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Target Heart Rate Calculator (Karvonen Formula)

Just enter your age, resting heart rate and exercise intensity to instantly calculate your target heart rate with the Karvonen formula. A quick-reference table by intensity is shown too.

Input

Enter your age, resting heart rate and target exercise intensity to calculate your target heart rate with the Karvonen formula.

yrs
bpm

Exercise intensity

60%

50–60% suits fat burning and beginners, while 70–85% is the moderate-to-high range for building endurance.

Result

Target heart rate at 60% intensity

approx. 132bpm

Beats per minute (Karvonen formula)

Max heart rate (220 − age)

180 bpm

Heart rate reserve (HRR)

120 bpm

Intensity

60%

Target heart rate by intensity (quick reference)

IntensityGuideTarget HR (bpm)
40%Very light (warm-up)approx. 108
50%Light (fat burning / beginner)approx. 120
60%Fairly light (fat burning)approx. 132
70%Moderate (aerobic / endurance)approx. 144
80%Fairly hard (endurance gains)approx. 156
85%Hard (high intensity)approx. 162

How it works

  • Maximum heart rate is estimated with the formula "220 − age". This is a statistical estimate and varies by individual.
  • Heart rate reserve (HRR) is calculated as "maximum heart rate − resting heart rate".
  • Target heart rate is calculated with the Karvonen formula: "(maximum heart rate − resting heart rate) × intensity(%) + resting heart rate".
  • Exercise intensity can be set from 40% to 85%. 50–60% suits fat burning and beginners, while 70–85% is the moderate-to-high range for building endurance.
  • The quick-reference table lists six levels: 40% (warm-up), 50% (light), 60% (fairly light), 70% (moderate), 80% (fairly hard) and 85% (hard).
  • The values shown are reference figures for health management. If you have a heart condition, high blood pressure or another chronic illness, consult a doctor before exercising.