Heart Rate Zones for Training, Explained
How to find your maximum heart rate, what the five training zones mean, how the Karvonen method personalises them, and how to use them to train smarter for fitness and endurance.
Heart Rate Recovery Calculator
Verified formula Updated Jun 2026 Private — runs on your device
Verified formula
Private
Heart rate recovery
30
For general information only — not financial, tax, legal or medical advice. Verify before you rely on it.
How to use the Heart Rate Recovery Calculator
The Heart Rate Recovery Calculator works out your heart rate recovery in an instant. Enter peak heart rate and heart rate after 1 minute and the result updates as you type — it is free, needs no sign-up, and runs entirely in your browser so your figures stay private.
- Enter the peak heart rate.
- Enter the heart rate after 1 minute.
- Read off your heart rate recovery — the calculator updates automatically, with no button to press.
Formula
The Heart Rate Recovery Calculator uses the formula:
Heart rate recovery = Peak heart rate - Heart rate after 1 minute
Worked example
For example, with peak heart rate of 170 bpm and heart rate after 1 minute of 140 bpm, the heart rate recovery is 30.
| Peak heart rate | 170 bpm |
|---|---|
| Heart rate after 1 minute | 140 bpm |
| Heart rate recovery | 30 |
|---|
Results are estimates for educational use, not professional advice.
Frequently asked questions
It is how much your heart rate falls in the minute after stopping exercise. From 170 to 140 bpm is a recovery of 30 beats.
A drop of more than about 12 beats in the first minute is generally a good sign; faster recovery suggests better fitness.
A quicker return toward resting heart rate reflects a healthy, responsive cardiovascular system and improving fitness.
Note your peak heart rate at the end of hard exercise, then measure again exactly one minute after stopping.
The Heart Rate Recovery Calculator uses the formula: Heart rate recovery = Peak heart rate - Heart rate after 1 minute. For example, with peak heart rate of 170 bpm and heart rate after 1 minute of 140 bpm, the heart rate recovery is 30.
Enter the peak heart rate. Enter the heart rate after 1 minute. Read off your heart rate recovery — the calculator updates automatically, with no button to press.
Related guides
Heart Rate Recovery Table: Heart rate recovery by Peak heart rate
Reference table of heart rate recovery for Heart Rate Recovery across a range of peak heart rate values — exact, engine-computed figures you can read off at a glance.
How to Calculate Heart Rate Recovery: Formula, Steps & Examples
Learn how to calculate Heart Rate Recovery — the formula explained step by step, with worked examples and a free calculator to check your answer.