Your maximum heart rate (MHR) is the highest your heart can beat during all-out effort, estimated from age. The classic 220 − age is simplest; Tanaka (208 − 0.7·age) is usually more accurate, and Gulati (206 − 0.88·age) was derived for women. From MHR you can set training zones as percentages.
Reviewed: June 20, 2026 · Author: Naveen P N, Founder — AI Calculator · Verified against: the Fox, Tanaka and Gulati formulas, recomputed in code. General fitness info, not medical advice.
The formulas & zones
220 − age is easy but overestimates for the young and underestimates for older adults; Tanaka corrects this across ages, and Gulati fits women's data. Training zones are percentages of MHR: ~50–60% very light, 60–70% easy, 70–80% aerobic, 80–90% threshold, 90–100% max — each developing a different aspect of fitness.
Worked example — age 30
A 30-year-old's MHR is roughly 187–190 bpm (a woman ~180 by Gulati). Easy aerobic training sits around 131–150 bpm. By age 50 the estimates are about 170–173 bpm — note how the formulas diverge more with age.
Frequently Asked Questions
220 − age (190 at 30), or Tanaka 208 − 0.7·age (187 at 30). Estimates only.
Tanaka across ages; Gulati for women. 220−age overestimates young, underestimates old.
% of MHR: 50–60 very light, 60–70 easy, 70–80 aerobic, 80–90 threshold, 90–100 max.
±10–12 bpm. Fine for rough zones; a supervised stress test gives the true max.
Brief efforts suit healthy people. Heart condition or new to exercise? See a doctor first.