Zone 2 Exercise: Is It For You?

Zone 2 exercise has been all the rage recently.  It has been identified as a key training method to not only increase performance, but heart, lung, and total body health as well.  Zone 2 exercise refers to sustained, low-to-moderate intensity aerobic work performed at an effort where your body relies heavily on the aerobic energy system. For individuals that are relatively trained, Zone 2 work should be long duration, low intensity overall. But its implementation is often misunderstood. Here are a few ways to work Zone 2 exercise into your training.

Zone 2 can be done through running, cycling, rowing, swimming, hiking, or brisk walking—as long as the intensity stays controlled and sustainable. But the intensity of the work is crucial-here are common ways to identify Zone 2:

• Heart rate: ~60–70% of max heart rate
• Talk test: You can speak in full sentences but wouldn’t want to sing
• Perceived effort: About 3–4/10 (10 being max effort)

Why Zone 2 Matters 

Zone 2 training drives adaptations that form the foundation of endurance and long-term performance. These adaptations don’t happen quickly—but they are durable and powerful.:

• Increases mitochondrial density: More and better-functioning mitochondria improve your ability to produce energy aerobically.
• Improves fat oxidation: Your body becomes more efficient at using fat as fuel, sparing glycogen for harder efforts.
• Enhances blood flow which improves oxygen delivery to working muscles.
• Improves aerobic efficiency to maintain faster paces at lower heart rates over time.
• Supports recovery from other training as it places minimal stress on joints, connective tissue, and the nervous system as whole
  
  

Why Zone 2 Is Important for Elite Athletes

Elite endurance athletes rely heavily on Zone 2 because it allows them to accumulate large volumes of high-quality training without excessive fatigue.  It helps them build an aerobic base that supports other higher-intensity work, allows them to train frequently without overtraining, improved their recovery and supports their often long and grueling competitive seasons

Why Zone 2 Is Important for Novice Athletes

Even though most of us don’t fall in the category of “Elite Athlete”, we can benefit just as much from Zone 2 Training. The magnitude of benefits for the general population is even more pronounced, because we aren’t trying to go from 96-97% capacity like the elite athletes are,  we might be starting at 50% or even lower!  If you aren’t elite, Zone 2 will help you build aerobic fitness safely with lower injury risk while losing excess weight, and attacking chronic illness risks such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer head on!

Zone 2 training may not be flashy, but it is foundational. Whether you’re an elite athlete chasing marginal gains or a recreational athlete looking to improve fitness, health, and longevity, Zone 2 work builds the engine that everything else depends on.