Heart rate zones calculator
Train at the right intensity — and discover why most of your cardio should feel easy.
Heart rate zones take the guesswork out of “how hard should this feel?” — and the answer surprises people: most of your cardio should feel comfortably easy, with only a little spent working hard.
The short answer: your zones are percentages of your estimated max heart rate (about 220 − your age). Easy zone 2 (≈60–70%) builds your aerobic base; short higher-zone efforts build fitness — and most of your time should be easy.
Find your zones
Heart-Rate Zones
Find the right effort for easy days and harder ones.
| Zone | bpm | Feels like |
|---|---|---|
| Easy / recovery | 90–108 | Can chat easily |
| Fat-burn / base | 108–126 | Comfortable, steady |
| Aerobic / cardio | 126–144 | Working, breathing harder |
| Threshold | 144–162 | Hard, short answers only |
| Peak | 162–180 | All-out, brief bursts |
Let’s shape cardio that fits you.
The simplest guide of all
No monitor? Use the talk test: if you can hold a conversation, you're in an easy zone; if you can only manage a few words, you're working hard. Building most of your cardio around the conversational pace, with occasional harder bursts, is a reliable recipe.
Common questions
How do I find my maximum heart rate?
A common estimate is 220 minus your age — so about 175 beats per minute at age 45. It is only an estimate and individual maxes vary, but it is good enough to set training zones for most people.
What are the heart rate zones?
Zones are bands of intensity expressed as a percentage of your max heart rate: very light (about 50–60%), light/aerobic base (60–70%), moderate (70–80%), hard (80–90%), and maximum (90–100%). Easier zones build endurance and aid recovery; harder zones build top-end fitness.
What is zone 2 and why is it popular?
Zone 2 is easy aerobic effort — roughly 60–70% of max, a pace where you can still hold a conversation. It builds your aerobic base, improves endurance, and is gentle enough to do often, which is why it forms the backbone of most sensible cardio plans.
How much time should I spend in each zone?
A widely used approach is to keep most of your cardio easy (zones 1–2) and reserve a smaller amount for harder efforts. The talk test is a simple guide: easy means you can chat, hard means you can only get a few words out.
This is general education, not medical advice. If you have a heart condition or take medication that affects your heart rate, check with your provider before training by heart rate.