What is a good running heart rate for your age?
Turn the number on your wrist into a clear next step: jog, ease back, or walk.
Last updated
General information, not individual medical advice. For questions about symptoms or readiness to run, speak with a clinician who knows your health history.
What do age-based heart-rate formulas estimate?
Two age-predicted maximum heart rate formulas, ages 20 to 80
Age, against predicted maximum, beats per minute
- 220 minus age
- 208 minus 0.7 times age
The lines meet at 40 and separate after it
A heart-rate chart can give you a starting estimate. The useful question during a run is what to do next. We built First Gear to help with that decision through spoken jog and walk cues, while keeping the limits of a calculated range clear.
Age formulas estimate maximum heart rate, not a number you should try to reach on a run. Tanaka and colleagues analyzed 351 studies involving 18,712 people and checked their findings in 514 healthy adults. Their equation was 208 minus 0.7 times age. [1]
At age 70, that equation gives 159 beats per minute, compared with 150 from 220 minus age. The nine-beat gap is between two estimates. It does not show how far either is from your measured maximum.
Can a formula give you a personal safe limit?
No. We use an estimate to guide coaching, and it remains an estimate. It does not measure your own limits or establish a medically safe intensity. The research equation was developed in healthy adults. [1]
Some medications affect heart rate. If you have a heart condition or take a rate-limiting medicine, ask your clinician how to judge exercise intensity rather than relying on a general chart. [3]
How can you check effort without chasing a number?
Keep checking how the effort feels, even when your coach is speaking. Try talking while you move. The CDC describes moderate effort as generally allowing conversation but not singing. At vigorous effort, you may need to pause for breath after a few words. This is an effort guide, not a precise test of a physiological zone. [2]
If conversation becomes difficult, slow down or walk. You can take a break before First Gear calls one. Do not keep running because your watch says you are in range.
Wrist readings can also be inconsistent. Apple notes that its watch cannot get a reliable heart-rate reading every time for everyone. Fit and the conditions of use matter. [4]
Put your heart rate to work with First Gear
Our standard coaching estimates a starting range from your age and, with your permission, available resting heart-rate data from Apple Health. When resting data is unavailable, we use an age-based fallback. During your session, heart-rate readings and their recent trend help the coach call jogs and walking breaks.
Your first session targets twenty minutes and starts with a walk. You hear the next cue on Apple Watch and choose how to respond. You can keep walking or finish early. That is the practical reason to use First Gear: less guessing about the next change between jogging and walking.
After a scored session, your Easy score shows the share of scored time your heart rate was in the coaching range, including walking. Scoring excludes the opening ramp and grace periods. It is not a percentage of the whole workout or a test of running ability.
If you report a medication that slows your heart rate during setup, First Gear selects talk-test coaching. That mode uses available walking heart-rate data and your answers about how a jog felt instead of the usual age-based target. You choose when to jog. The app does not detect medication or diagnose a heart condition; follow your clinician's exercise limits.
Our six stages organize practice. Three recent qualifying sessions can offer an advance, and you can stay where you are. A stage is not a fitness test or a measure of clinical readiness. Your first session is free, with no subscription.
Let your coach call the next walk.
First Gear turns heart-rate readings into jog and walk cues in standard coaching on Apple Watch. Your first session starts with walking and targets twenty minutes. Try it free, with no subscription. Download it on the App Store.
Common questions
Is 220 minus your age accurate?
It is an estimate, not a measurement. The Tanaka equation gives different population estimates, particularly at older ages, but neither equation tells you your exact maximum or a medically safe running limit. We treat First Gear's standard range as a coaching estimate too.
What heart rate should a beginner aim for?
There is no universal beginner number. In standard coaching, First Gear estimates a starting range and uses readings to cue jogs and walks. Keep checking your effort, and slow down or walk whenever you need to. An in-range number is never a reason to ignore how you feel.
Why is my running heart rate higher than expected?
Effort, conditions, medication, or an unreliable reading may be involved. Neither this guide nor First Gear can identify the cause. If an unusual rate persists or comes with symptoms, stop exercising and get medical advice instead of trying to complete the session.
Is a watch enough to measure heart rate?
A watch can provide useful workout readings, but it can miss or misread them. Check its fit and manufacturer guidance, and pay attention to how you feel. Our coaching depends on those readings; symptoms deserve attention even when the display looks ordinary.
What if medication changes my heart rate?
Ask your clinician how to judge exercise intensity. Tell First Gear during setup if you take medication that slows your heart rate. That selects talk-test coaching, using available walking heart-rate data and your feedback instead of the standard age-based target. It does not determine whether exercise is medically appropriate.
References
- Tanaka H, Monahan KD, Seals DR. Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited. Journal of the American College of Cardiology 37(1):153-156, 2001.
- How to Measure Physical Activity Intensity. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2025. Accessed 2026-09-11.
- Target Heart Rates Chart. American Heart Association, 2024. Accessed 2026-09-11.
- Monitor your heart rate with Apple Watch. Apple Support, 2025. Accessed 2026-09-11.