Understanding your heart rate is crucial for monitoring your fitness levels and overall cardiovascular health. There are several ways to calculate and interpret heart rate, depending on your goals.
This is an estimate, often calculated as 220 minus your age.
Commonly expressed as a range (e.g., 50-85%). Enter the lower and upper bounds.
Understanding Heart Rate
Your heart rate, or pulse, is the number of times your heart beats in one minute. It's a key indicator of your cardiovascular health and fitness. When you exercise, your heart rate increases to pump more oxygen-rich blood to your muscles.
Resting Heart Rate
Your resting heart rate is the heart rate when you are completely at rest, usually measured first thing in the morning before getting out of bed. A lower resting heart rate generally indicates better cardiovascular fitness. For adults, a normal resting heart rate is typically between 60 and 100 beats per minute (bpm). However, athletes may have resting heart rates as low as 40 bpm.
Maximum Heart Rate
Your maximum heart rate is the highest number of times your heart can beat per minute during intense physical activity. While it can be accurately measured in a lab setting, a common and simple way to estimate it is by subtracting your age from 220. So, if you are 30 years old, your estimated maximum heart rate would be 220 – 30 = 190 bpm.
Target Heart Rate Zones
Target heart rate zones are ranges of heart rate that are considered optimal for achieving specific fitness goals during exercise. These zones are usually expressed as a percentage of your maximum heart rate.
Moderate-Intensity Zone (50-70% of Max Heart Rate): This zone is good for general fitness, improving cardiovascular health, and helping with weight management. You should be able to talk but not sing.
Vigorous-Intensity Zone (70-85% of Max Heart Rate): This zone is for improving cardiovascular and aerobic fitness, and burning more calories. You will only be able to say a few words at a time.
Important Note: These calculations are estimations. For personalized advice, especially if you have underlying health conditions, consult with a healthcare professional.
function calculateMaxHeartRate() {
var ageInput = document.getElementById("age");
var maxHeartRateInput = document.getElementById("maxHeartRate");
if (ageInput.value && !isNaN(ageInput.value)) {
var age = parseInt(ageInput.value);
var estimatedMaxHeartRate = 220 – age;
maxHeartRateInput.value = estimatedMaxHeartRate;
} else {
alert("Please enter a valid age first to estimate Maximum Heart Rate.");
}
}
function calculateHeartRateZones() {
var ageInput = document.getElementById("age");
var restHeartRateInput = document.getElementById("restHeartRate");
var maxHeartRateInput = document.getElementById("maxHeartRate");
var lowerPercentageInput = document.getElementById("lowerPercentage");
var upperPercentageInput = document.getElementById("upperPercentage");
var resultDiv = document.getElementById("heartRateResult");
var errorMessage = "";
if (!ageInput.value || isNaN(ageInput.value)) {
errorMessage += "Please enter a valid age.\n";
}
if (!restHeartRateInput.value || isNaN(restHeartRateInput.value)) {
errorMessage += "Please enter a valid Resting Heart Rate.\n";
}
if (!maxHeartRateInput.value || isNaN(maxHeartRateInput.value)) {
errorMessage += "Please enter or estimate a valid Maximum Heart Rate.\n";
}
if (!lowerPercentageInput.value || isNaN(lowerPercentageInput.value)) {
errorMessage += "Please enter a valid Lower Target Heart Rate Percentage.\n";
}
if (!upperPercentageInput.value || isNaN(upperPercentageInput.value)) {
errorMessage += "Please enter a valid Upper Target Heart Rate Percentage.\n";
}
if (errorMessage) {
alert(errorMessage);
resultDiv.innerHTML = "";
return;
}
var age = parseInt(ageInput.value);
var restingHeartRate = parseInt(restHeartRateInput.value);
var maxHeartRate = parseInt(maxHeartRateInput.value);
var lowerPercentage = parseFloat(lowerPercentageInput.value);
var upperPercentage = parseFloat(upperPercentageInput.value);
// Validate percentages
if (lowerPercentage 100 || upperPercentage 100) {
alert("Percentages must be between 0 and 100.");
resultDiv.innerHTML = "";
return;
}
if (lowerPercentage > upperPercentage) {
alert("Lower percentage cannot be greater than the Upper percentage.");
resultDiv.innerHTML = "";
return;
}
var heartRateReserve = maxHeartRate – restingHeartRate;
var lowerTargetRate = Math.round(restingHeartRate + (heartRateReserve * (lowerPercentage / 100)));
var upperTargetRate = Math.round(restingHeartRate + (heartRateReserve * (upperPercentage / 100)));
var resultHTML = "
Your Target Heart Rate Zones:
";
resultHTML += "Based on your age (" + age + "), resting heart rate (" + restingHeartRate + " bpm), and estimated maximum heart rate (" + maxHeartRate + " bpm), your target heart rate zone for " + lowerPercentage + "% to " + upperPercentage + "% is:";
resultHTML += "Zone: " + lowerTargetRate + " – " + upperTargetRate + " beats per minute (bpm)";
resultHTML += "For moderate-intensity exercise, aim for 50-70% of your max heart rate. For vigorous-intensity, aim for 70-85%.";
resultDiv.innerHTML = resultHTML;
}