Zone 2 Heart Rate Calculator
Estimate the heart rate range that corresponds to Zone 2 training. This calculator uses 60% to 70% of your maximum heart rate.
Your entries stay in your browser. This tool does not store, transmit, or sell the values you enter.
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The age-based method is intended for adults. If you know your actual maximum heart rate, use that option instead.
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A measured maximum can be more useful than an age-based estimate when the measurement is reliable.
Your estimated Zone 2 heart rate
beats per minute (bpm)
See how this was calculated
How the Zone 2 calculator works
This calculator defines Zone 2 as approximately 60% to 70% of maximum heart rate. This is the Zone 2 range described by Cleveland Clinic.
Maximum heart rate × 0.60
Maximum heart rate × 0.70
For example, if your maximum heart rate is 180 bpm, 60% is 108 bpm and 70% is 126 bpm. Your estimated Zone 2 range would therefore be about 108 to 126 bpm.
How maximum heart rate is estimated
If you do not enter a known maximum heart rate, the calculator uses the Tanaka equation:
Maximum heart rate = 208 − (0.7 × age)
The equation was developed from research involving healthy adults and is
generally more evidence-based than treating 220 − age as an
exact rule. However, any age-based equation is still only an estimate.
Actual maximum heart rate can differ substantially between people of the
same age.
The original equation is described in the Tanaka maximum heart rate study.
What your Zone 2 result means
The number shown by the calculator is a heart rate range, not a single heart rate you must hold exactly. It provides a practical estimate of the intensity commonly described as Zone 2.
Zone 2 exercise should generally feel sustainable rather than like a maximum effort. Cleveland Clinic describes it as a comfortable workout intensity that can usually be maintained for a longer period.
Why might another calculator give a different result?
There is no single heart rate zone system used everywhere. Another calculator, fitness watch or training app may produce different numbers because it uses a different definition of Zone 2 or a different method for estimating maximum heart rate.
For example, some systems use the traditional 220 − age
formula, while others use heart rate reserve, measured exercise
thresholds or personalized zones from exercise testing.
Because of these differences, compare the calculation method as well as the final number when two tools disagree.
Common mistakes when calculating Zone 2
- Entering resting heart rate as maximum heart rate. They are different measurements.
- Treating an age estimate as your exact maximum. Age formulas describe population averages and can differ from your actual maximum.
- Assuming every app uses the same zones. Zone boundaries can vary according to the method being used.
- Trying to stay on one exact number. Zone 2 is a range rather than a single required heart rate.
Important limitations
This calculator provides a general exercise-intensity estimate. It does not measure your aerobic threshold, diagnose a health condition or provide an individualized exercise prescription.
The American Heart Association notes that some medications and heart conditions can affect heart rate and therefore change an appropriate exercise target. In those situations, a health professional can provide a more suitable range.
Methodology and sources
The calculator first determines maximum heart rate from either the value supplied by the user or the Tanaka equation. It then multiplies that maximum by 0.60 and 0.70 and rounds each boundary to the nearest whole beat per minute.
- Cleveland Clinic for the 60% to 70% of maximum heart rate Zone 2 definition.
-
Tanaka et al.
for the
208 − 0.7 × agemaximum heart rate equation. - American Heart Association for general guidance on target heart rates and factors that can affect them.
Methodology last reviewed: September 23, 2026