Discover the benefits and limitations of Zone 2 exercise
- Moderate exercise is the rage right now
- Zone 2 exercise burns a higher percentage of fat
- Moderate exercise allows for quicker recovery
- Zone 2 exercise is not necessarily better than vigorous exercise
- Almost any exercise at any intensity is good for you
- Zone 2 is defined as 60-70% of maximum heart rate
- Zone 2 can be determined using the Karvonen formula
- Zone 2 exercise improves mitochondrial function
- Elite athletes incorporate a lot of Zone 2 exercise
- There are multiple ways to improve fitness
Want to get more out of your workout regime? Don’t go all out all the time. Moderate exercise is the rage right now. Proponents of so-called Zone 2 exercise point to research that shows that we burn a higher percentage of fat through moderate exertion than we do when we work out at more intense levels. At those higher levels, called Zone 3, 4, or 5 exercise, our bodies fuel themselves increasingly with carbohydrates. Plus, our bodies recover more quickly from moderate than intense exercise. Some health experts go so far as to say that nearly all exercise ought to be in Zone 2. Companies are jumping on the bandwagon. They are producing devices that measure whether someone is training in Zone 2 and exercise equipment that supposedly makes it easier to train in Zone 2. So is exercising in Zone 2 any better for you? The answer is it depends. While it is true that moderate exercise can get you in fantastic shape, you can get there more quickly with vigorous exercise. Furthermore, the emphasis on training zones can obscure the fact that almost any exercise at any intensity is good for you. Christopher Travers, an exercise physiologist with the Cleveland Clinic, focuses on zone training when he works with elite athletes. But when he works with regular people, he advises them to not worry so much about the numbers. “If I’m getting you moving, I’m improving your fitness,” he says. Here is what you need to know about the science of Zone 2. There Isn’t a Universal Definition Travers is among those who define Zone 2 as 60% to 70% of your maximum heart rate. To determine your exact maximum heart rate, you need to get tested on a treadmill by an expert. But you can get an estimate of your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220. Say you are 60 years old. Your estimated maximum heart rate would be 220 minus 60, or 160 beats a minute. Using the straightforward maximum heart rate approach, your Zone 2 would be between 96 (60% of 160) and 112 (70% of 160) beats a minute. The precise numbers aren’t written in stone. Dr. Elizabeth C. Gardner, an associate professor of orthopedic surgery and sports medicine at Yale, is among those who define Zone 2 as 65% to 75% of your maximum heart rate. Under either approach, if you are exercising at 70% of your maximum heart rate, you are in Zone 2. The other approach is to use the Karvonen formula, which relies on your heart rate reserve, or the difference between your maximum heart rate and resting heart rate, to calculate Zone 2. Say that 60-year-old has a resting heart of 60. The difference between that and his maximum heart rate of 160 is 100. Using this approach, Zone 2 is usually calculated as 60% to 70% of your reserve heart rate plus your resting rate. This puts your Zone 2 somewhat higher—between 120 and 130 beats a minute (60% to 70% of 100 plus 60). Dr. Michael Joyner, an anesthesiologist and exercise expert at the Mayo Clinic, advises you take these numbers with a grain of salt. He says you don’t need to do calculations to determine if you are in Zone 2. If you are exercising at a steady rate but can still hold a conversation, you are probably in Zone 2, Joyner says. Zone 2 should feel like “you’re not winded, where there is no sensation of pushing it.” All Exercise Improves the Performance of Cells Moderate exercise improves the function of our mitochondria, the powerhouses of our cells. It also makes our entire cardiovascular system work better as it transports blood, carries oxygen, and removes waste products. More intense exercise also improves the function of our mitochondria and capillaries, as does more moderate Zone 1 exercise. The Mayo Clinic’s Joyner is skeptical of claims that Zone 2 exercise is better than other zones in this regard. Any type of exercise is good for you. “If people want to go faster, one way to do that is more intense exercise,” Joyner says. “But the other way is more miles, which is where Zone 2 comes in.” Exercising at a moderate pace allows you to pile on the miles while reducing the risk of injury, notes Gardner of Yale. “The ability to endure long periods of exercise at a lower heart rate (i.e. Zone 2) allows an athlete to take on more training load—both higher volume and intensity,” she adds. And whereas all exercise improves the function of mitochondria, Gardner says Zone 2 better trains them to burn fat. “This is important for life and longevity because many chronic metabolic diseases, like insulin resistance, have their root in mitochondrial dysfunction and inflexibility,” she says. Elite Athletes Exercise a Lot in Zone 2 You might think the best endurance athletes in the world do tons of intense exercise. Not necessarily. Many do immense amounts of moderate or Zone 2 exercise combined with brief stints of brutally hard exercise. That is essentially what occurs each year in the Tour de France bicycle race. The cyclists spend much of their days riding at a moderately taxing pace—for them—in a group of riders. Then the race leaders pull away from the pack in a savage climb and ride to victory. Everyday athletes can use this same approach to optimize their fitness. Exercise most of the time at a moderate pace and, once or perhaps twice a week, push yourself to do the entire workout at an uncomfortably fast pace or alternate intervals of brisk and intense exercise. And if you don’t care about getting faster or you just want the health benefits of exercise, you can do all your training at a moderate, or Zone 2, pace. Conversely, if you want to spend as little time exercising as possible and still derive substantial benefits, you can do all your workouts at a more vigorous but safe pace. The Center for Disease Control recognizes this in its exercise recommendations. It says we need a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate exercise (64% to 76% of our maximum heart rate) or 75 minutes (77% to 93% of our maximum heart rate) of vigorous exercise. The bottom line: Almost any level of exercise is good for you and there are multiple ways to improve your fitness. Zone 2 training can help you exercise more and get fit without burning out or injuring yourself. But it isn’t the be-all or end-all either.
Factuality Level: 3
Factuality Justification: The article provides information about the benefits of Zone 2 exercise, but it lacks depth and fails to provide a balanced view. It presents Zone 2 exercise as a superior form of exercise without acknowledging the benefits of other exercise intensities. The article also includes some generalizations and oversimplifications, such as suggesting that almost any exercise at any intensity is good for you.
Noise Level: 3
Noise Justification: The article provides a detailed explanation of Zone 2 exercise, including different definitions, benefits, and how it can be incorporated into a workout regime. It offers a balanced view by discussing the advantages and limitations of Zone 2 training. The information is relevant and supported by experts’ opinions and scientific explanations. However, some parts of the article could be seen as repetitive, and the constant emphasis on Zone 2 exercise might oversimplify the complexity of fitness training.
Financial Relevance: No
Financial Markets Impacted: No
Presence Of Extreme Event: No
Nature Of Extreme Event: No
Impact Rating Of The Extreme Event: No
Rating Justification: The article does not pertain to financial topics and does not describe any extreme events.
Key People: Christopher Travers (exercise physiologist with the Cleveland Clinic), Dr. Elizabeth C. Gardner (associate professor of orthopedic surgery and sports medicine at Yale), Dr. Michael Joyner (anesthesiologist and exercise expert at the Mayo Clinic)
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