Zone 2 Heart Rate Calculator
Map out your Zone 2 band and training zones in a few taps
Zone 2, training zones and practical questions
What is Zone 2 training in simple terms?
Zone 2 is usually described as easy, steady cardio that sits around 60–70% of your estimated maximum heart rate. It should feel like you can talk in sentences, but you are clearly doing some work. Many runners and cyclists use this zone for longer endurance sessions because it stresses the heart and aerobic system without pushing you into heavy breathing or deep fatigue.
How does this calculator estimate my heart-rate zones?
First, it estimates your maximum heart rate from age using a simple 220 − age style formula. Then it builds a 5-zone table using percentages of that maximum (and, if you provide it, your heart-rate reserve, which is max HR minus resting HR). Zone 2 is the slice that sits roughly between 60% and 70% of that training number.
Why bother with resting heart rate?
Two people the same age can have very different resting pulses. Using only age-based maximum heart rate treats them as identical. Adding resting heart rate lets the calculator estimate heart-rate reserve, which can narrow your Zone 2 window in a way that reflects your own baseline fitness a little better. If you do not know your resting pulse, the tool uses percentage of max HR only.
What should Zone 2 feel like during a workout?
Many people describe Zone 2 as a pace where you could chat but not sing. Breathing should be deeper than at rest but still controlled. If you cannot get a sentence out without gasping, you are likely in a higher zone. If you can talk easily for minutes without pausing, you are probably in Zone 1 or even lower.
Is this safe to use if I have heart disease or take heart medications?
If you have known heart disease, chest pain, fainting, serious rhythm problems, or you take medications that slow your pulse (such as some beta-blockers), generic zone formulas can be misleading or unsafe. In those cases you should ask your cardiologist or healthcare team for personalised limits and follow their advice over any online calculator.
How much time should I spend in Zone 2 each week?
Many training plans encourage a large share of weekly cardio at an easy, conversational pace similar to Zone 2, with shorter blocks in higher zones. The exact mix depends on your goals, injury history, schedule and health. Physical activity guidelines often mention at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week for adults, which many people roughly match with Zone 2 style training, but the best plan is the one agreed with your own coach or clinician.
Does a perfect Zone 2 number matter more than how I feel?
Not really. Heart-rate formulas are approximations. On some days your heart rate will drift higher or lower at the same pace because of heat, sleep, stress, caffeine, dehydration or illness. Using both numbers and body signals (breathing, talk test, perceived effort) usually beats chasing one exact bpm number on your watch.
Can beginners use Zone 2, or is it only for serious athletes?
Beginners can absolutely use Zone 2 ideas. In fact, many people find that starting with mostly easy, conversational cardio and gradually layering in higher-intensity work is more sustainable than going hard from day one. If you are new to exercise or have health concerns, check in with a professional before ramping up.
How to use this Zone 2 calculator before your next cardio session
This page turns your age and resting heart rate into an estimated Zone 2 band and a simple 5-zone table. It is meant to help you plan steady runs, rides, walks or other cardio without overthinking a dozen numbers each time you lace up.
1. Measure resting heart rate when you are truly at rest
If possible, check your pulse after several minutes of quiet sitting or lying down, or use a sleep or resting HR readout from your tracker. Count beats for 30 seconds and double the number, or use your device’s resting HR value. A typical healthy adult resting pulse often sits somewhere between about 50 and 80 bpm, but there is wide variation.
2. Enter age and resting HR, then tap calculate
Add your age in years and, if you have it, your resting heart rate. When you select Calculate Zone 2 and training zones, the tool estimates your maximum heart rate from age, then builds a set of zones using percentage bands. If you provided resting HR, it uses that information to apply a heart-rate reserve style approach.
3. Check your Zone 2 window and full zones table
The result card highlights:
- Your estimated maximum heart rate in beats per minute.
- Your Zone 2 band as a lower and upper bpm range.
- A 5-zone table showing percentage bands and bpm ranges for each zone.
You can use the Zone 2 range to steer most easy runs or rides and the higher zones when you plan intervals, tempo work or hill sessions.
4. Copy the summary for training logs or consultations
The Copy summary button lets you paste your current numbers into a training log, notes app or message thread with your coach or clinician. That way everyone is looking at the same ranges when you talk about how to structure your week.
Remember that heart-rate zones are a tool, not a verdict. On days when you feel unwell, unusually short of breath, dizzy or have chest discomfort, you should stop and seek medical advice, even if your heart rate sits inside a “normal” zone on the screen.
How the Zone 2 and training zone math works
The calculator keeps the heart-rate math transparent. It uses a simple age-based formula to approximate maximum heart rate, then applies percentage bands that match common 5-zone frameworks. If you share resting pulse, it also estimates heart-rate reserve, which some athletes find closer to how real sessions feel.
1. Estimate maximum heart rate from age
First, the tool estimates your maximum heart rate (HRmax) using a basic equation similar to what many public charts show:
Estimated HRmax ≈ 220 − age (years)
This is a rough population average, not a personalised test result. Some people’s true maximum will be higher or lower than this number.
2. Optionally calculate heart-rate reserve
If you add resting heart rate (HRrest), the calculator estimates your heart-rate reserve (HRR):
HRR = HRmax − HRrest
For each zone, it then finds a range using a Karvonen-style formula:
Target HR = HRrest + (HRR × zone percentage)
If you skip resting HR, the calculator falls back to simpler % of HRmax bands.
3. Define the 5 main training zones
The tool divides intensity into five broad zones using percentage bands commonly seen in endurance training:
- Zone 1: about 50–60% (very easy, warm-up and recovery)
- Zone 2: about 60–70% (easy endurance, “conversational” pace)
- Zone 3: about 70–80% (moderate, comfortably hard)
- Zone 4: about 80–90% (hard intervals and hill efforts)
- Zone 5: about 90–100% (very hard, short bursts near max)
These ranges are there to help you spread training time across easier and harder work, not to lock you into one “perfect” number.
4. Round to whole-number beats per minute
Finally, the calculator rounds each zone’s lower and upper limits to whole-number beats per minute. That keeps the result easy to read on a watch face or gym display while still staying close to the underlying percentage math.
As with any training tool, this math is best used as a starting point. If your coach or healthcare team gives you different limits after a fitness test, ECG or stress test, follow those personalised numbers instead.
References and further reading on heart rate zones
These resources explain how target heart rates and training zones are usually defined and why they are only one part of a safe exercise plan:
- American Heart Association — Target heart rates — outlines how to estimate maximum heart rate from age and shows target ranges for moderate and vigorous exercise by age group.
- Cleveland Clinic — Exercise heart rate zones explained — describes training zones, including how Zone 2 fits into an overall endurance and fitness plan.
- Polar — Heart rate zones guide — gives examples of how different heart rate zones feel and how they are used for cardio training in practice.
Use these as background reading and pair them with personalised clearance and targets from your own doctor or exercise professional, especially if you have heart or circulation problems or take medicines that change your heart rate.