EceTempo

Exercise health

How target heart rate zones are calculated, what they are based on, and what to consider before you start exercising.

Personal tempo options

Standard tempo zones

Standard targets use the Karvonen method to calculate a selected percentage of your heart rate reserve. Heart rate reserve, or HRR, is the difference between maximum and resting heart rate.

  • Very Light20–29% HRR

    Very low effort; Borg 6–8

  • Light30–39% HRR

    Easy and comfortable; Borg 9–11

  • Moderate40–59% HRR

    Noticeable effort, with conversation still possible; Borg 12–13

  • Vigorous60–89% HRR

    More demanding, with conversation becoming difficult; Borg 14–17

These percentages describe EceTempo’s standard options. ACSM classifies very light exercise as below 30% HRR; EceTempo uses 20–29% for this option. Borg scores provide an approximate comparison, not an exact conversion from a heart rate percentage. [2]

Personalisation through perceived effort

Borg RPE helps you rate how demanding exercise feels on a scale from 6 to 20. Consider your breathing, muscle fatigue and overall effort together. Your rating adds information to the heart rate reading on your watch. [5]

For example, if a Moderate session feels like Borg 14 or higher, reduce your pace and review your target range. The perceived effort option lets you set your own lower and upper HRR percentages. One easy session does not mean you should immediately raise your target; make changes gradually.

Targets from exercise testing

Enter the lower and upper heart rate limits prescribed by your clinician after a clinical exercise test or assessment, directly in beats per minute. This option uses the limits you enter instead of a standard percentage calculation. The highest heart rate on a test report is not, by itself, a training target; your clinician should specify the range to use.

Your weekly aerobic activity goal

The World Health Organization recommends 150–300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75–150 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week for adults, or an equivalent combination. Muscle strengthening on at least two days a week is also recommended. Start with an amount appropriate for you and build up gradually. [1]

EceTempo tracks its weekly goal in moderate equivalent minutes. Only time spent within your selected Moderate or Vigorous target heart rate range counts; each minute in the Vigorous zone counts as two. For example, 90 minutes in the Moderate target zone plus 30 minutes in the Vigorous target zone equals 150 equivalent minutes. You can adjust your weekly goal in Settings.

The science behind your target

The Tanaka equation and Karvonen method

The Tanaka equation estimates maximum heart rate from age. The Karvonen method combines that estimate with resting heart rate to calculate the target for your selected HRR percentage. [2–4]

Estimated maximum heart rate = 208 − (0.7 × age)

Heart rate reserve = maximum heart rate − resting heart rate

Target heart rate = resting heart rate + (heart rate reserve × intensity fraction)

Use 0.40 for 40% and 0.59 for 59%. Calculate the lower and upper limits separately.

Example: for a person aged 60 with a resting heart rate of 59 bpm, estimated maximum heart rate is 166 bpm and heart rate reserve is 107 bpm. The Moderate limits are 101.8 and 122.13 bpm. Rounded to the nearest whole number, the target is approximately 102–122 bpm. This is an illustration, not a target for everyone.

Including resting heart rate adds personal information to the calculation. A low resting heart rate does not, on its own, establish better fitness; medication and some health conditions can also affect it. A maximum heart rate calculated from age is an estimate, not a measurement.

Target heart rate calculator

Try the formula above with your own values.

Estimated maximum heart rate
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Heart rate reserve
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TempoHRRTarget range

This tool only applies the formula above; it is not a personal exercise recommendation. If you take a beta blocker or another medicine that affects heart rate, or have a health condition, agree your target with your clinician.

The ECE research background

EceTempo draws on the ECE — Equipment for Clever Exercise — approach developed by Prof. Dr. Füsun Ardıç. Studies of ECE PEDO investigated audible feedback for following an individually determined walking cadence. [6,7]

EceTempo brings this approach to Apple Watch through heart rate targets, perceived effort and live feedback. The ECE PEDO studies evaluated the earlier device and method; they do not provide direct evidence of the EceTempo app’s clinical efficacy.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to carry my phone during a workout?

You can select your tempo, start and continue the session on Apple Watch. iPhone can be used for preparation, detailed statistics and community features. Setup, synchronisation and online functions have their own device and connection requirements.

How can I determine my resting heart rate?

Resting heart rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute when your body is completely at rest.

Measure it after a good night’s sleep, immediately upon waking, before getting out of bed. Alternatively, rest for at least 5 minutes before measuring, while seated with your back supported.

You can enter your resting heart rate into EceTempo in two ways:

1. Manual entry: If you have a known value measured under these conditions, tap the blue button with the hand icon and enter it.

2. Automatic import from Apple Health: Tap the red button next to it to automatically import your weekly average resting heart rate recorded in Apple Health.

What if exercise feels hard while my heart rate is in range?

Reduce your pace and assess how you feel. Stop the session if necessary. Review your targets if your Borg rating and intended effort differ substantially or repeatedly; consult your clinician if you have symptoms or health concerns.

Will every measurement be available after every workout?

Displayed information depends on the activity type, sufficient sensor data, existing records and permissions. Calories, distance, VO₂max and recovery information may not all be available after each session.

Scientific references

  1. World Health Organization. Physical activity recommendations for adults. WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2021; based on the WHO Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour, 2020. View source ↗
  2. Garber CE, et al. ACSM position stand on the quantity and quality of exercise in apparently healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011;43(7):1334–1359. doi:10.1249/MSS.0b013e318213fefb. View source ↗
  3. Tanaka H, Monahan KD, Seals DR. Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2001;37(1):153–156. doi:10.1016/S0735-1097(00)01054-8. View source ↗
  4. Karvonen MJ, Kentala E, Mustala O. The effects of training on heart rate; a longitudinal study. Ann Med Exp Biol Fenn. 1957;35(3):307–315. View source ↗
  5. Scherr J, et al. Associations between Borg's rating of perceived exertion and physiological measures of exercise intensity. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2013;113(1):147–155. doi:10.1007/s00421-012-2421-x. View source ↗
  6. Ardıç F, Göçer E. Cadence Feedback With ECE PEDO to Monitor Physical Activity Intensity: A Pilot Study. Medicine (Baltimore). 2016;95(10):e3025. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000003025. View source ↗
  7. Göçer E, Ardıç F, Akkaya N, Herek D. Efficacy of moderate-intensity walking provided feedback by ECE PEDO on abdominal fat in overweight and obese women: A randomized, exercise study. Turk J Phys Med Rehabil. 2017;63(4):340–347. doi:10.5606/tftrd.2017.1956. View source ↗
  8. Apple Support. Track your cardio fitness levels. Updated 14 September 2026. View source ↗
  9. American Heart Association. How Do Beta Blocker Drugs Affect Exercise? Reviewed 18 January 2024. View source ↗

Accessed 22 October 2026