estimated maximum = 220 − age. Moderate range = maximum × 0.50–0.70; vigorous range = maximum × 0.70–0.85. Results are rounded to the nearest whole beat per minute.
| Item | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated maximum | 220 − 40 | 180 bpm |
| Moderate | 180 × 0.50–0.70 | 90–126 bpm |
| Vigorous | 180 × 0.70–0.85 | 126–153 bpm |
If the same person selects “Use a known maximum heart rate” and enters an assessed maximum of 190 bpm, the ranges become 95–133 bpm and 133–162 bpm. The reference value changed, so the output changes. The shared 70% boundary is a classification convention, not a sudden physiological switch when pulse rises by one beat.
Check breathing and the talk test too
CDC describes moderate activity as an effort at which you can generally talk but not sing. At vigorous intensity, speaking more than a few words without pausing for breath becomes difficult. Use this type of effort check alongside heart rate.
Do not increase effort simply to satisfy a calculated target. When starting exercise or returning after a break, consider your current activity level and health. Recording the activity, duration, and perceived effort alongside pulse makes changes easier to discuss than a heart-rate number alone.
When general ranges may not apply
Beta blockers and other medicines can alter heart-rate responses, making an age-predicted target unsuitable. Heart disease, arrhythmias, pregnancy, or returning to activity after illness or surgery can also require individual guidance. Do not skip medication or push harder merely to reach the displayed number.
Stop exercise and seek appropriate medical help for chest pain, a feeling that you may faint, or unusual severe breathlessness. A pulse within the displayed moderate range is not a reason to ignore symptoms.
Does this set a glucose or weight-loss plan?
Heart rate alone cannot determine blood glucose, hypoglycemia risk, or calories burned. If you are being treated for diabetes, discuss glucose checks and the interaction of medication, meals, and exercise with your clinical team. A heart-rate range also does not prescribe a calorie intake for weight loss.
The Zone 2 calculator uses 60–70% of maximum in Polar's five-zone model. That overlaps the AHA moderate range of 50–70%, but the definitions and lower limits differ.
Frequently asked questions
Why does another calculator give different numbers?
It may use a different maximum-heart-rate equation, percentage range, or rounding method. Heart-rate-reserve methods also use resting heart rate and are separate from the percentage-of-maximum method on this page.
Should I try to reach the displayed maximum?
No. The target ranges are fractions of the reference maximum. The maximum shown is not a number you are being instructed to reach.
Questions for a clinician or exercise professional
- Do any of my medicines change how I should use heart-rate targets?
- Should I rely more on a heart-rate range or on perceived effort and the talk test?
- What starting intensity and stop-exercise symptoms apply to my circumstances?
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Prepared and sources checked by Life Choice Note, 26 September 2026. This is general education checked against the cited sources, not independently physician-reviewed guidance or an individual diagnosis, treatment, or exercise prescription. Editorial standards · Terms and disclaimer