Zone 2 heart rate calculator
Compare Zone 2 methods and see all five estimated heart rate training zones.
1-minute heart rate recovery calculator
See the percentage your heart rate drops in the first minute after exercise, alongside the change in beats per minute.
Your heart rates
Example valuesUse the reading at the end of exercise and exactly 60 seconds later.
No account needed. Calculations happen in your browser; your entries are not saved or sent to Century.
Example · Your 1-minute percentage drop
18.8%
Your heart rate fell from 160 to 130 bpm in 60 seconds.
- Heart rate drop
- 30 bpm
- After 60 seconds
- 130 bpm
How it’s calculated
One-minute heart rate recovery = heart rate at the end of exercise − heart rate 60 seconds later, in beats per minute. Percentage drop = recovery ÷ end-of-exercise heart rate × 100. Use the same cooldown procedure when comparing sessions. Active and passive recovery produce different readings; this tool does not assign a clinical or fitness category.
Reference: Cleveland Clinic: Heart rate recovery
For general wellness information. This tool does not diagnose health conditions or replace medical advice.
Related tools
Understand your one-minute heart rate recovery
How to measure one-minute heart rate recovery
Record your heart rate at the end of exercise, then record it again sixty seconds later. Enter both values in beats per minute. The calculator subtracts the second reading from the first and also expresses the drop as a percentage of the starting reading.
The time interval is part of the measurement. A reading taken two minutes later produces a different result and should not be entered as the one-minute value. A resting heart rate recorded before a workout is also not the same as your post-exercise reading.
Compare workouts with the same cooldown procedure
A walking cooldown and a seated recovery are different measurement conditions. Record how you recovered, as well as the exercise type and the timing, if you want to compare sessions. Follow your usual exercise guidance rather than changing your cooldown to chase a number.
Cleveland Clinic describes heart rate recovery as the difference between the exercise heart rate and the rate after one minute. Interpreting a result requires more context than subtraction alone, so this tool shows the measured change without a good-or-bad fitness label.
Keep heart rate recovery separate from HRV
Heart rate recovery describes how much your pulse falls over a fixed interval after exercise. Heart rate variability describes variation between individual heartbeats. They use different inputs and cannot be substituted for each other.
A daily recovery score is another distinct output. Do not treat a one-minute drop as a complete assessment of your readiness to train. Century helps you view workout and recovery trends alongside the other wearable signals available to the app.
Frequently asked questions
What is the formula for heart rate recovery percentage?
In this calculator, percentage drop is (end-of-exercise heart rate − heart rate after 60 seconds) ÷ end-of-exercise heart rate × 100. A drop from 160 to 130 bpm is 30 bpm, or 18.75 percent. Other tools may use a formula adjusted for resting heart rate, so check the denominator before comparing percentages.
Why is my heart rate recovery negative?
A negative result means the heart rate entered for 60 seconds after exercise is higher than the end-of-exercise value. For example, 140 − 145 = −5 bpm. Check the timing and readings. The calculator preserves that arithmetic result and does not diagnose why it happened.
How do I calculate one-minute heart rate recovery?
Subtract your heart rate measured 60 seconds after finishing exercise from your heart rate at the end of exercise. For example, 160 bpm minus 130 bpm gives a 30 bpm drop.
Should I walk or sit during recovery?
The recovery procedure matters. Follow your usual exercise guidance and use the same procedure when comparing workouts. Do not compare a walking cooldown with a seated recovery as if they were the same test.
What is a good heart rate recovery?
Interpretation depends on the test protocol, activity, medication and personal health context. This tool reports the arithmetic rather than labeling a result good or bad. A clinician can interpret a standardized exercise test.
Is heart rate recovery the same as HRV or a recovery score?
No. Heart rate recovery measures the fall in pulse after exercise. HRV measures variation between individual heartbeats. Century’s daily recovery insights consider a different set of available wearable signals.