Heart Rate Exercise Calculator

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Understanding Your Target Heart Rate Zones for Exercise

Maintaining an appropriate heart rate during exercise is crucial for maximizing its benefits, whether you're aiming to improve cardiovascular health, burn fat, or enhance athletic performance. Your target heart rate zone is a range that your heart rate should fall into during aerobic exercise to achieve the desired results. This zone is typically expressed as a percentage of your maximum heart rate (MHR).

What is Maximum Heart Rate (MHR)?

Your MHR is the highest number of times your heart can realistically beat in one minute during strenuous physical activity. A common and widely accepted formula to estimate MHR is 220 minus your age. While this is a good starting point, individual MHR can vary based on genetics, fitness level, and other factors.

What are Target Heart Rate Zones?

Target heart rate zones are calculated as a percentage of your MHR. These zones help you gauge the intensity of your workout:

  • Moderate-Intensity Zone (50% to 70% of MHR): This zone is excellent for general fitness, improving cardiovascular health, and burning calories. You should be able to talk but not sing during activities in this zone.
  • Vigorous-Intensity Zone (70% to 85% of MHR): This zone is for improving cardiovascular and aerobic fitness. You'll be able to say a few words but not carry on a conversation. This zone is also highly effective for fat burning.

How to Use the Target Heart Rate Calculator

To find your target heart rate zones, simply enter your age into the calculator below. It will estimate your maximum heart rate and then provide the heart rate ranges for both the moderate and vigorous intensity zones.

Example: Let's say you are 30 years old. Your estimated MHR would be 220 – 30 = 190 beats per minute (bpm).
For the moderate-intensity zone (50%-70%):
Lower end: 190 bpm * 0.50 = 95 bpm
Upper end: 190 bpm * 0.70 = 133 bpm
So, your target heart rate for moderate intensity would be between 95 and 133 bpm.
For the vigorous-intensity zone (70%-85%):
Lower end: 190 bpm * 0.70 = 133 bpm
Upper end: 190 bpm * 0.85 = 161.5 bpm (round to 162 bpm)
Your target heart rate for vigorous intensity would be between 133 and 162 bpm.

function calculateHeartRateZones() { var age = document.getElementById("age").value; var resultDiv = document.getElementById("heartRateResult"); resultDiv.innerHTML = ""; // Clear previous results if (age === "" || isNaN(age) || age 100) { resultDiv.innerHTML = "Please enter a valid age between 10 and 100."; return; } var ageNum = parseFloat(age); var maxHeartRate = 220 – ageNum; var moderateLower = maxHeartRate * 0.50; var moderateUpper = maxHeartRate * 0.70; var vigorousLower = maxHeartRate * 0.70; var vigorousUpper = maxHeartRate * 0.85; resultDiv.innerHTML = "

Your Target Heart Rate Zones:

" + "Estimated Maximum Heart Rate: " + maxHeartRate.toFixed(0) + " bpm" + "Moderate-Intensity Zone (50%-70%): " + moderateLower.toFixed(0) + " – " + moderateUpper.toFixed(0) + " bpm" + "Vigorous-Intensity Zone (70%-85%): " + vigorousLower.toFixed(0) + " – " + vigorousUpper.toFixed(0) + " bpm"; }

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