Target Heart Rate Zones

Excel Formulas › Healthcare & Medical

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Estimate training heart-rate zones from age. Max heart rate is roughly 220 − age; a zone is a percentage of that (or of heart-rate reserve via the Karvonen method).

Quick formula: a heart-rate zone from age:
=(220 - age) * zone_percent
Max HR is about 220 minus age; multiply by the zone percentage for the beats-per-minute target.

The example

Age 40, 70% zone.

AB
1ItemValue
2Max HR (220−40)180
3× 70%→ 126 bpm

The formula

The formula:

=(220 - age) * zone_percent // max HR × zone %

How it works

How it works:

  1. Estimated max HR ≈ 220 - age (a rough population estimate).
  2. Multiply by a zone percentage — e.g. 50–70% (moderate), 70–85% (vigorous).
  3. The Karvonen method uses heart-rate reserve: (maxHR - restHR) × pct + restHR for a personalized target.
  4. Build a zone table with a low and high percent to show a range, not a single number.

Educational use only. These are general Excel formulas for learning spreadsheet techniques — not medical advice or a substitute for clinical judgment, professional guidelines, or verified dosing references. Always confirm calculations against authoritative sources and institutional protocols.

Try it: interactive demo

Live demo

Age and zone %.

Max · Target

Variations

Max heart rate

The base:

=220 - age

Karvonen (reserve)

Personalized:

=(maxHR - restHR) * zone_pct + restHR

Zone range

Low–high:

=(220-age)*low_pct & "-" & (220-age)*high_pct

Pitfalls & errors

220−age is an estimate. Individual max HR varies; some use 207 − 0.7×age.

Percent as decimal. 70% is 0.70 in the math.

Karvonen needs resting HR. Reserve-based zones require a measured resting heart rate.

Practice workbook

📊
Download the free Target Heart Rate Zones practice workbook
A heart-rate sheet with the max-HR, Karvonen, and zone-range variants, plus 4 challenges with answers. No sign-up required.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate target heart rate in Excel?
Use =(220 - age) * zone_percent. For age 40 at 70%, the target is about 126 bpm.
What is the Karvonen method?
It uses heart-rate reserve: =(maxHR - restHR) * zone_pct + restHR, giving a personalized target from your resting heart rate.
Is 220 minus age accurate?
It's a rough population estimate. Individual max HR varies; alternatives like 207 − 0.7×age exist.

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