Updated · Built and checked by the PlinzoTools team, formulas tested against published sources
Calculate a simple target heart rate range based on age and desired intensity.
95-162 bpm
This tool calculates a target heart rate range using the simpler percentage-of-max-heart-rate method, still widely published by the American Heart Association for a quick target range without needing a resting heart rate reading.
Enter your age and a desired intensity range (e.g. 50-85% for moderate-to-vigorous activity, the AHA's commonly cited general range). Your target heart rate range appears instantly.
Max HR = 220 - Age
Target Range = Max HR × Intensity% (low and high)
For a more individualized zone system that also accounts for your resting heart rate, see the Heart Rate Zones Calculator (Karvonen method).
Take a 30 year old using the tool's default range of 50 to 85 percent. Max heart rate is 220 - 30 = 190. The low end is 190 x 0.50 = 95 bpm, and the high end is 190 x 0.85 = 161.5, which the tool rounds to 162 bpm. The displayed target is 95 to 162 bpm. If the same person picks a moderate-activity range of 50 to 70 percent, the target becomes 95 to 133 bpm. For vigorous activity at 70 to 85 percent, it is 133 to 162 bpm.
Low = (220 - age) x low%. High = (220 - age) x high%. Example: 190 x 0.70 = 133 bpm.
Check your pulse or a wearable device partway through a workout and compare it with the range. If you are below the low number, you can increase your effort gradually. If you are above the high number, ease off. People just starting an exercise habit often begin near the low end and build up over weeks. Because the range is wide, you can also use the lower part for warm-ups and the upper part for harder efforts, but the tool itself does not divide the range into named zones.
If you have heart disease, high blood pressure, chest discomfort, unexplained shortness of breath, or dizziness with exertion, speak to a doctor before using target ranges to guide exercise. This page is educational and is not medical advice.
The American Heart Association commonly cites 50-70% of max HR for moderate activity and 70-85% for vigorous activity -- adjust based on your fitness goals and current conditioning.
This method uses only age and a straight percentage of max heart rate; Karvonen (see the Heart Rate Zones Calculator) also factors in resting heart rate for a more individualized range.
Especially if you have any existing heart or health conditions, yes -- these formulas are general fitness guidance, not personalized medical advice.
The tool rounds each boundary to the nearest whole beat, so a calculated 161.5 shows as 162.
Yes. The tool requires the high value to be at least as large as the low, so the range would collapse to a single number.
No. Only age and the two percentages are used, so the range is the same for anyone of the same age.
Many guides suggest starting in a lower band such as 50 to 70 percent, but a health professional can advise for your specific situation.
Reference: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention