Why Zone 2 Training is a Good IDea

When it comes to low barrier exercise, zone two takes the biscuit! There is huge benefit to incorporating zone two training. It will improve your life in the short and long term and it's relatively easy to implement.

What is Zone 2?

Zone 2 training generally means keeping your heart rate in the 110–130 bpm range for thirty minutes or more at a time. Now, everyone has a different Zone 2, so the heart rate range can vary. It is based on your current level of fitness, and it can rise as your fitness level improves.

For example, professional cyclists incorporate Zone 2 in their training. However, due to their very high level of aerobic conditioning, their Zone 2 may look like a Zone 3 or 4 when compared to your average Joe.

How to Find Your Zone 2 Heart Rate Range

The easiest way to estimate your heart rate zones is to use the Fox Equation. This is simply 220 - (your age) = Max Heart Rate. If a 50-year-old person wanted to use the Fox Equation to find their Zone 2, it would look like this:

220 - 50 = 170 (Maximum Heart Rate)

Zone	Heart Rate Range
Zone 1	50 - 60% of 170 = 85 - 102 bpm
Zone 2	60 - 70% of 170 = 102 - 119 bpm
Zone 3	70 - 80% of 170 = 119 - 136 bpm
Zone 4	80 - 90% of 170 = 136 - 153 bpm
Zone 5	90 - 100% of 170 = 153 - 170 bpm

So, according to the Fox Equation, this 50-year-old person has a Zone 2 of 102–119 bpm. As I mentioned above, this is the easiest way to estimate your Zone 2, but it's usually not 100% accurate.

What are the Benefits of Zone 2?

1. Improves Mitochondria Efficiency

2. Increases Aerobic Capacity

3. Aids in Recovery

4. Supports Weight Management

5. Improves Mental Well Being

1. Improves Mitochondrial Efficiency

Aging in and of itself is not responsible for the decline in physical ability. The mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell, and they play a key role in energy production. They are responsible for producing most of the bodys ATP.

Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) is the body's main source of cellular energy and is used in many important bodily functions, such as muscle contraction. Mitochondrial function is closely tied to insulin sensitivity and maximal oxygen uptake—VO2 Max, a key indicator of aerobic fitness.

Zone 2 helps reverse the age-related mitochondrial decline by enhancing mitochondrial efficiency. This is done by increasing the number and function of Type I muscle fibers which, in turn, optimizes fat oxidation, enhances lactate clearance, and increases adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production efficiency.

2. Improves Aerobic Capacity

There are studies showing that Zone 2 training can increase maximal oxygen uptake as well as increasing VO2 Max, a key indicator in terms of aerobic capacity, which is directly linked to longevity.

Moderate-intensity exercise like Zone 2 training helps build your aerobic base, improves your ability to deal with higher-intensity bouts of exercise, and improves your overall cardiovascular health.

3. Aids in Recovery

During bouts of higher-intensity exercise, energy and oxygen supply do not meet demands. This leads to lactate accumulation in your muscles, and you feel fatigued, which can hamper the energy output needed to recover sufficiently.

Zone 2 increases a person's oxygen uptake to the muscles without the lactate accumulation. So, Zone 2 training is helpful for both recovery and improving your ability to sustain higher-intensity workloads.

4. Supports Weight Management

Fat oxidation is how your body breaks down fat and turns it into energy. Fat oxidation is at its highest when exercise intensity is moderate (50–65% of your VO2 Max). If you remember when jogging first came on the scene, the tagline was "it's a great fat-burning activity." Anchorman Ron Burgundy partakes in "yogging" with a soft J, so you should too!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6nFhcI4tgI

Since then, we know you need both Zone 2 level intensity and high-intensity activity to adequately address fat loss (70% Zone 2, 30% High Intensity). Nutrition also plays a major role in the weight management process.

5. Improves Mental Wellbeing

Zone 2 training has been shown to have positive impacts on feelings of depression and anxiety. That alone is a huge benefit. Zone 2 training can also act as an anti-inflammation agent for the brain while also promoting neuroplasticity, which is the ability of the brain to change and evolve its activity.

How to Incorporate Zone 2

You can go for an up tempo walk outside, use a stationary bike, elliptical trainer or even a treadmill with an incline to help get you into zone two. I use the MyZone heart rate monitor while doing my zone two conditioning. Their interface has zone two set between 60 - 69% of your maximum heart rate. Here's a screenshot from one of my recent zone two days. Cardiac output is another name for zone 2 training.

Summary

The benefits of incorporating zone 2 training outweigh any possible negatives. It helps with stress and weight management, recovery and it's good for your brain. A solid aerobic system is key if you want to live a long life and do all the things you currently enjoy as you age.