Heart Rate Calculator

Heart rate and types

Heart pumps blood by contracting and relaxing. When heart contracts and relax it produces a beat. The number of beats produced per minute is called a heart rate per minute.

Heart rate is different in different situations. Here are some major types of heart rate in different activity:

• Resting heart rate
• Target heart rate
• Maximum heart rate

Resting heart rate (RHR) is the number of times a person’s heartbeat per unit time while the person is at rest. A good time to check resting heart rate is after a good nap or while taking rest for some time. Use our resting heart rate calculator for precise measurement.

Normal resting heart rate in most of the people is approximately between 60-100 bpm. Normal heart rate is affected by stress, anxiety, medication, hormones, and level of physical activity.

Resting heart rate shows a person’s current health condition. If a person has steady heartbeats or low RHR means the person is medically and physically fit. RHR can go as low as 40bpm which is often found in athletes and professional sportsmen.

The maximum heart rate (MHR) in any person is 220 minus the age of the person. Meanwhile, the target heart rate (THR) depends on physical activity. THR during moderate exercise is almost about 50 -70 % and during vigorous, it increases up to 85 %.

Here is a chart that shows max heart rate and targets heart rate values according to age. You can use this as a guide to know your values.

Calculation of Heart Rates

There are several formulas and methods that are used to calculate cardio heart rate.

Resting heart rate:  It can be calculated easily by placing 3 fingers on the vein of either hand or neck and measure the beats for 30 seconds. After measuring beats for 30 seconds multiply it by 2 it will be your resting heart rate.

To calculate maximum heart rate there is a simple empirical formula which is: 220-age

However, this formula is simple and easy to understand but is not that precise as much as other formulas like:

Calculation of MHR according to SALLY EDWARDS:

Men: Maximum heart rate = 214 - 0.5 × age - 0.11 × bodyweight in kg
Women: Maximum heart rate = 210 - 0.5 × age - 0.11 × bodyweight in kg

This formula takes age, body weight, and gender into account to calculate the max heart rate.

Calculations of MHR according to WINFRIED SPANAUS

Men: Maximum heart rate = 223 - 0.9 × age
Women: Maximum heart rate = 226 - 0.9 × age

This formula was developed using 600 subjects and mostly the athletes for maximum heart rate calculations. Use our maximum heart rate calculator age weight for easy measurement.

Target heart rate:

Target heart rate depends on the intensity of physical activity. It varies according to age and level of activity. People often ask how to calculate target heart rate. So here is a target heart rate chart showing the target heart rate zone that can be used to calculate THR according to age and activity.

This chart is the answer for people asking questions like what is my target heart rate? Or how to calculate target heart rate according to my age is.

However, you can use our target heart rate zone calculator for easy measurement.

On the other hand, there is no such target heart rate formula in the medical field but there are several methods that are used widely. Here is how you can calculate your target heart rate during exercise:

1. While doing exercise; stop momentarily
2. Instantly take your pulse for 10 seconds from hand or neck.
3. Multiply this number by 6 to calculate your beats per minute.

Furthermore, when doing exercise the heart rate increases as the level of activity increases.

Here are two charts showing heart rate values according to physical activity from different researchers:

1. Heart Rate Zone Training Chart Karvonen method:

2. Heart Rate Zone Training Chart Zoladz method:

You can use these tables and know your target heart rate according to your level of activity.

Using the online Heart Rate calculator

Our online calculator is widely used to calculate workout heart rate, ideal heart rate, and target heart rate by using several formulas.

You can use it as resting heart rate calculator, target heart rate calculator, and max heart rate calculator.

All you need is to insert some information in the fields given in the calculator and it will calculate your; heart rate max, heart rate reserved, heart rate rest and target heart rate in seconds.

Our calculator not only gives away the answers to your query but also show average readings so you can compare your results with them for better understanding.

Why it is important to know your heartbeat?

Heart rate directly affects a person’s health. It is better to keep the heart rate normal. Slow heart rate is a sign of good health but it can be sometimes due to heart disorders.

Target heart rate is usually helpful for people who want to burn some calories or want to maintain or increases their fitness level.

Target heart rate helps athletes to know the amount of exercise they require. As suggested in the training chart above, you should keep an eye over your heart rate and the level of exercise you are doing and or you need to do. You can check your exercise heart rate as well from our calculator.

It is important as well to keep the heart rate normal as there are several diseases because of slow and fast heart rates. Some of the causes and diseases are listed below:

Causes and diseases of slow heart rate:

Between the healthy people, slow heart rate may be because of:

• Being physically and mentally fit
• Using of medicines, e.g. metoprolol or propranolol
• Sleep

Furthermore, the slow heart rate may be a sign of diseases like:

• Heart failures, heart attacks just like sick sinus syndrome.
• Sign of infections such as Lyme disease or typhoid fever
• Slow heart rate may be a sign of increased levels of potassium in the blood which is called hyperkalemia.
• A slow heart rate also shows an underactive thyroid gland.

Causes and diseases of fast heart rate:

In healthy people fast heart rate is due to:

• Doing vigorous exercise, mostly when associated with dehydration
• Getting excited or nervous over something, but it doesn’t get your heart rate over 100 bpm; if heart rate goes over 100 it is abnormal.
• Stimulant usage such as nicotine, cocaine, or caffeine.

• Pregnancy
• Using certain medicines like EpiPen.

Here are some diseases associated with a fast heart rate:

• most infections or just about any cause of fever
• heart problems, for example, atrial fibrillation(use our CHADS2VS2 calculator for further examination), cardiomyopathy or ventricular tachycardia
• low level of potassium in blood which is hypokalemia
• An overactive thyroid gland or use of too much medication for thyroid
• Asthma or breathing difficulty
• Anemia