It is also jokingly referred to as ‘the lazy workout’. That is not quite right, because you do have to work. The fact is, however, that you don’t have to work yourself out completely, as is common with some forms of intense exercise.
What about those zones?
Zone 1 is lying on the couch for Heel Holland Bakt, Zone 5 is flights for Bokito. Zone 2 Cardio means that you put your heart to work without straining it too much. Think of a leisurely jog, a bike ride or a brisk walk. During the activity you should be able to hold a conversation.
The benefits are in persevering: it takes at least 45 minutes before your body really benefits from it, experts recommend an hour to an hour and a half. That is quite long, a playlist works well for a bit of distraction, but Zone 2 can also be combined with watching a movie on a treadmill or exercise bike.
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What will take some getting used to is that this is not a way of exercise that earns you points. Sport is generally about performing, scoring, sweating, puritan sweating to get those nuts off again. In this case you can’t post achievements on your socials, but that might be so relaxed in this swanky #doing well world.
Three hours a week
180-200 minutes per week Zone 2 Cardio has enormous positive effects on general health and healthy aging. It is linked to a significantly lower risk of type 2 diabetes, dementia and cardiovascular disease. There is also less chance of injuries compared to High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) in which you exert yourself intensely in a short time.
The fact that it has so many pluses is – put simply – because your body uses your fat reserves as an energy source with mild exertion. During intense exercise (Zone 3), it will burn glucose, which causes more stress for the heart, muscles and lungs. If you’re gasping for breath or gasping persistently while exercising, you’re in Zone 3.
“Both health and fitness, Zone 2 training has many benefits,” says Dr Richard Blagrove, a physiologist at Loughborough University. “I don’t feel guilty at all if I sit on my exercise bike for an hour with a book.”
Illustration (c) Getty Images
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