December 16, 2025
Zone 2 is the sustainable, conversational pace that drives big fitness and health gains. This guide gives you simple formulas, examples, and quick tests to estimate your Zone 2 heart rate and use it in training today.
Zone 2 is a low-intensity, steady effort where you can still speak in full sentences.
For most people, Zone 2 falls around 60–70% of maximum heart rate, but formulas are only estimates.
Combine heart-rate ranges with simple breathing and talk tests to dial in your personal Zone 2.
This guide explains Zone 2 using the five-zone intensity model, then walks through three main ways to estimate your Zone 2 heart rate: simple age-based formulas, the more precise Karvonen heart rate reserve method, and effort-based tests like talk and breathing checks. The list is structured from fastest and simplest methods to more accurate, slightly more involved approaches, so you can pick what fits your tools, time, and training experience.
Training in Zone 2 improves mitochondrial function, fat burning, aerobic capacity, and recovery without overwhelming your body. Knowing roughly where your Zone 2 sits lets you structure walks, runs, rides, or cardio sessions that feel easy yet deliver powerful long-term health and performance benefits.
Zone 2 is low-intensity aerobic work, usually 60–70% of your maximum heart rate. It sits above very easy, recovery-level effort (Zone 1) and below moderate, noticeably harder work (Zone 3). You should feel like you could maintain this pace for 45–90 minutes or more if needed.
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At true Zone 2, breathing is deeper than at rest but still controlled. You can speak in full sentences without gasping, though you probably don’t feel like singing. If you can only get out a few words at a time, you’ve drifted into Zone 3 or higher.
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1) Estimate your maximum heart rate (MHR) as 220 − your age. 2) Take 60–70% of that number as your Zone 2 range. Example: A 40-year-old: MHR ≈ 220 − 40 = 180 bpm. Zone 2 ≈ 0.60 × 180 = 108 bpm to 0.70 × 180 = 126 bpm. This method is simple but rough: real MHR can vary by ±10–15 bpm from the formula.
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Alternative equations may better match real-world data, especially for older adults. A common one: MHR ≈ 208 − 0.7 × age. Example: 50-year-old: 208 − (0.7 × 50) = 173 bpm. Zone 2 ≈ 60–70% of 173 ≈ 104–121 bpm. Use this if you want a slightly more tailored estimate without extra testing.
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Resting heart rate is best taken right after waking, before coffee or moving much. Count beats for 60 seconds at your wrist or neck, or check your wearable’s overnight average. Many healthy adults fall between 50–70 bpm; well-trained endurance athletes may be lower.
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Heart rate reserve is your working range: HRR = Max Heart Rate − Resting Heart Rate. Example: Age 40, using 220 − age: MHR ≈ 180 bpm. RHR measured at 60 bpm. HRR = 180 − 60 = 120 bpm. This better reflects individual fitness differences than simple MHR percentages.
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Karvonen Zone 2 ≈ RHR + (HRR × 0.60 to 0.70). Using the example: HRR = 120 bpm, RHR = 60 bpm. Lower end: 60 + (120 × 0.60) = 132 bpm. Upper end: 60 + (120 × 0.70) = 144 bpm. Compared to the simple formula, this often shifts Zone 2 slightly higher, especially in fitter individuals with a lower resting heart rate.
Move at a pace where you can speak in full sentences without pausing for breath, but you wouldn’t comfortably deliver a long speech. If you can sing or chat endlessly with no sense of effort, you are likely in Zone 1; if speech breaks into short phrases with gasps, you are above Zone 2.
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Breathing should feel steady and controlled, through nose or nose-plus-mouth. You are aware of breathing but not struggling. If you need to breathe exclusively through your mouth and feel noticeably out of breath, you’ve likely slipped into Zone 3 or above.
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If you’re new to exercise, your Zone 2 might be as gentle as a brisk walk or light incline treadmill. Start low: prioritize the talk test and RPE of 3–4 over hitting a specific number. Over several weeks, as your fitness improves, the same heart rate will usually correspond to a faster pace.
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If you already train regularly, your Zone 2 heart rate might be higher than generic formulas suggest, especially with a low resting heart rate. Use the Karvonen method plus effort-based tests to avoid training too easy and stagnating, or too hard and turning every session into a threshold workout.
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Many health guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity cardio, which roughly maps to Zone 2. A practical starting point is 3 sessions of 30–40 minutes, or shorter daily sessions of 20–30 minutes, adjusting up or down based on your schedule and recovery.
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Warm up for 5–10 minutes at an easy Zone 1 effort, then spend 20–60 minutes in Zone 2, finishing with 5–10 minutes of cooldown. If holding Zone 2 for a long time is tough, split it: two 20–30-minute bouts in a day are still effective.
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Formulas for maximum heart rate and Zone 2 provide a starting map, but the real calibration comes from combining those numbers with talk tests, breathing patterns, and perceived exertion over multiple sessions.
As fitness improves, the heart rate that represents Zone 2 may stay similar while your pace at that heart rate increases, which means using both numbers and performance trends is the best way to track progress.
Environmental stressors and medications can meaningfully shift heart rate responses, so flexible, effort-aware use of Zone 2 is safer and more effective than chasing rigid bpm targets.
Frequently Asked Questions
There is no single perfect calculation for everyone. Age-based formulas, the Karvonen method, and effort-based tests each offer pieces of the puzzle. The most practical approach is to start with a formula, then refine your Zone 2 range using the talk test, breathing cues, and how you feel during and after sessions.
A heart rate monitor or smartwatch makes it easier to see trends and stay within a target range, but it’s not mandatory. Many people successfully train in Zone 2 using only the talk test and perceived exertion—maintaining a pace where conversation is comfortable and effort feels like a 3–4 out of 10.
Short-term factors like heat, dehydration, stress, caffeine, and poor sleep can all raise heart rate at the same pace. On those days, prioritize how the effort feels and the talk test. You may either accept a slightly higher heart rate for the same easy feel or slow down further to stay within your usual Zone 2 range.
Zone 2 supports fat oxidation and is gentle enough to do frequently, which can help increase total weekly energy expenditure. However, fat loss ultimately depends on your overall calorie balance. Combining consistent Zone 2, strength training, and appropriate nutrition is more effective than relying on any single intensity zone.
Many people notice improvements in how easy Zone 2 feels within 4–8 weeks of consistent training. You might observe that your pace gets faster at the same heart rate or that your heart rate is lower at a given pace. Larger cardiovascular and performance gains typically accumulate over several months and beyond.
Zone 2 is your sustainable, conversational cardio zone—the place where consistent work delivers big returns with manageable effort. Use simple formulas to estimate your heart rate range, then refine it with talk tests, breathing cues, and how your body feels over time. Start by adding a few Zone 2 sessions each week, and gradually build a base that supports better health, endurance, and recovery.
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On a 1–10 effort scale, with 1 as sitting and 10 as an all-out sprint, Zone 2 usually feels like a 3–4. It’s clearly more than a stroll but far from “hard.” You should finish a session feeling pleasantly worked, not wiped.
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If math isn’t your thing, a rough shortcut: aim for a heart rate where you can walk briskly or jog lightly and still chat, usually 100–135 bpm for many adults. This is not precise but keeps you in the right ballpark while you build awareness of effort and breathing.
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If your Karvonen Zone 2 and simple 60–70% MHR range are very different, use your body’s feedback to decide which feels more like sustainable, conversational effort. Over a few sessions, adjust toward the range that matches the talk test and leaves you feeling pleasantly tired, not drained.
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Compare your heart rate number with how it feels. If your watch says Zone 2 but effort feels like a 6–7 out of 10, trust your body and slow down. Conversely, if your heart rate looks slightly high but everything feels like a comfortable 3–4, it may be sensor error or temporary factors like dehydration or caffeine.
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Heat, humidity, altitude, stress, poor sleep, illness, and caffeine can all push heart rate up at the same pace. On “high-heart-rate” days, treat your pace and RPE as primary, and consider allowing a slightly higher heart rate for the same Zone 2 feel, or slowing down to stay in the usual range.
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If you take heart-rate-affecting medications (for example, beta blockers), have heart or lung disease, or are pregnant, generic formulas may be inaccurate or unsafe. In these cases, rely more on effort-based tests and get clearance and guidance from a healthcare or exercise professional before setting heart rate targets.
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If you do intervals or strength training, Zone 2 can fill the rest of the week as low-stress conditioning. Keep hard days hard and easy days truly easy by ensuring Zone 2 doesn’t creep into a grindy, borderline Zone 3 effort. This balance supports progress without chronic fatigue.
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