Zone 2 is the steady effort that builds your aerobic base, but most people drift above it without realising. This calculator gives you a heart rate range to train in, so you can hold back when it feels too easy and know you’re still doing the work. For the full picture of what Zone 2 does and why it matters, read our Zone 2 briefing.
Find Your Zone 2 Range
Zone 2 Heart Rate
Your steady, conversational training range
Check it with the talk test. You should be able to speak in full sentences, but would rather not. If you can sing, go a little harder. If you’re down to single words, ease off.
Zone 2 shown as 60–70% of maximum heart rate. Without a measured maximum, it is estimated with the Tanaka formula (208 − 0.7 × age), which can be 10 or more beats out either way. Medicines such as beta blockers lower heart rate, so use the talk test instead and speak to your GP if you take them or have a heart condition. Nothing you enter is stored.
How to Use Your Range
- Wear a chest strap if you can. Wrist-based watches are less accurate, particularly when your arms are moving.
- Give your heart rate time to settle. It takes a few minutes to rise and steady, so warm up gently before judging where you are.
- Let the talk test have the final say. Formulas are estimates. If the number and the talk test disagree, go by how your breathing feels.
- Expect it to feel too easy. That is the point. Drifting into a harder middle zone feels productive but leaves you tired without building the same base.
Any steady activity works: a brisk uphill walk, an easy cycle, a cross trainer or a rowing machine. Pick whatever you will actually do three or more times a week.
Build It Into Your Week
The Executive Longevity Blueprint is our 90-day manual for fitting movement, sleep and recovery around a demanding career.
This calculator is for general information and does not replace personalised medical advice. Speak to your GP before starting a new exercise programme, particularly if you have a heart condition, take medication that affects heart rate, or are pregnant. Your inputs are calculated in your browser and are not stored or sent anywhere.
Evidence & References
- Tanaka H, Monahan KD, Seals DR (2001). Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 37(1), 153–156. doi:10.1016/S0735-1097(00)01054-8
- Bull FC, et al. (2020). World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. British Journal of Sports Medicine. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2020-102955