Fitness programs can be built around just about anything. CrossFit is based on the philosophy that constantly varied movements performed with moderate intensity improve physical competence. Yoga is built around Eastern principles of connecting oneself with universal consciousness. And HIIT is based on the idea that alternating short bursts of highly intensive exercise with brief periods of recovery will increase stamina and ability.
Zone 2 cardio is the latest exercise trend, and it’s based on the longstanding notion that keeping your heart rate within a specific range can help you get more out of a workout.
Here’s how Zone 2 cardio works and whether there are any real benefits of getting … in the zone … with this fitness trend.
What is Zone 2 training?
In the world of exercise science, there are five heart rate zones. They are meant to help individuals measure progress, achieve specific fitness goals and get the most out of their workout. Zone 1 is the mildest and easiest target zone to maintain and Zone 5 is the most intense.
Zone 2 cardio training is somewhere in between and is “aerobic exercise that is considered light to moderate in terms of intensity,” says Dr. Carrie Jaworski, a sports and exercise medicine physician at Intermountain Health in Salt Lake City. It’s a type of exercise that aims to get your heart rate up, which is important for strengthening your heart muscle and overall cardiovascular health while also getting more oxygen to your organs and muscles. At the same time, “this type of exercise is meant to be something that you can sustain for a longer period of time,” says Jaworski.
To make sure you’re “in the zone,” Zone 2 cardio participants aim to “keep their heart rate at 60% to 70% of their maximum heart rate,” says Dr. Michael Fredericson, director of the physical medicine and rehabilitation division of Stanford University.
While brisk walking is the most popular activity that people engage in when practicing Zone 2 cardio, you can also be in this zone doing many other activities such as “rowing, jogging, swimming and cycling,” says Jaworski.
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Is Zone 2 cardio best for fat loss?
One of the top reasons people choose to work out this way is because Zone 2 cardio is known as the fat burning zone since it reaches a heart rate at which cells start burning fat. At the same time, a heart rate in this range “won’t target body fat loss specifically,” says Jaworski. “While the fuel your body uses in Zone 2 includes fatty acids, that doesn’t equate to decreased body fat percentages,” she says. “Instead, Zone 2 training helps the body become more efficient at using fats for fuel.”
Zone 2 cardio is also a type of exercise that “has been shown to improve lipid levels and insulin sensitivity as well as decrease the risk of cardiovascular events in those who already have cardiovascular disease,” says Jaworski. She adds that frequently exercising in this zone is also good for improving aerobic capacity and building endurance without punishing your body as much as some higher intensity workouts. “Zone 2 training is easier on the body so you can do it more regularly, recover more quickly and are less likely to get burnt out or overtrain,” she says.
Fredericson adds that the level of intensity Zone 2 cardio requires is also good for improving muscle contraction and function. And its cardiovascular benefits “include a lower resting heart rate, reduced blood pressure and improved vascular tone regulation,” he adds, the latter improving blood clotting and immune function.
Such advantages are among the reasons the American College of Sports Medicine recommends “that moderate-intensity exercise, such as Zone 2, should be performed for at least 150 minutes per week to achieve significant health benefits,” says Fredericson.
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How do I find my Zone 2?
To keep your heart rate at 60% to 70% of your maximum heart rate, you’ll have to first determine what your maximum heart rate is. To do that, Fredericson explains, just subtract your age from the number 220; “60% to 70% of that number is the intensity level you should aim for during a Zone 2 cardio workout,” he says.
Once you know this target range, “you can use a fitness tracker or heart rate monitor to stay within that zone during exercise,” he says.
And if you don’t want to wear a monitor or calculate your heart rate, an alternative way to make sure you’re staying within this target zone is to use the “talk test,” says Jaworski. This test is “where continual talking is becoming challenging, but still possible,” she explains. One way you know you’re adhering to this method is if you need to take a breath about every three to five words you’re speaking while exercising, notes Mayo Clinic.
Regardless of how you choose to get there, once you have mastered being able to exercise in this target heart rate range, Jaworski says, “you can start challenging your body in different ways as Zone 2 cardio prepares you for harder workouts.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is Zone 2 cardio?
