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Training · Heart rate

Zone 2 Heart Rate by Age

Zone 2 heart rate is 60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate, and it drops as you age. At 30 it is about 114 to 133 bpm, at 40 about 108 to 126 bpm, at 50 about 102 to 119 bpm, and at 60 about 96 to 112 bpm. The full chart below covers every age from 20 to 80.

Zone 2 heart rate chart (ages 20 to 80)

Zone 2 heart rate is 60 to 70 percent of maximum heart rate, and max HR falls roughly one bpm per year. At 30 the range is 114 to 133 bpm, at 40 it is 108 to 126 bpm, at 50 it is 102 to 119 bpm, and at 60 it is 96 to 112 bpm.

Max HR estimated as 220 minus age. Zone 2 is 60 to 70 percent of max HR.

AgeMax HR (bpm)Zone 2 range (bpm)Zone 2 midpoint
20200120 to 140130
25195117 to 137127
30190114 to 133124
35185111 to 130121
40180108 to 126117
45175105 to 122114
50170102 to 119111
5516599 to 115107
6016096 to 112104
6515593 to 109101
7015090 to 10598
7514587 to 10295
8014084 to 9891

This chart uses the population-average 220-age formula. Your true max heart rate can differ by 10 to 20 bpm, so use the calculator with your resting HR or a measured max for a more personal range.

For personalized zones based on your resting heart rate, use the Heart Rate Zone Calculator.

Learn how to use Zone 2 training effectively: Zone 2 Cardio guide.

Heart rate zones by age chart (all five zones)

All five heart rate training zones scale with your maximum heart rate, roughly 220 minus your age. At 40, max HR is about 180 bpm: Zone 1 is 90 to 108 bpm, Zone 2 is 108 to 126, Zone 3 is 126 to 144, Zone 4 is 144 to 162, and Zone 5 is 162 to 180. The full chart by decade is below.

Zones as a share of max HR: Zone 1 (50 to 60 percent), Zone 2 (60 to 70), Zone 3 (70 to 80), Zone 4 (80 to 90), Zone 5 (90 to 100). Max HR estimated as 220 minus age.

AgeMax HRZ1 RecoveryZ2 AerobicZ3 TempoZ4 ThresholdZ5 VO2 Max
20200100 to 120120 to 140140 to 160160 to 180180 to 200
3019095 to 114114 to 133133 to 152152 to 171171 to 190
4018090 to 108108 to 126126 to 144144 to 162162 to 180
5017085 to 102102 to 119119 to 136136 to 153153 to 170
6016080 to 9696 to 112112 to 128128 to 144144 to 160
7015075 to 9090 to 105105 to 120120 to 135135 to 150
8014070 to 8484 to 9898 to 112112 to 126126 to 140

Want every age, not just by decade, plus the Karvonen method using your resting heart rate? Use the Heart Rate Zone Calculator.

For what each of the five zones trains and how to use them, see the heart rate zones guide.

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How to find your Zone 2 more precisely

The three most common methods are the 220-minus-age formula (fast but rough), the Karvonen method that factors in your resting heart rate (more personal), and the talk test (free and surprisingly reliable). For most athletes, Karvonen or the talk test will be more accurate than a simple age chart.

Max HR formula

220 minus age, times 60 to 70 percent. Fast, but a rough average. This is what the chart above uses.

Karvonen method

Uses your resting heart rate too: (max minus resting) times 60 to 70 percent, plus resting. More personal. The calculator does this for you.

Talk test

The hardest effort where you can still speak full sentences. Free, surprisingly reliable, and needs no device.

Want your exact zones, not just by age?

The Heart Rate Zone Calculator factors in your resting heart rate and an optional measured max, then outputs your personal Zone 2 ceiling in bpm alongside all five training zones using either the percent-of-max or Karvonen method.

Open the calculator

Zone 2 heart rate by age FAQ

What is a good Zone 2 heart rate by age?

Zone 2 is 60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate, and max heart rate falls with age. At 30 it is about 114 to 133 bpm, at 40 about 108 to 126 bpm, at 50 about 102 to 119 bpm, and at 60 about 96 to 112 bpm. Use the full chart below for every age.

How is Zone 2 heart rate by age calculated?

Estimate maximum heart rate as 220 minus your age, then take 60 to 70 percent of that number. For a 45-year-old, max HR is about 175 bpm and Zone 2 is about 105 to 123 bpm. A measured max heart rate is more accurate than the age formula.

Is the 220 minus age chart accurate for everyone?

No. It is a population average and can be off by 10 to 20 bpm for any individual. Two people the same age can have very different true max heart rates. Treat the chart as a starting point and confirm with a measured max or the talk test.

What should Zone 2 feel like?

Conversational. You can speak in full sentences but would prefer not to. If you are gasping or can only manage a few words, you are above Zone 2. Many athletes find their correct Zone 2 pace feels frustratingly slow at first.

What are the five heart rate training zones by age?

Each zone is a band of your max heart rate (about 220 minus age): Zone 1 is 50 to 60 percent, Zone 2 is 60 to 70, Zone 3 is 70 to 80, Zone 4 is 80 to 90, and Zone 5 is 90 to 100 percent. At 40, max HR is about 180 bpm, so the zones run 90 to 108, 108 to 126, 126 to 144, 144 to 162, and 162 to 180 bpm. See the all-zones chart above for every decade.