Zone 2 Cardio: For improved cardiovascular health, lower blood pressure, regulated blood sugar, reduced asthma, reduced chronic pain, better sleep, weight loss, better mood, improved brain function and a stronger immune system.
5 mins >3 hours, pick your modality and duration
Start with as little as 5 or 10 minutes, try to add around 10% each week.
If 5 minutes at Z2 is too much, start with holding Zone 1 for 5 or 10 minutes.
You don't have to stick to a single modality, if you have access to different cardio machines, use them.
Find zone 2 by using this formula:
(220- your age) x 0.6 for the bottom of zone 2
(220- your age) x 0.7 for the top of zone 2
The other way is to aim to hang out around 180bpm – your age. Should feel fairly easy.
If you need a recovery day, drop the intensity to zone 1, same rules on volume. Start with something manageable and add around 10% each time you repeat the workout.
If doing a long zone 2 effort is too monotonous do rounds of 10 minutes of cardio, 300m heavy Farmer’s walk. You are welcome to change the cardio modality each round.
Use an audiobook or music to take your mind off the suck
Photo by Fitsum Admasu on Unsplash