How to Calculate Your Target Heart Rate

Do you want to get the most out of those 35 minutes on the treadmill, or any kind of cardio exercise? You can maximize the benefits of cardiovascular activity when you exercise in the zone of your target heart rate (THR). In general terms, your THR is 60-80% of your maximum heart rate. You can either estimate what your THR is based on your age, or calculate it effectively by using the Karvonen or Zoladz method. Whichever way you do it, remember the THR is measured in beats per minute (bpm).

Method One of Three:
Calculating Your THR with the Karvonen MethodEdit

1
Find your maximum heart rate. Subtract your age from 220. This is your maximum heart rate (HRmax). For example, the HRmax for a 40-year-old person would be 220 - 40 = 180.
- You can also estimate your HRmax by multiplying your age by 0.7, and subtracting the result from 208. For example, if you're 40 this would be 40*0.7 = 28; 208-28 = 180.^[1]
2
Check your resting heart rate (RHR). You should do this as soon as you wake up and are still in bed, so that your body is fully at rest and not involved in any other activities. In order to take your radial pulse, put the tips of your index and middle fingers on the radial artery in the middle of the inner side of your wrist.^[2]
- You can count your heart beats over 60 seconds, or over 30 seconds and multiply by 2, as long as the final count corresponds to your beats per minute (bpm).
- Remember that the first beat counts as 0.^[3]
- Average your heart rate over three mornings to obtain your average resting heart rate (RHR). To do this, add the three readings together and divide by three to get the RHR. For example, (62 + 65 + 63) / 3 = 63.
- You can also check your pulse in your carotid arteries. To do so, place the tips of your fingers on the artery found at either side of your windpipe.
3
Avoid factors affecting your resting heart rate (RHR). Even if you check your pulse first thing in the morning, there are other factors affecting your RHR. You cannot have full control over them: just keep in mind the more you avoid these, the more accurate your RHR will be. These include:
- Hot weather
- Caffeine consumption
- Hormone fluctuations
- Stress
- Smoking
- Medications
- Checking your RHR after a workout day^[4]
4
Find out your heart rate reserve. Subtract your RHR from your HRmax. The resulting number is your heart rate reserve (HRmaxRESERVE). For example, if your HRmax is 180 and your RHR is 63, you should do this: 180 - 63 = 117.^[5]
- Your HRmaxRESERVE simply means the difference between your maximum heart rate and your resting heart rate.
5
Calculate the upper and lower limit of your THR. For your upper limit, you can figure 80% of the HRmaxRESERVE by multiplying this by 0.8, and adding your RHR to the resulting number. For example, (117 * 0.8) + 63 = 157 ^[6]
- For your lower limit, you can figure 60% of the HRmaxRESERVE by multiplying it by 0.6, and adding your RHR to the resulting number. For example, (117 * 0.6) + 63 = 133.
6
Add the upper and lower limits of your THR together and divide the sum by 2. This will give you your average target heart rate (THR). For example, (133 + 157) / 2 = 145.
- You can get a very similar result by simply multiplying HRmaxRESERVE by 0.70 and adding the resulting number to your RHR. For example, (117*0.70) +63 = 144.9.
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Calculating Your THR with the Karvonen Method

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Method Two of Three:
Estimating Your THREdit

1
Subtract 30 beats per minute (bpm) from your maximum heart rate (HRmax). To calculate your HRmax, subtract your age from 220. For example, if you're 30 you should do 220 - 30 = 190. For example, if your HRmax is 190, you should do 190-30 = 160.
- The Zoladz method is based on 5 adjuster zones corresponding to 5 levels of exercise, zone 1 (10bpm) being the lowest and zone 5 (50bpm) being the highest. 30bpm is the average, adjuster zone 3.
2
Find out your target heart rate (THR) by calculating a range of ± 5. For example, if the resulting number of the previous calculation was 160, your THR is between 155 and 165.^[7]
- As you can see, this is a more approximate method of calculating your THR, because it doesn't take into account your individual resting heart rate (RHR), and the result is a range of numbers rather than a single one. However, it is a much faster way to get an estimate if you don't have time to calculate your RHR over three days.
3
Determine your estimated THR based on your age. Although the THR differs from person to person based on how fast your heart beat is, how often you exercise and how old you are, there is a statistical average THR for each age group. To get an idea whether your THR is within the norm, check if it is within these ranges:
- 20 years: 100-170 bpm
- 30 years: 95-162 bpm
- 35 years: 93-157 bpm
- 40 years: 90-153 bpm
- 45 years: 88-149 bpm
- 50 years: 85-145 bpm
- 55 years: 83-140 bpm
- 60 years: 80-136 bpm
- 65 years: 78-132 bpm
- 70 years: 75-128 bpm^[8]
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Estimating Your THR

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Method Three of Three:
Determining Exercise Intensity by Using the THREdit

1
Check your heart rate during a workout session. In order to do this, you should: stop exercising, not allow yourself to rest before taking your pulse, and immediately resume exercise after the ten seconds. Then, multiply the number of beats per 10 seconds (your pulse) by 6 and you'll have your heart rate (beats per 60 seconds, that is beats per minute).
- A more accurate way of doing this is by using a heart monitor to get heart rate readings during a workout sessions. ^[9]
- This is not your THR, but your work-out heart rate.
2
Base the intensity of your physical activity on your THR. You can determine whether the intensity of your physical activity is low, moderate or high by measuring the work-out heart rate (bpm) against your THR. If your heart rate falls into the middle of your THR range or corresponds to your average THR, that means you're exercising at moderate intensity (50 to 70% of your HRmax). If it verges toward the upper limit, you're exercising at high intensity (70 to 85% of your HRmax).^[10]
- If you have just started working out, aim for a low to moderate intensity. You can increase it as your body gets used to exercising. ^[11]
- Your heart rate should also be in the lower range of your THR when you are warming up or cooling down.
- As you exercise, make sure your heart rate never goes beyond your maximum heart rate.
3
Ask for medical advice if you're out of shape or have a medical condition. You should talk to a doctor if you want to find out how intense your physical activity can be if you're in one of the following categories:
- You have a medical condition, like a irregular heartbeat or high blood pressure
- You're regularly taking medications that may alter your heart rate
- You are overweight
- You haven't exercised in a while (especially if you're over 40).^[12]
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Determining Exercise Intensity by Using the THR

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Community Q&A

Answered Questions

Are there simpler methods that may be used to find my target heart rate?
- The Zoladz method described above is much simpler than the Karvonen method, although it's not as reliable. Otherwise, you can check the table above to see what your THR range is based on your age.
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Can you tell me how to check an EKG report?
- I think this article could help: http://www.wikihow.com/Interpret-Echocardiograms
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Is this an accurate method of calculating THR?
- The Karvonen method is by far the most accurate. Remember to get your resting heart rate (RHR) over several days and calculate an average RHR, and to do so far from any action that might affect your RHR (for example, do not calculate your average RHR while you're taking medications that can affect your heart rate).
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What is my target heart rate? My resting heart rate is 70 bpm, I'm 31 yrs old, I'm 5'7", female, 159 pounds and 33% body fat
- You can calculate it by using the Karvonen method above. Your size, gender and body fat are irrelevant.
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Does this apply following a heart attack?
- Absolutely not. If you have a heart condition or had a heart attack, you should see your doctor. He/she will advise you on how much and whether you can exercise and what your average THR is based on your recovery.
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TipsEdit

During your workout, you should make sure that your heart rate falls within your target heart rate zone to maximize cardiovascular fitness.
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WarningsEdit

The target heart rate is only an estimate! If you get exhausted too early or too often, it means you are working out too hard and should ease off.
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