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Zone 2 heart rate calculator

Find your zone 2 heart rate range from your age and resting heart rate, and see how much it moves between equations and methods. Then read what zone 2 really means, because definitions differ.

Zone 2 calculator

Years, 18–90

bpm, measured after resting

Only if you know it from a test

Enter your age to see the results. Everything is calculated in this page; nothing is sent.

Two definitions of zone 2

In heart-rate-monitor terms, zone 2 is 60–70% of maximum heart rate. Polar calls it the light zone[1] and Garmin the easy zone, a comfortable pace you could hold for a long time[2]. This is what the calculator above shows, either as a share of maximum or, if you enter a resting rate, as a share of heart rate reserve.

In exercise physiology, “zone 2 training” usually means low-intensity exercise below the first lactate threshold, the point where lactate in the blood starts to rise. A 2025 review defined it that way[3]. That threshold is a physiological marker measured in a lab, and where it falls as a percentage of maximum heart rate varies from person to person.

The two definitions may or may not line up for you. A heart rate range is a convenient proxy; it is not proof that you are below your lactate threshold.

Why the numbers vary so much

Three choices move your zone 2 range: which maximum-heart-rate equation you use, whether you apply the percentages to maximum or to reserve, and whether your real maximum is near the estimate at all. The comparison table in the calculator shows the first two at once. At age 40 with a resting rate of 60, for example, zone 2 can start as low as 103 bpm or end as high as 147 bpm depending on those choices.

Individual maximums scatter by about 10 bpm around the equations[4][5], which shifts every zone with them. If you know your maximum from a test, enter it.

What the evidence says about zone 2

Zone 2 has become popular as a way to build endurance and metabolic health. The 2025 review by Storoschuk and colleagues examined the studies behind that idea and concluded that current evidence does not support zone 2 as the optimal intensity for improving mitochondrial capacity or cardiorespiratory fitness in the general population[3]. Easy aerobic exercise is still exercise, and it is easy to recover from; the review questions whether it is uniquely better, not whether it is useful.

For health, the U.S. guidelines care about weekly totals: 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity[6]. Zone 2 by either definition mostly falls in the moderate range.

A no-gadget check

Most descriptions of zone 2 come down to “you can still hold a conversation”. The CDC’s talk test puts it this way for moderate intensity: you can talk, but not sing[7]. If you are gasping between words, you are above zone 2 whatever the watch says; if you could sing comfortably, you are probably below it.

Questions people ask

What is my zone 2 heart rate?

Using monitor makers’ convention, 60–70% of your maximum heart rate, or of your heart rate reserve if you enter a resting rate. The calculator shows both and how each equation changes the range.

Is zone 2 the same as the fat-burning zone?

Both labels get attached to easy, conversational effort. For health, the U.S. guidelines focus on total weekly minutes of moderate and vigorous activity rather than on any one zone.

How long should zone 2 sessions be?

Programs vary. The U.S. guidelines suggest 150–300 minutes of moderate activity per week in total, which you can split however suits you.

Why does my watch put me in zone 3 at an easy pace?

Its maximum heart rate setting may be too low for you, or it may use percentage of maximum where you expected reserve. Check the settings against this calculator.

Do I need a lab test for zone 2?

Only to pinpoint the lactate-threshold definition[3]. For everyday training, heart rate ranges plus the talk test are a practical stand-in.

Sources

  1. Polar. Heart rate zones: the basics (training guide). polar.com. Checked 2026-10-09.
  2. Garmin. How you can train by heart rate zones using Garmin (blog, Mar 28, 2025). garmin.com. Checked 2026-10-09.
  3. Storoschuk KL, Moran-MacDonald A, Gibala MJ, Gurd BJ. Much ado about Zone 2: a narrative review assessing the efficacy of Zone 2 training for improving mitochondrial capacity and cardiorespiratory fitness in the general population. Sports Med 2025;55(7):1611–1624. doi:10.1007/s40279-025-02261-y. Checked 2026-10-09.
  4. Tanaka H, Monahan KD, Seals DR. Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited. J Am Coll Cardiol 2001;37(1):153–156. doi:10.1016/S0735-1097(00)01054-8. Checked 2026-10-09.
  5. Nes BM, Janszky I, Wisløff U, Støylen A, Karlsen T. Age-predicted maximal heart rate in healthy subjects: the HUNT fitness study. Scand J Med Sci Sports 2013;23(6):697–704. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0838.2012.01445.x. Checked 2026-10-09.
  6. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition, 2018 (pp. 20, 56, 60, 109). odphp.health.gov. Checked 2026-10-09.
  7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How to Measure Physical Activity Intensity (updated Dec 4, 2025). cdc.gov. Checked 2026-10-09.