Health calculators

Zone 2 Calculator

Updated Sep 11, 2026 By Jehan Wadia
Rate Formulas Medical disclaimer
Your Details
Whole years, 10–100.
Measure your pulse for 60 seconds first thing in the morning, before getting out of bed.
From a lab test or a max-effort field test. Select “Manual” below to use it.
Used only to suggest sex-specific max-HR formulas.
Drives your weekly volume target and pace estimate.
Calculation Method
Fox (1971) — the classic 220 − age rule; simple, but individual values vary by ±10–12 bpm.
MAF adjustment (applies when the MAF method is selected)
Zone Boundary Method
Karvonen: Target HR = ((Max HR − Resting HR) × Zone %) + Resting HR.
RPE Scale
Optional Add-Ons
Your Zone 2 Training Range
132 – 144 BPM
Talk test: you should be able to speak in full sentences, but singing would be difficult.
Maximum Heart Rate used180 BPM
Resting Heart Rate entered60 BPM
Heart Rate Reserve (Max − Rest)120 BPM
Zone 2 target RPE4–5 / 10
Zone 2 mid-point138 BPM
Zone Gauge (Zone 1 → Zone 5)
Full text equivalent of this gauge is given in the “All Five Heart Rate Zones” table below.
Zone Cards
All Five Heart Rate Zones
Heart rate zones calculated from your inputs. Zone 2 is highlighted as your target zone.
Zone Name Intensity BPM Range RPE (1–10) Feels like / trains
Your Zone 2 Plan

Recommended weekly Zone 2 volume
Estimated VO₂ Max
45.0 ml/kg/min
Uth–Sørensen–Overgaard–Pedersen estimate: 15 × (Max HR ÷ Resting HR). An estimate, not a lab measurement.
Max HR ÷ Resting HR3.00
Estimated MET capacity12.9 METs
Zone 2 as % of VO₂ max≈ 60–70%
Zone 2 Running Pace Estimate
6:31 – 7:18 min/km
Entered race pace5:00 min/km
Equivalent 10K pace (Riegel)5:13 min/km
Zone 2 speed9.2 – 8.2 km/h (5.7 – 5.1 mph)
Zone Ranges Chart
Zone 2 Across All Formulas
Zone 2 range each max-HR formula would give for your current inputs.
Formula Max HR Zone 2 Range Difference vs. selected
Step-by-Step Solution

Introduction

Zone 2 is the easy pace where you can still talk while you move. It builds your aerobic base, trains your body to burn fat for fuel, and helps your heart get stronger. It should take up the biggest part of your weekly training time.

This Zone 2 calculator finds your heart rate range in beats per minute (BPM) from your age and resting heart rate. You can also add your known max heart rate, pick a formula like Fox, Tanaka, Gulati, Nes, Gelish, or MAF, and choose between the Karvonen (heart rate reserve) method or a simple percent of max heart rate.

Along with that range, the tool shows all five heart rate zones, a color gauge, RPE levels, how many hours of Zone 2 to do each week for your fitness level, an estimated VO₂ max, and a Zone 2 running pace based on a recent race time. Step-by-step math shows how every number was found, so you can check the work yourself.

How to use our Zone 2 Calculator

Enter your age, resting heart rate, and a few training details. The calculator shows your Zone 2 heart rate range in BPM, all five heart rate zones, a weekly training plan, your estimated VO₂ max, and an easy running pace.

Age (years): Type your age in whole years, from 10 to 100. This sets your estimated max heart rate.

Resting Heart Rate (BPM): Count your pulse for 60 seconds in the morning before you get up, then type that number.

Known Max Heart Rate (optional): If you have tested your true max heart rate, type it here. To use it, pick "Manual" in the formula menu.

Biological Sex: Pick male, female, or other. This helps us suggest the best max heart rate formula for you.

Fitness Level: Choose beginner, intermediate, advanced, or athlete. This sets your weekly Zone 2 hours and your easy pace range.

Maximum Heart Rate Formula: Pick the formula you want. Fox (220 − age) is the simple default. Tanaka, Gulati, Nes, and Gelish are newer options. MAF sets an aerobic cap instead.

MAF adjustment: Only used with the MAF method. Pick −10 if you are new or sick often, −5 if you are coming back, 0 if you train steady, or +5 if you have trained well for 2+ years.

Zone Boundary Method: Choose "% of Max HR" for the simple way, or "Karvonen" to include your resting heart rate. Karvonen usually gives a higher, more personal range.

RPE Scale: Pick RPE 1–10 or Borg 6–20. This changes how effort is shown in the zone cards and table.

Show estimated VO₂ max: Turn this on to see your estimated VO₂ max and MET score.

Show Zone 2 running pace estimate: Turn this on to get an easy run pace based on a recent race.

Recent Race Distance: Type how far you raced and pick km, mi, or m.

Race Time: Type the hours, minutes, and seconds it took you to finish that race.

Show Pace In: Choose min/km or min/mi for your pace results.

Press Calculate to see your results, Reset to start over, or Print / Save as PDF to keep a copy.

What Is Zone 2 Training?

Zone 2 is easy, steady cardio. Your heart beats at about 60–70% of its top speed. It feels light to moderate. You can talk in full sentences, but you could not sing. It is called the "aerobic base" zone because it builds the engine that powers all your other training.

Why Zone 2 Matters

Slow work does big things inside your body. Training in Zone 2 helps you:

  • Burn more fat for fuel instead of only sugar
  • Grow more mitochondria, the tiny power plants in your muscles
  • Make your heart stronger so it pumps more blood each beat
  • Lower your resting heart rate over time
  • Recover faster and get hurt less often than with hard training

Many endurance athletes spend about 80% of their training time at this easy pace and only 20% going hard. That mix is often called polarized training.

The Five Heart Rate Zones

Coaches split effort into five zones. Zone 1 is very light recovery. Zone 2 is easy aerobic work. Zone 3 is tempo, or "comfortably hard." Zone 4 is threshold work, where talking gets hard. Zone 5 is all-out sprinting. Each zone trains something different, but Zone 2 is the base that holds the rest up.

How Zone 2 Heart Rate Is Found

First you need your maximum heart rate (Max HR). The old rule is 220 minus your age. Newer formulas like Tanaka (208 − 0.7 × age), Gulati (for women), and Nes often fit real people better, especially adults over 40. A lab test or a max-effort field test gives the most exact number.

Then you pick a zone method:

  • % of Max HR: Zone 2 is 60–70% of your max. Simple and quick.
  • Karvonen (Heart Rate Reserve): Target HR = ((Max HR − Resting HR) × 60–70%) + Resting HR. This one uses your resting pulse, so it fits fitter people better.
  • MAF (Maffetone): 180 − your age, with a small plus or minus based on your training history. Your aerobic range is that number minus 10, up to that number.

How to Measure Your Resting Heart Rate

Check your pulse for a full 60 seconds right when you wake up, before you get out of bed. Do this for three mornings and use the average. Most adults land between 60 and 100 beats per minute. Trained athletes are often in the 40s or 50s.

The Talk Test

No heart rate monitor? Use your voice. In Zone 2 you should speak a full sentence without gasping. If you can only get out a few words, you have drifted into Zone 3 or higher. If you can sing easily, speed up a little.

How Much Zone 2 Should You Do?

  • Beginner: 1–1.5 hours a week, in 20–30 minute sessions
  • Intermediate: 3–4 hours a week, in 45–75 minute sessions
  • Advanced: 5–8 hours a week
  • Athlete: 6–10+ hours a week

Sessions of at least 45 minutes work best, since the main gains build up over time at a steady effort. Walking uphill, easy jogging, cycling, rowing, and swimming all work.

Things to Keep in Mind

Formula-based max heart rates are estimates. Real values can be 10–12 beats higher or lower than the math says. Heat, stress, caffeine, poor sleep, and illness can push your heart rate up on any given day. Use the numbers as a guide, and let the talk test be your backup. If you have a heart condition or take medicine that changes your heart rate, such as beta blockers, talk to your doctor before setting training zones.

Formulas used

Maximum heart rate estimates (age-based formulas)
\begin{aligned} MHR_{Fox} &= 220 - \text{age} \\ MHR_{Tanaka} &= 208 - (0.7 \times \text{age}) \\ MHR_{Gulati} &= 206 - (0.88 \times \text{age}) \\ MHR_{Nes} &= 211 - (0.64 \times \text{age}) \\ MHR_{Gelish} &= 207 - (0.7 \times \text{age}) \end{aligned}
Karvonen (heart rate reserve) zone boundary
HR_{target} = \left( (MHR - RHR) \times \%_{zone} \right) + RHR
Percentage of max HR zone boundary
HR_{target} = MHR \times \%_{zone}
Zone 2 range (60–70%) and mid-point
\text{Zone 2} = \left[ HR_{60\%},\ HR_{70\%} \right], \quad HR_{mid} = \frac{HR_{60\%} + HR_{70\%}}{2}
MAF (Maffetone) aerobic Zone 2 band
MAF = 180 - \text{age} \pm adj, \quad \text{Zone 2} = \left[ MAF - 10,\ MAF \right]
Estimated VO2 max and MET capacity
VO_{2}max \approx 15 \times \frac{MHR}{RHR}, \quad METs = \frac{VO_{2}max}{3.5}
Riegel equivalent 10K time and 10K pace
T_{10K} = T_{race} \times \left( \frac{10}{d_{km}} \right)^{1.06}, \quad pace_{10K} = \frac{T_{10K}}{10}
Zone 2 running pace from 10K pace
pace_{Z2} = pace_{10K} \times f, \quad f \in \left[ f_{low},\ f_{high} \right]

Frequently asked questions

What heart rate is Zone 2 for a 50-year-old?

Using the simple rule, a 50-year-old has an estimated max heart rate of 170 BPM (220 − 50). Zone 2 is 60–70% of that, so about 102–119 BPM.

If you use the Karvonen method with a resting heart rate of 60, the range moves up to about 126–137 BPM. Karvonen ranges are higher because they count your resting pulse. Both are estimates, so check them against the talk test.

Is walking fast enough to count as Zone 2?

For many people, yes. Brisk walking, especially uphill or on a treadmill incline, pushes most beginners right into Zone 2.

Fitter people often need a slow jog, a bike ride, or a rowing machine to get their heart rate up that high. The activity does not matter. Only the heart rate and effort matter.

Why does my heart rate go too high even when I run slowly?

This is normal when your aerobic base is still small. Your heart has to work hard even at an easy pace.

The fix is to slow down more, even if that means walking part of the time. Many runners use a run/walk mix at first. After a few months of steady easy work, you will run faster at the same heart rate.

Can I do Zone 2 training every day?

Yes, most people can. Zone 2 is easy enough that it does not wear you down like hard intervals do.

Still, take at least one lighter or rest day each week, and build your weekly time slowly. Add no more than about 10% more total time per week to avoid sore joints and burnout.

How long does it take to see results from Zone 2 training?

Most people notice easier breathing and a faster pace at the same heart rate in 6 to 12 weeks.

A lower resting heart rate usually shows up after 8–12 weeks of steady work. Big changes in mitochondria and fat burning keep building for months and years, so stay patient.

Does Zone 2 training burn fat and help you lose weight?

Zone 2 burns the highest share of calories from fat. But hard workouts burn more total calories per minute.

For weight loss, what counts most is total calories burned and what you eat. Zone 2 helps because you can do a lot of it without getting hurt or worn out, so the minutes add up fast.

Is Zone 2 the same as the fat burning zone on gym machines?

They are close, but not the same. The "fat burn" setting on a treadmill or bike is usually 60–70% of max heart rate, which matches Zone 2 on the percent-of-max method.

Gym machines use a simple 220 − age guess and often do not know your resting heart rate. Your real Zone 2 may sit higher or lower than the machine shows.

Do I need a chest strap for Zone 2, or is a wrist watch good enough?

A chest strap reads the heart's electrical signal and is much more exact. Wrist watches use light through the skin and can lag or misread, especially when your arms move a lot.

Because Zone 2 is a narrow band, a strap makes it easier to stay in range. A wrist watch is usually fine for steady cycling or walking.

How can I test my max heart rate without a lab?

A simple field test: warm up for 15 minutes, then run hard uphill for 3 minutes. Jog easy for 2–3 minutes, then run hard uphill for 3 more minutes, pushing to your limit in the last minute. The highest number you see is close to your true max.

Only do this if you are healthy and already training. Ask your doctor first if you have any heart concerns.

Why does my heart rate creep up during a long run at the same pace?

That is called cardiac drift. As you sweat, your blood volume drops and your body heats up, so your heart beats faster to do the same job.

Heat, dehydration, and long sessions all make it worse. Drink fluids, and slow down a little to stay in Zone 2 instead of pushing the pace.

Does Zone 2 training raise your VO₂ max?

Yes. Zone 2 builds the base of VO₂ max by growing mitochondria, adding capillaries, and making your heart pump more blood per beat.

To reach your top VO₂ max, add a small amount of hard Zone 4–5 work, about 20% of your weekly time. The classic mix is 80% easy and 20% hard.

How do beta blockers change your heart rate zones?

Beta blockers lower both your resting and your max heart rate, often by 20–30 BPM. Age-based formulas will give you numbers that are far too high.

If you take them, ask your doctor for a supervised exercise test to set real zones. Until then, use the talk test and rate of perceived effort instead of BPM.

Is your Zone 2 heart rate different for cycling and running?

Yes. Cycling heart rate is usually about 5–10 BPM lower than running at the same effort, because you sit down and use less muscle mass. Swimming is often lower still.

If you train in more than one sport, it is best to set zones for each one using a sport-specific max heart rate test.

What is the gray zone and why should I avoid it?

The gray zone, or "black hole," is Zone 3. It is too hard to recover from easily, but not hard enough to build top-end fitness.

Many people spend most of their training there because easy feels too slow and hard feels too tiring. Keep easy days truly easy in Zone 2, and save hard days for real intervals.

How long should one Zone 2 session be?

Aim for at least 45 minutes once you are able. The biggest changes in your muscles come from staying at a steady easy effort for a long time.

Beginners should start at 20–30 minutes and add 5 minutes each week. Trained athletes often go 60–150 minutes per session.

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