General Health

What is a Fat-Burning Heart Rate? Know How to Calculate it

Published: 2025-03-25

Updated: 2025-03-26

4 mins

Sweat and breathlessness after a workout are good indicators that you pushed yourself. It shows dedication to the workout despite moments of fatigue. Many people also track their heart rate to better understand how hard the body is working.

On cardio equipment, you may notice the machine tracking your heart rate. Some treadmills and stairmasters may indicate a “fat-burning zone” for your heart rate. However, this number is not always the most accurate measurement of when fat begins to burn due to several factors. Learn more about why this may not be the best way to know when you’re burning fat.

Does a Fat-Burning Heart Rate Exist?

Technically, there is no such thing as a standard fat-burning heart rate. The rate at which someone burns fat is directly related to their rate of metabolism, age, and diet. Still, the fat-burning heart rate theory recommends engaging in moderately intense workouts that activate at least 70 to 85% of your maximum heart rate.

What Factors Affect Heart Rate?

Your maximum heart rate is the number of beats per minute (bpm) during exercise. Knowing your “fat-burning heart rate” depends on your weight, age, and diet. Other factors that may affect your heart rate include:

Heart conditions
Drug use
Emotional instability
Medications
Alcohol use

Tools to Use to Measure Heart Rate

Many people wear fitness trackers on their arms or wrists during a workout to measure heart rate. If you don’t have any of these devices, you can also measure your heart rate using your hand.

Traditional tracking: Place two fingers on the wrist on the palm side of your hand to count the number of heartbeats per minute. After counting for 30 seconds, double the number to calculate the beats per minute.

Wristbands: Wristband heart monitors are popular for their ease of use. Each brand may feature different information. In addition to heart rate, wrist monitors may also measure steps, distance, and calories burned.

Smartphones: Today, heart rate measurement is often a built-in tool on smartphones. Explore your cell phone to learn how to use heart rate and calorie count features for free by holding your phone in your hand.

Chest strap: Heart rate monitors you strap around your chest can monitor your heart rate during exercise. These monitors are great for various workouts, including swimming and weight training.

How is Heart Rate Measured?

The following equation calculates your maximum heart rate:

0.7 x (your age) - 207 = maximum heart rate

It’s best to look at a fat-burning heart rate as a range. Health experts recommend working out at 70-85% of your maximum heart rate. An equation you can use to determine this range is as follows:

(Your age) x 0.64 = lowest end of the fat-burning zone
(Your age) x 0.76 = higher end of the fat-burning zone

Fat burning zones can range from 96 to around 152 bpm, depending on your age. As you get older, your fat-burning zone naturally gets lower. Higher bpm may indicate a potential heart issue in elderly adults.

Other Heart Rate Zones to Know

The following heart rate zones are ranges to keep in mind during a workout:

Resting heart rate: Most people have a resting heart rate of 60 to 100 beats per minute. Those who work out consistently tend to have a lower resting heart rate and a high heart rate reserve.

Moderate heart rate: Your moderate heart rate is engaged during moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. Typically it’s 40-59% of heart rate depending on your age, health conditions, and endurance.

Target heart rate: Another way to think of the “fat-burning heart rate” is the target heart rate you want to reach during physical activity. Generally, this is between 5o-80 % of the maximum heart rate.

What Exercises Help You Burn the Most Fat?

Health experts recommend getting at least 150 minutes of exercise a week. The exercises you partake in may change as you get older.

How intense a workout is depends on your preference. You can still reach your weight loss goals as long as you’re putting in the effort to be active. You can modify activities like walking to have higher intensity by walking faster or up an incline.

Low to moderate-intensity exercises you can consider to burn fat faster are as follows:

Powerwalking
Biking
Jogging
Skiing
Swimming
Hiking
Dancing
Weight training

There are different ways to incorporate exercise into your everyday life. Consider meeting with friends in a park weekly to play a sport or walk together to hold each other accountable. You can also join running or walking groups if you need extra motivation to keep going.

To keep things interesting, you can also practice interval training (switching between walking and running during your workout).

Other Key Factors in Weight Loss

In addition to heart rate, the following factors may influence how fast you lose weight:

Metabolic rate: If you naturally have a fast metabolism, you will be able to burn fat faster when working out.

Nutrition: What you eat plays a big role in how soon you see weight loss results. Without eating a balanced diet of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and proteins, it will be harder to keep the weight off.

Genetics: Some people may be more predisposed to weight gain than others based on genetics. This may make weight loss more difficult for someone who naturally gains weight easily.

Health conditions: Some health conditions, like diabetes and hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), can lead to weight gain in men and women.

When working out, stay hydrated and listen to your body. You can still lose weight without exerting maximum energy the entire time. Take breaks and drink plenty of water when you can to prevent injuries.

Where Can I Learn More About Burning Fat?

The Rex MD Weight Management Program can help you achieve your weight loss goals. Through the program, you may be able to receive access to groundbreaking GLP-1 medications and metabolic testing, if clinically appropriate.

See if you qualify to get closer to achieving your weight loss goals today.