Exercise heart rates for 50 year olds
Target heart rate
At 50, your heart rate for moderate exercise is about 85 to 118 bpm. For vigorous exercise, it's about 119 to 145 bpm.
Heart rate zones at 50
Your estimated maximum heart rate is 220 minus your age, or 170 bpm. For women, a second formula from a 2010 study (206 − 0.88 × age) gives 162 bpm at 50. The zones below use the first estimate.
| Zone | Heart rate |
|---|---|
| Light | Under 85 bpmUnder 50% |
| Moderate | 85–118 bpm50–70% |
| Vigorous | 119–145 bpm70–85% |
| Above target range | 146–170 bpmOver 85% |
| Above estimated maximum | Over 170 bpmOver 100% |
What it means
How your zones are set. Your zones are based on an estimated maximum heart rate of 220 minus your age, the same for women and men. This is the estimate on the American Heart Association target heart rate chart. Moderate exercise is 50% to 70% of that maximum, and vigorous exercise is 70% to 85%.
A second estimate for women. A 2010 study by Gulati and colleagues estimated a woman's maximum heart rate as 206 minus 0.88 times her age. We show that number for comparison. It doesn't change your zones.
Zones describe effort, not results. Moderate and vigorous describe how hard you're working. They don't promise any particular result from a workout.
How to check your heart rate during exercise
- Count the beats for 15 seconds, then multiply by 4.
- Compare that number with the zones for your age.
- Stop and get help if you have chest pain, feel faint or have trouble breathing.
Nearby ages
Common questions
Short answers about how these calculators work.
Sources
Where these numbers come from
- Target heart rates chart (opens in a new tab) - American Heart AssociationTarget heart rate zones by age
- Heart rate response to exercise stress testing in asymptomatic women (opens in a new tab) - Circulation (American Heart Association journal), 2010A second maximum heart rate estimate for women
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