Exercise heart rates for 81 year olds
Target heart rate
At 81, your heart rate for moderate exercise is about 69 to 96 bpm. For vigorous exercise, it's about 97 to 118 bpm.
Heart rate zones at 81
Your estimated maximum heart rate is 220 minus your age, or 139 bpm. For women, a second formula from a 2010 study (206 − 0.88 × age) gives 135 bpm at 81. The zones below use the first estimate.
| Zone | Heart rate |
|---|---|
| Light | Under 69 bpmUnder 50% |
| Moderate | 69–96 bpm50–70% |
| Vigorous | 97–118 bpm70–85% |
| Above target range | 119–139 bpmOver 85% |
| Above estimated maximum | Over 139 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.
Why isn't the women's estimate used for the zones? The American Heart Association target heart rate chart uses 220 minus age for everyone. We show the second estimate for women so you can compare the two.
Does being in a zone mean my workout is safe? No. A zone is an estimate of how hard you're working. Chest pain, fainting or trouble breathing needs medical help, whatever your heart rate.
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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