Zone 2 heart-rate calculator
Find your Zone 2, honestly.
Three methods, one number each, with their differences explained. No single unexplained number.
Your numbers
Your weekly dose
The widely used minimum is 150 minutes of Zone 2 per week. Pick the pattern that fits your life.
150 min / week
3 × 50 minutes. Fewer, longer sessions — good if you have full free mornings.
150 min / week
5 × 30 minutes. Easiest to stick to — a lunch-break incline walk, most days.
180 min / week
4 × 45 minutes — the full ring plus 30 over the 150 minimum. The longevity-crowd favourite.
How to actually do it
Zone 2 is an effort level, not a specific sport. Start with whichever you enjoy — all starting references below, adjust to stay in your range.
Incline walk
Start around 3 mph (5 km/h) at 10–12% incline — most people reach Zone 2 without running.
Easy cycling
Easy gear, 80–90 rpm on a flat route. Keep it conversational — back off a gear if breathing turns ragged.
Rucking
Brisk walk with a light pack, around 10% of bodyweight to start. Hills raise heart rate without pounding joints.
What Zone 2 is
Low intensity, fat-fuelled
Around 60–70% of max heart rate — fat is your main fuel and lactate stays low.
Builds your aerobic base
More and better mitochondria: the foundation every harder workout stands on.
Why it's everywhere now
Popularised by longevity physician Peter Attia, and a top-2026 fitness trend per the American College of Sports Medicine.
The three methods, in one line each
% of max HR (Tanaka)
One formula for everyone: 208 − 0.7 × age. Simple, but your true max can be 10–12 bpm off.
Karvonen reserve
Resting HR + 60–70% of your reserve. More personal — but it needs a real resting measurement.
Talk test
No math at all: full sentences but no singing. The free field check for any formula's number.
Just browsing?
See the estimated Zone 2 range for every age from 20 to 80 — no inputs needed.
View the age chartQuestions
How do I calculate my Zone 2 heart rate?
Estimate your max heart rate with the Tanaka formula — 208 minus 0.7 times your age — then take 60 to 70 percent of it. A 40-year-old gets an estimated max of 180 bpm, so Zone 2 is 108 to 126 bpm. If you know your resting heart rate, the Karvonen method (above) gives a more personal range.
Which method is most accurate?
A lab-measured max heart rate combined with the Karvonen heart-rate reserve formula is the most accurate practical method. Tanaka's formula is a population average — your true max can be 10 to 12 bpm off in either direction. The talk test is the best free reality check for any number a formula gives you.
What if I don't know my resting heart rate?
Use the % of max HR method — it needs only your age. To get your resting heart rate, wear your watch to bed or check your pulse for a full minute right after waking, before getting up. Do it for a few mornings and take the average.
Can I just walk for Zone 2?
For many people, flat walking is too easy to reach Zone 2 — that's why incline walking and rucking are so popular: they raise your heart rate without running. If flat walking already puts you in range, that's perfectly fine Zone 2.
How many minutes per week?
Aim for at least 150 minutes per week across 3 to 5 sessions — for example 3 × 50 minutes, 5 × 30 minutes, or the popular 4 × 45 minutes (180 minutes, above the minimum). Consistency beats any single perfect session.
Do I need a chest strap?
Not to start. A wrist-based optical sensor is fine for steady Zone 2 work. A chest strap (like the Polar H10) is more accurate and responds faster to changes — worth it once Zone 2 becomes a weekly habit.