Cycling is great for zone 2. I’ve made it my primary means of transit, and while it took some time to adapt to that norm, it’s now second nature for me to ride everywhere.
Cycling to work was the one best thing I did for my health and fitness - all my ‘training’ was a bonus on top. I’m now WFH and the change is huge, a still do the ‘training’ but with out that bike two times a day it doesn’t touch the sides - keep it up mate !
@@oddinary30Yes, of course. In fact, stationary cycling can be even better than "normal" cycling if you're doing this kind of structured training, because you can just do your training in a very predictable fashion, whereas there are many variables in traditional cycling, such as hills. I for one am really competitive, so I often sprint race against cars at green lights, even though I really shouldn't, just to name one example.
Sending a virtual hug to you Andrew. You’ve helped me through so many things this year from mental health to physical health. I’m the healthiest I’ve ever been and finally feel empowered with the accurate information I need to continue on this upward spiral. 🎉 thanks for all you do.
All the best petebagi :) Which of his stuff have helped you out the most, particularly with respect to mental health ? David Goggins' video was of great help to me.
My grandfather, born in the 1890s, got his zone 2 cardio via his work as a lead miner, after the mines closed, he was a carpenter and painter. After a day's work, he came home and helped my grandmother maintain their small farm, which included their chickens, pigs, and a few cows as well as the garden because they raised most of their food. He lived into his 90s, and thought working out was a strange concept.
I'm a farmer but I don;t think I'm getting 3 hours of zone two cardio in my daily work routine (possibly one hour in winter) but not most of the year. How are we meant to fit three hours of this cardio into our lives?
I’m in my 60s and that is still my life , been a tradesman for 40 years , It’s funny how so many people who have poor health and are out of shape say to me , you shouldn’t have to work that hard at your age 😊 they don’t get it .
Diet plays a pretty key role in all that. Just because someone is a tradesman or works long hours on their feet doesn't mean they're physically healthy. I see tons of morbidly obese tradesmen. Modern day people eat junk.
Zone 2 is a fantastic base layer for overall health. I did four to five Z2 a week all last winter. My first mountain bike ride in the spring was better than my best ride in from the last fall. My Stamina and HR recovery was so much better after those punchy climbs & sprints.
@@GoGoGadgetGiveadamn According to Andrew Huberman, the science says 150-200 minutes of zone 2 per week minimum to achieve the longevity and health benefits.
This works out to be at least 40min per day over 5 days. This is reassuring, as many people can do a foot commute to work instead of taking the bus/train.
Learning about zone 2 has changed my life in terms of running. I was running to fast. Such an easy thing but I think ego has something to do with it. Now I've slowed down and do one small run a week and a 8 mile run every week. Before I didn't think it was possible.
That's an interesting perspective shift, because if you don't look at your zone 2 cardio as training or a workout you can easily stop to smell the roses or to admire the view from whereever you are with that mindset, instead of pushing through aggressively if it's a workout. That's such an incredible trick, because it allows you to get all the benefits, but still lets you stay soft and loving while doing it. It also allows you to give up with no hesitation if you do notice that you have injured yourself; because when you're injured durring your time in nature because you love it you'd go home and let your body heal while if the same thing happened under the umbrella of training you'd be way more likely to push through and at least finish what you've started. The only thing holding you back to not cancle your time in nature is the actual love for it, instead of like this whole mental toughness thing. It's like going to the shops: if you need milk you still really want to get it, but if you're injured you're going to take it way easier and potentially find another solution. That's such a powerful take.
I do Strength Training, HIIT, Tabata, Power Walks and sometimes when I feel energised I'd go for a short run. I always thought that my Power Walks are not considered real Zone 2 exercises 😊 and I'm lacking Zone 2 work so I'm glad to hear it they actually are. I love my 1h Power Walks in the evenings after dinner, when I go outside and listen to some science backed podcasts or blast some music. Thank you 😉 Loving HubermanLab content ❤️
@@noxuification I personally think that as long as you do different types of exercise with various pace/heart rate you should be fine 👊 Don't get discouraged and most importantly have fun! 😉
At my normal walk speed I blast past "power walkers", be sure to actually exert some effort. Even though I walk at a high speed I don't consider it zone 2. I think the main benefit of walking is not that it's zone 2, but that you're not sitting down on your butt.
@@treali I find my power walks doing great for my mental health and blood glucose plus when I get home and sit down I can see my resting heart rate going down to 47bpm, feeling relaxed for sure 😌 🙌 Even though it's maybe not true Zone 2 nevertheless it serves me well. And I agree. Whatever movement you do is much better than sitting on your butt 😉 right?!
I lift weights 4 times a week and have recently added an hour of zone 2 cardio to the end of my workouts. Game changer for fat loss and it seems to be helping my weekend mountain biking as well. At 57, I have abs for the first time in my life and can ride intermediate mtb trails in Colorado without getting gassed...
@@mmd2035 gets close to two hours total, I lift for 45 minutes to an hour max, then an hour of zone 2, basically fast walking on the treadmill. That's Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Friday splitting as Back, then Chest/Tris, then off day, then Legs, then Shoulders/Bis, then on the weekends I'll try to get in a couple of two-hour mtb rides....
@@chatteyj I don’t believe so, if anything they’re interval training cardio wise. An intense set of squats or deadlifts ramps your heart rate really high, then rest and repeat…
I lowered my blood pressure by like 18 because of zone 2.. it works. I’m fairly fit (looks wise) but my job is very sedentary. So, every other day I’ll do 45 minutes of zone 2 and my blood pressure is at 121/70 regularly now. Very good stuff.
For most of my life I exercised 5-6 days a week, mixing strength, Hiit, basketball and endurance. Then depression hit me and I almost stopped everything for close to a year. I was so afraid to lose all the muscle and performance I built for decades. Recently I've been feeling better and started training regulary again and to my surprise my physique dont disappear completely, I still look fit compared to general people even though I probably lost more than half of my muscle and performance. Also my body bounced back pretty quickly as well. What I didnt realized during that year I spent 1-2 hours a day taking care of 9 stray cats I adopted and those were definitely a zone 2 exercise 1-2 hours a day, 7 days a week. Im just sharing my experience so people who are very busy, currently not in the best condition, or in a mental struggle and lost all motivation can do this kind of activity. Then when youre back to your own self you would be thankful. Keep fighting everyone, youre stronger than you thought.
Summary: Andrew Huberman discusses the importance of Zone 2 cardio, recommending 150 to 200 minutes per week for cardiovascular and overall health. He shares his personal approach, incorporating a weekly slow jog or hike lasting 60 to 90 minutes, emphasizing nasal breathing and outdoor exposure. Huberman mentions his discussion with Dr. Andy Galpin, who reassures that Zone 2 cardio is crucial for health and can complement other fitness aspects. Galpin suggests viewing it as part of daily activities, like brisk walking, carrying groceries, or engaging in work discussions while pacing. Huberman highlights the flexibility of integrating Zone 2 cardio into daily life, providing relief for busy individuals. The key message is to accumulate 200 minutes of Zone 2 cardio weekly, with Huberman setting the minimum threshold at 200 minutes. He emphasizes that it doesn't necessarily have to be scheduled treadmill time and can be seamlessly integrated into daily movements. Huberman shares his shift in perspective, considering his outdoor activities as movement rather than structured exercise, allowing for a more enjoyable approach to fitness.
I work on the 5th floor and started taking the stairs everytime instead of the lift. By week 4, I could see a massive improve already in my respiratory capacity
For a couple weeks I was running zone 2 every morning, minimum 3mi on the treadmill followed by 6mi on the bike, then lifting weights afterward. Some of the best work I've gotten. Sleep is crucial, my schedule fell apart after a bumpy work week. Currently leaving this comment at 11pm.
I live in NYC and walk everywhere at a “NYC pace” (versus the slow tourist stroll.) This is great news as most of my scheduled workouts these days come from strength training in the gyms.
When I zone 2 train I can see a massively significant difference in my HRV and my resting HR. coupled with HIIT it’s the cardiovascular ultimate cycle, everything improves massively.
Would be great for you to interview Peter Attia on this subject. He has a different point of view and is much more focused on getting zone 2 as a solid uninterrupted block. I prefer your approach and it’s a relief to hear, but it’s still confusing to hear such different perspectives.
Out of everyone I have read Dr. Attia has the most comprehensive approach when it comes to exercise. I think some of these others assume the average person won't make it a priority so they give us watered down versions like this. Of course it's better than nothing but I walk around for hours at work and never get get in zone 2. I appreciate Dr. Attia for those of us that really want to make it a priority and put in the work. Most people have the time. After all the average American watches up to 4 hours of TV a day not to mention the time they spend on their butts scrolling on their phone like I am doing now😅. It's all about priorities.
Zone 2 Cardio, that's like the 1 hour brisk walking that I (oh-so easily) do around the park when it's empty, getting my average HR to 120+ Cool. Gonna do more of it now. It also helps burn all the excess calories while still not being enough to impede my hypertrophy training or recovery. Thanks, Andrew!
@@Ooweeeooo Depends on walking speed, body weight, height etc. A brisk walk for me at around 6 kph/3.7 mph usually ends up with Zone 2 heart rate @ 140-152 pulse.
Some people consider walking around the block as zone 2. My Polar app considers zone 2 as 117-130bpm. Peter Attia considers 140-145bpms zone 2. We're obsessed with the metric because we've heard the study that Peter Attia and others have mentioned, saying that if you do 150-200 minutes of Zone 2 cardio/week you might live forever. I don't really think it matters that much. Make sure you're doing some form of exercise 4-5 days a week. Just get out there and get sweaty!
For ne, at 48 years old, my Zone 2 heart rate range (which is 60-70% of your maximum heart rate) would be approximately 103 to 120 beats per minute. This is based off the idea that one's maximum heart rate is 220 - your age. So my max heart rate would be 178. So if you're younger, yeah you're going to have a higher zone 2, but then also if you're more fit you'll have a higher zone 2. It's not a one size fits all. But then if I went and did a stress test and got my true VO2 max and actual max heart rate, It would be more specific. But then again it all depends on one's age and conditioning level.
It literally can't matter that much. All these necessities are coming from lab studies fed to us by academics abd health care professionals trained in a corrupt system.
Great simple tips! Plus I would add If people don't know what their true ZONE TWO session is ...get a test as with PNOE or we used Phil Maffetone's MAF formula for 20-30 years as most people are really in their zone three. Plus women don't need as much of zone 2 than man - as per Dr. Stacy Sims research she shared recently. One day a week doing a longer outdoor in nature Zone 2 cardio is a realistic goal for most (most times of the year!).
I basically go for a daily walk through the woods with my Nordic walking sticks which increases my rate probably puts me at the lower end of zone 2, but then there are steps that I'll do which brings me up. Could certainly focus on going faster to make sure I'm staying in zone 2 but a daily 50 minute walk should be something everybody could do, it shouldn't be something that's hard to fit into one's schedule. And if it is you might rethink your schedule
@@mav3ric100walking is zone 2 for people who aren’t very fit. If you’re fit, it’s prob on the high end of 1. Hiking or incline walking is zone 2 for everyone.
Walking is simply incredible in how much good it does. It increases testosterone, which also helps muscle growth/recovery and burns fat, but the biggest benefit I have found, during a period of grieving and duress, is mental. It is the best way of neutralising psychological stress.
This reminds me of the movie "Back to the Future Part 3", where Doc Brown is back in the western time period 🤠 and is trying to explain what life is like in 1985, where people "run for fun" or exercise. Before the need of the 9 to 5 office job or just modern life in general, most people were on a circadian rhythm clock, got their vitamin D from the sun, plants and meat, did "Zone 2" cardio and resistance training daily and were probably relatively healthy under their harsher circumstances. They may not have had clean drinking water all the time but ours needs to be filtered from tap for microplastics, pharmaceuticals, heavy metals, pesticides, etc. Fun movie, doesn't get old. 🎬
I have to take exception with a bit of this. For me and my fitness level, just moving around or going for a walk is Zone 1 or even Zone 0 cardio, not Zone 2 cardio. It would be great if we could put more of a standard definition around what Zone 2 really is. For me, it’s a 9:00-9:30 min/mile run based on heart rate and it is, in fact, exercise.
I agree. It seems to easy to water down zone 2 with a slow walk. A slow walk is more like zone 0.5 and even though it is beneficial for mental health and does get the blood moving, I don't see it really moving the needle in terms of overall fitness.
Typically its a measure of heart rate with a target around 70% of HRM. For me with a HRM around 185 I try to stay 129-138 BPM, as others state that is the level of output where I can talk to my wife if she comes in the room to ask me something or be on a phone call (although people can tell you are exercising as it shouldn't be 'easy' to do)
@@eddyjroth That's one definition, and one I was using for quite some time. Then I found that for me and my fitness level, I could get to about 78% of my measured HRM before I hit the RPE that you are talking about (which I agree with, btw). In other words, 70% of HRM is in the low end of Z2.
Why did he feel the need to make this and then give some generic fitness advice that does not involve actually doing zone 2. So many better videos out there on this subject
I think Galpin was referring to Zone 2 being only 60-70% max HR, how it is usually defined. However most of the benefits of the much talked about "Zone 2" are actually coming from 70-80% max HR which is usually defined as Zone 3. Maffetone and Attia clearly define about 80% as being optimal.
Hi everybody. I’m not a know it all by any means, but do want to let you know the guidelines are 150 minimum of “moderate” intensity and 75 minutes of “vigorous” intensity. Zone 2 cardio is squarely within the “vigorous” category, as measured by METs.
by that definition of zone 2 cardio, I get 20-60 hours of zone 2 a week because of my job. My understanding of zone 2 is it needs to be 60% to 75% of your maximum heart rate and I'm not sure if I could get my heart rate to even 60% walking unless it's up a long steep hill.
I do a ton of casual zone 2 with various martial arts practices, hitting the bag slow and low for a bit or similar is good for the brain, my technique, and zone 2 cardio apparently.
Seems somewhat dilutive, e.g. going for a walk or unloading the groceries doesn't approximate zone2 training benefits (for me at least). I'll stick with 3x week zone2 (spin/rucking) + and 1x week HIIT and resistance training, Zone2 training also minimizes any chance of injury, which can be a devastating setback.
Love this video and advice. I'm 79 yo and try to ride Z2 on a stationary bike. When I ride outside, I pretty much Z3, but it does not feel very hard and I have time in Z2 and Z4. Z5 has not been experienced very much. So the question is can I add up the Z2's for my weakly (yes, weakly within a week) to see how many minutes to meet the 15 minutes lower goal. Thanks ever so much. So I'm not much of cyclist, say 1000 miles per year, mix of MTB, Grvl and road.Seated resting pulse is 50 bpm. Cheers!
I ride stationary bike every day for one hour. I level up intensity every 5 minutes until I reach level 12 then I come back down. Plus I walk 2 miles every day as well.
If you're an endurance athlete, zone 2 is life! However, being an athlete means you can't get into zone 2 simply walking, even fast walking. Zone 2 should be the bread and butter of any exercise regime.
Same, there's no way I could get to even 60% of my max HR walking unless it's up a steep hill. I wouldn't call myself an athlete, but I bike 5-10 hours a week and I'm also on my feet working actively 20-60 hours a week. It would be different if someone only does strength training and has a sedentary job.
Agreed but for us aging female endurance athletes - we need more sprint interval training and less chronic cardio zone 2 we have done for years (as per Dr. Stacy Sims)
The biggest difficulty I have with Zone 2 is "it doesn't feel challenging enough". When I get on a cardio machine or go for a run, my default is to set a pace that gets my HR up into the 160 - 180 range, which might overlap with Zone 3 but is definitely above Zone 2.
This is the way. I lost 35 pounds solely doing zone 2 cardio and lifting weights. I'm 37 and my HR never got above 132. Combine this with monitoring your food with a diary like MyFitnessPal and it's a game changer. I have abs at my age and am well below the 10% bodyfat range. Weights / abs three days a week, walking 60-90 min 3 days a week on incline.
zones are dependent on your heart rate, and what your heart rate maximizes at during training...it is specific to YOU, so just figure it out through testing and training ...but zone 2 is typically 115-130bpm for most people
Zone 2 refers to a lactate model, consisting of 6 zones, all of them defined by lactate levels. Zone 2 is typically between 65-85 of your maximum Heart rate.
Can you and/or Peter Attia please do a deep dive on the studies that show why doing about 80/20 zone 2/zone 5 is best? Why is Zone 3 not beneficial? Why is Zone 4 not beneficial? Most people, while running long or middle distance races, stay in zone 3 or zone 4 for most of the race. Why doesn't practicing in those zones help performance in those zones? And why does Peter Attia think 4 minutes of Zone 5 followed by 4 minutes of rest, repeated, is ideal, when many running coaches have different preferences for minutes of zone 5 vs minutes of rest? I've seen a lot of videos about WHAT you guys think we should do. I haven't seen a lot about why we should do cardio this way,, and based on what data.
I think you are having a conversation of performance while the zone 2 / zone 5 conversation is about health / longevity in general. You would train completely differently when trying to optimize for a sport or event than simply making your heart tick for longer.
Attia says that this 80/20 zone 2/zone 5 regimen is the key to increasing VO2 max. Increasing VO2 max most of what it takes to improve performance in endurance sports. @@kyle943
@@kyle943 I still would love to see a discussion on (for general health) whether time in zone 3/4 is can be thought of as equivalent to zone 2 in any sense but with extra recovery required. As a runner, I find trying to stay in zone 2 means going frustratingly slow and my feel good/mental health pace typically puts me in 3/4. Basically, besides the extra lactic acid build-up, can you get the same general health benefits from the "grey area" zones?
@@davidkao What I've gathered is that from an evolutionary standpoint we seem to have mechanisms that expect us to do either light movement or acute high intensity efforts. Thats why they recommend that protocol. Chronic stress is not the norm in the wild, rather, playful movement or gathering of resources until a threat shows up. There are plenty of tribes that don´t do this and they are extremely healthy, hence why the key factor is just to be active. If you are an athlete you should be fine, but if you find that you are too sedentary when not training, just walking more will get you those 200 minutes of zone 2 cardio minimum per week.
I'd love to see a discussion on what general health benefits (if any) can come from zones 3 or 4. Basically, besides the extra lactic acid build-up, can you get the same benefits as zone 2 from the "grey area" zones?
Zones upto 6 are all aerobic, you simply can't do the volume of work required to build the CV system with anything above zone 2. Fatigue plays a big role in performance and zones above 2 are too fatiguing.
@@richardmiddleton7770 I'm wondering specifically about general health and not performance, and the baseline volume recommended here (in terms of minutes of zone 2) is certainly a doable for zone 3/4 (think of a couple of 5k/10k runs per week).
My interpretation is, and I think it's worth mentioning that zone 2 He discusses in this video isn't the same on the screens of your smart watch e.g Garmin. That would be 3. I believe the threshold we should be aiming for is around 60-80% of your max heart rate. Please correct me if I'm wrong on this ?
There are zone calculators online. It considers your age, resting heart rate, max heart rate etc. It's a rough calculation but I like to have a general idea. And I also go by feel. In running it's called an "easy run" and "LSD" as in long slow distance vs say a tempo run comfortably hard which puts you in zone 3. Uncomfortably hard zone 4 then I can barely do this zone 5 like something you can do for 30 seconds max.That's how I have always understood it at least. As far as the Garmin mine shows my heart rate throughout the day. And working at a restaurant even the busiest nights never put me in zone 2. So I think it just depends on the person and how conditioned they are. The more conditioned someone is the more they have to do to elevate their heart rate. If someone is a couch potato going for a walk can put them in zone 2 vs someone that's already conditioned.
That’s where I believe us tradesman have an advantage, 6-8 hours a day we are on our feet continually moving , and a fair amount of that time carrying heavy things . I finish work and then go to the gym for strength training
The long and short of it - pick up a racquet sport. Play - Badminton, Tennis or Sqaush. Chances of injury are minimal. You can play at your own pace(find a partner of similar calibre). You don’t need a big team(only 2 or 4 people). It’s fun… That’s it….thats what everyone needs to get started. You can add other things to it once this has become a routine… I would first add freehand exercises like squats, tricep dips, pushups, planks .. …then, other strength training…other cardio like walking/running… etc etc…
Latest data I have read is that zone 4 cardio, 75+ minutes per week, has the same effect has zone 2 cardio at 150+ minutes per week. Has newer research been released in the last couple of years with different information?
I run around 700min/week, 80% in Zone 2. In general a little bit more from spring to autumn, a little bit less in winter. Where I'm living the sub zero temperatures can be really hard on the lungs. For me the 60-90min after-work-run is my mental "cool down" phase. Nothing that happend during the day stays, nothing that will have to happen the next day is important yet. In other words: It's part of my mental self care and not only to stay physically fit...
Hello, would you please talk about exercise during and after COVID? I see strong advocate for aggressive rest, which I wonder if it is overkill for those with mild symptoms. I felt comfortable doing some light weight training, but not sure if this will lead to long covid. Thanks!
There's alot of comments about being in or out of zone 2 with walking. It seems some people are missing the point, it doesn't matter whether you are walking or jogging, your heart doesn't know which it's doing. It's about being in that 60-70% HRmax. For some that's jogging, for me that's walking (I am 47, training for an ultra marathon, have HRmax of 187, bench and squat 220lbs so considered 'fit' by most). We are all different, and have different ways of getting our HR in zone 2
The Stair Master is great for zone 2 cardio. I personally find running very difficult. I don’t know if I have bad form or what but I feel a lot of impact while running. I also get very hot and itchy when running. Meanwhile my heart rate easily goes over 150bpm while walking up the stair master at a comfortable speed.
Ok,help me here ! I’m still confused So I’m not understanding what (bare with me guys) makes zone2 work out. Due injuries I’m on the stationary bike for about 40 to a hour 5 days a week. Some days i end with sprinting for 30sec to one minute full speed on level 10. Is this considered level 2? And does this have to be done every night?
Do you track your heart rate? Zone 2 just basically means hitting a high heart rate, that is comfortable and maintaining it. If your heart rate is too low, whatever exercise you do doesn’t count as zone 2. If you spend 40 min on the bike but your heart rate is stable at 100bpm during the workout it’s not counted as zone 2. However if you did 40 minutes on the bike and as soon as you started your heart reached 130bpm and was stable for 40 minutes you did 40 minutes of zone 2 cardio. If you hit 40 minutes of zone 2 daily, 4-5 days a week should be enough. It also depends on your age. Im 27 so for me i feel comfortable at 160bpm for 30 min straight, 5 days a week. I’ve tried doing 180bpm but I usually feel nauseous afterwards. Someone who is 70 years old only needs to hit like 110 beats per minute to be in “zone 2”.
But isn’t the definition of zone 2 cardio that a person’s heart rate gets within a certain range, which is widely debated from being within 60-70% max heart rate or more along Attia’s thoughts of 75% of a person’s heart rate? My walking, even at a faster than normal pace, gets my heart rate at around 50% which isn’t zone 2.
I'm curious about it too. Dr. Huberman said how we take zone 2 cardio with a certain range of heart rate like 220 - age and then times 0.7 kind of thing. Just wondering. And hope somebody can explain it. Slow walking doesn't sound like a cardio for me. We need just a little higher heart rate to get the benefits of exercise in my opinion 😀
My understanding is that it isn’t just about the heart rate. The fitter you are (cardiovascular fitness) the lower your heart rate will be when you are under cardio load and therefore the harder you will have to work to raise it. It’s to do with how efficient you are and how your body processes lactate too.
I play Stepmania for cardio, it's really fun and If you do it for long enough you sweat like crazy. I don't play videogames and I think there's no benefit in playing them but I make an exception for games that trick you into doing excercice
Most of the things you are describing would definitely qualify as Zone 1 for most people, not crossing ventilatory threshold 1. Although this threshold is depending on your overall fitness, Zone 2 is still the black hole of training intensity and kept to a minimum by all professional athletes in any endurance based sports.
For most people watching this, just putting the weights in their place when you go to the gym and that will get you your zone 2 cardio and it contributes to a better gym envoirement
This goes against what Peter Attia has said about Zone 2, that it should be a continuous interval of at least 15-20 minutes, but also that Zone 2 is usually around 75-80% max HR and imo you're (very) unlikely to reach that intensity in your day to day activities. It seems unlikely that you'll get the training effect of Zone 2 this way. And even if you do manage to reach that intensity in everyday activities, we're talking about constant sweating and showers. Zone 2 is not "easy" running or easy anything.
This zone 2 stuff is hilarious. Basically do what our parents and grandparents did: don't sit around on the couch all day/night. My mother's motto was: Get up and do something! Sometimes we get analysis paralysis about health and wellness (among other things), when really we just need to get up and move and have some balance. As the video says, this is not "working out", it is just living. "Working out", in layperson's terms, is taking things to another level where we aim to alter/improve our body's strength and conditioning to achieve longevity.
Very interested in your info. I am doing zone 2 cardio training regularly, 4 times a week plus walking in forests. But I would like to integrate resistance training, but don´t know how to do it best. Is there information about it on your channel as well? I just watched you for the first time. Greetings from Germany.
The definition of Zone 2 varies. Attia says it needs to be in large blocks; Huberman says you can pepper it around. I don't think most people have 60-90 minute blocks to stay engaged in zone 2 (which in my case requires incline treadmill to get anywhere near the "zone 2" part). grocery store unloading doesn't really cut it. Can anyone else explain this?
What is the confusion on zone 2 here? Love your stuff Andrew but both you and Attia seem to suggesting zone 2 is more of a state like “easy” than an actual number (range of numbers). But unless something changed zone 2 is a range of heart rate 60-70% of max heart rate. Am I missing something? Walking and casual exercise is certainly beneficial but I’m not sure why it’s being referred to as zone 2
exactly. just getting up off the couch and going for a walk is the best thing we can do. unless our ancestors had smart watches that said slow down guys your going to fast for the pray
Interesting, Peter Attia seems to indicate that you need to have consecutive amounts of time (45 min - 1 hr) in zone 2 per session to increase your Vo2 max.
I've heard so many people say Zone 2 Cardio in the last year that I have come to believe that saying Zone 2 Cardio is as important and maybe more-so than actually doing Zone 2 Cardio. I'm just gonna keep enjoying whatever I do and call it Zone 2 Cardio.
Lovely work you do, lovely explanations, Andrew. Thank you! I'm trying to hit the gym 3 days for week and add outdoor activities in the week end days. I'm also using a Garmin device and i noticed, during the gym days, it double my time as worked out based on the intensity of the activity (eg. in a 52 minutes training session it calculates 11 minutes - moderate activity + 42x2 minutes - intense activity). The 3 sessions lead to 300ish minutes of total activity... My question is: should i rely on these measurements? Are they = with the 200 you mentioned in your video? Thx!
So, 150 - 200 minutes of zone 2 cardio workouts for maximum benefit. Also, walking fast is counted as zone 2 cardio workouts too so you can just walk faster in your daily life and it will hit that mark. No need to be stressed too much about this workout. Thanks, I will increase the pace when walking in the morning.
I am wondering about the comparative benefits of daily pranayama breath work versus cardiovascular exercise, specifically in the context of cognitive health and neuroplasticity. Cardiovascular exercise is well-documented to enhance cognitive function, promote positive neuroplastic effects, rebuild the hippocampus to improve memory and learning following prolonged trauma, reduce the size of the amygdala to aid recovery from chronic stress, and alleviate mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. My questions are as follows: Does pranayama breath work confer similar or superior benefits to those of cardiovascular exercise concerning cognitive health and neuroplasticity? Mental health and affect? Are the benefits derived primarily from the offloading of CO2, the increased uptake of O2, or a combination of both? Is it the oxygen or is it an acid/base thing? Do I actually need to increase my heart rate for cardiovascular health or can I get the same benefit with intense breath work without increasing my heart rate so significantly? What are the effects of combining pranayama with hyperbaric oxygen therapy on cognitive health? Would this combination be synergistic or excessive?
I would love to hear Andrew speak about Rebounding/mini tramp. I’m sure he’ll never see this comment but maybe since NASA did research on this he might one day, hopefully sooner than later, speak on the topic.
So the obvious question here is.....since when is walking, even at a brisk pace considered zone 2. My understanding has always been that walking is zone 1. In order to get to zone 2, the heart rate needs to be higher, IE 65% of max HR.
I wonder how you’d reach Zone 2 in these daily tasks, like doing groceries, walking your dog, etc. These are great to get your step count on the right spot, but reaching Zone 2 is a bit different.
This is partially incorrect. Carrying groceries, walking with a coworker, or playing with your kids is not zone 2 training (unless, of course, for an incredibly out of shape individual). The average individual going out for a walk or easy bike ride will be in zone 1. A good litmus test is you should be able to have a conversation in Z2 but it should be uncomfortable (i.e., sentences interrupted with breathing). You will be sweating in Z2. For the vast majority of people, simply "getting out and moving" during daily activities simply won't put you in zone 2. Measure heart rate (via monitor or pulse check) if you're curious.
He's mostly incorrect, but saying that all you need to do is....what you're doing already is zone 2 sounds nicer and makes most people feel better. Like you said, zone 2, you're sweating.
I think what he’s trying to say, and I agree, he didn’t do it in a clear way, is that you can get your zone 2 cardio in through regular activities by increasing the intensity of those activities. It’s a bit surprising that he needed a medical doctor to tell him this. Anyway, for example, picking my kid up from daycare becomes a light jog, 15 minutes on the way there. It becomes a brisk walk uphill with a stroller or with her on my shoulders on the way back. In both cases I end up sweating and in zone 2, sometimes zone 3 for short bursts. The key is doing these activities with intention. I could walk there and walk back in zone one, but I increase the intensity and turn a task I’m doing anyway into a light cardio session. I’m less convinced that this will be possible with something like “carrying the groceries” - because even if you try and increase the speed of your walking or carry the groceries rather than using a cart, you simply would not be engaged in the activity for long enough for it to matter- unless you’re doing laps around the grocery store first. All that to say I absolutely I agree that some daily activities can be converted to zone 2 cardio sessions, and I also agree this is a great approach for people with busy lives, what he missed is that there needs to be intentionality behind how the activities are executed, and a conscious effort to get into and stay within the zone.
As noted in some of the comments, big error in this zone 2 cardio is neither hiking nor very easy walk which both are zone 1, zone 2 is steady runs with higher hrb, i.e. not that easy for many to reach 150-200min per week
You obviously do not hike where I do At least half of my hikes are above zone 2. I hike up mountains. If you cannot hold a conversation you are above zone 2. I agree with a flat walk unless you walk at the fastest pace without running.
Hello, I just entered the world of running. Recently, I've been trying to train in zone 2. My question is, when I run using nasal breathing, I can't stay in zone 2 for too long; I'm at a pace of 8. However, when I run using nasal inhalation and mouth exhalation, I can maintain zone 2 at a lower pace of 6. Is it dangerous to continue this practice?
Active travel is the answer I reckon. I do my commute to work by bike means 2 birds with one stone. Nice n slow on bike and it's found time that I don't need to schedule in at gym etc.
My zone 2 range is approximately 119 - 148 bpm. It's nearly impossible for me to get into that zone during an "everyday" activity. Even if I'm walking at an extremely brisk pace, my HR is only going to the low 90s. So unfortunately, it needs to be planned out ahead of time.
Hello, I’m a new subscriber and find your videos very educational and helpful. Thank you. My question to you is I have plantar fasciitis and really can’t run but instead I walk on an incline to get my heart rate up. Would that still be considered zone 2 cardio?
My question is: if I do a HIIT (high intensive training) with the the max heart rate in zone 4 and min in zone 1 which at the end equals to avg zone 2 heart rate, will it be the same as if I make jogging in zone 2 only?
I walk my dog 3 miles everyday at an avg 16:30/mile pace. Which feels like we’re walking pretty quickly. But I never get to Zone 2 (per my Apple Watch). I’m doing Zone 2 on the bike…is something wrong? I do have a very low resting heart rate. Or am I overshooting what Zone 2 should be?
I think your watch is right. Andrew underestimates here what it takes to stay in zone 2. Unloading the groceries will not do it. And even if it does for a few seconds, you need it sustained...
Cycling is great for zone 2. I’ve made it my primary means of transit, and while it took some time to adapt to that norm, it’s now second nature for me to ride everywhere.
Cycling to work was the one best thing I did for my health and fitness - all my ‘training’ was a bonus on top. I’m now WFH and the change is huge, a still do the ‘training’ but with out that bike two times a day it doesn’t touch the sides - keep it up mate !
Is stationary cycling counted?
@@oddinary30 Lol yes zone 2 is a heart rate zone
@@oddinary30Yes, of course. In fact, stationary cycling can be even better than "normal" cycling if you're doing this kind of structured training, because you can just do your training in a very predictable fashion, whereas there are many variables in traditional cycling, such as hills. I for one am really competitive, so I often sprint race against cars at green lights, even though I really shouldn't, just to name one example.
best to use a trainer for zone 2 cycling. too much starting and stopping on the streets, along with inclines and declines
Sending a virtual hug to you Andrew. You’ve helped me through so many things this year from mental health to physical health. I’m the healthiest I’ve ever been and finally feel empowered with the accurate information I need to continue on this upward spiral. 🎉 thanks for all you do.
All the best petebagi :) Which of his stuff have helped you out the most, particularly with respect to mental health ? David Goggins' video was of great help to me.
You try the cold showers and sunlight in the AM? It's so painful, but feels amazing afterwards. Better than a cup of coffee!
What would we do without him
My grandfather, born in the 1890s, got his zone 2 cardio via his work as a lead miner, after the mines closed, he was a carpenter and painter. After a day's work, he came home and helped my grandmother maintain their small farm, which included their chickens, pigs, and a few cows as well as the garden because they raised most of their food. He lived into his 90s, and thought working out was a strange concept.
They don’t make them like they used to. That was a hardworking man no doubt.
😂 why workout when you can just labor the farm lol.
I'm a farmer but I don;t think I'm getting 3 hours of zone two cardio in my daily work routine (possibly one hour in winter) but not most of the year. How are we meant to fit three hours of this cardio into our lives?
I’m in my 60s and that is still my life , been a tradesman for 40 years ,
It’s funny how so many people who have poor health and are out of shape say to me , you shouldn’t have to work that hard at your age 😊 they don’t get it .
Diet plays a pretty key role in all that. Just because someone is a tradesman or works long hours on their feet doesn't mean they're physically healthy. I see tons of morbidly obese tradesmen. Modern day people eat junk.
Zone 2 is a fantastic base layer for overall health. I did four to five Z2 a week all last winter. My first mountain bike ride in the spring was better than my best ride in from the last fall. My Stamina and HR recovery was so much better after those punchy climbs & sprints.
fout to five a week of homany minutes each tho
@@GoGoGadgetGiveadamn According to Andrew Huberman, the science says 150-200 minutes of zone 2 per week minimum to achieve the longevity and health benefits.
@@GoGoGadgetGiveadamn I did 45 min to an hour per session.
Same, I added four 1 hour zone two sessions per week and now my weekend mtb rides are so much better...
This works out to be at least 40min per day over 5 days. This is reassuring, as many people can do a foot commute to work instead of taking the bus/train.
what country do you live in?
Learning about zone 2 has changed my life in terms of running. I was running to fast. Such an easy thing but I think ego has something to do with it. Now I've slowed down and do one small run a week and a 8 mile run every week. Before I didn't think it was possible.
How is that still going for you? I am learning about Z2 and interested to see what the results have been after 6months?
That's an interesting perspective shift, because if you don't look at your zone 2 cardio as training or a workout you can easily stop to smell the roses or to admire the view from whereever you are with that mindset, instead of pushing through aggressively if it's a workout. That's such an incredible trick, because it allows you to get all the benefits, but still lets you stay soft and loving while doing it. It also allows you to give up with no hesitation if you do notice that you have injured yourself; because when you're injured durring your time in nature because you love it you'd go home and let your body heal while if the same thing happened under the umbrella of training you'd be way more likely to push through and at least finish what you've started. The only thing holding you back to not cancle your time in nature is the actual love for it, instead of like this whole mental toughness thing. It's like going to the shops: if you need milk you still really want to get it, but if you're injured you're going to take it way easier and potentially find another solution. That's such a powerful take.
I do Strength Training, HIIT, Tabata, Power Walks and sometimes when I feel energised I'd go for a short run. I always thought that my Power Walks are not considered real Zone 2 exercises 😊 and I'm lacking Zone 2 work so I'm glad to hear it they actually are. I love my 1h Power Walks in the evenings after dinner, when I go outside and listen to some science backed podcasts or blast some music. Thank you 😉 Loving HubermanLab content ❤️
I have no clue how to find my zone 2
@@noxuification I personally think that as long as you do different types of exercise with various pace/heart rate you should be fine 👊 Don't get discouraged and most importantly have fun! 😉
At my normal walk speed I blast past "power walkers", be sure to actually exert some effort. Even though I walk at a high speed I don't consider it zone 2. I think the main benefit of walking is not that it's zone 2, but that you're not sitting down on your butt.
@@treali I find my power walks doing great for my mental health and blood glucose plus when I get home and sit down I can see my resting heart rate going down to 47bpm, feeling relaxed for sure 😌 🙌 Even though it's maybe not true Zone 2 nevertheless it serves me well.
And I agree. Whatever movement you do is much better than sitting on your butt 😉 right?!
Power walks probably stay in zone 1. Depends on the person.
I roller skate 3 hours x two sessions every week. Love skating. I also do 3 days callisthenics with resistance training. 58 years old.
I dislocated my right shoulder so Zone 2 on the assault bike and jogging helps me maintain my athleticism. Also I feel it has speeded up my recovery.
same brother
Same brother
I lift weights 4 times a week and have recently added an hour of zone 2 cardio to the end of my workouts. Game changer for fat loss and it seems to be helping my weekend mountain biking as well. At 57, I have abs for the first time in my life and can ride intermediate mtb trails in Colorado without getting gassed...
2 hour workouts?
@@mmd2035 gets close to two hours total, I lift for 45 minutes to an hour max, then an hour of zone 2, basically fast walking on the treadmill. That's Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Friday splitting as Back, then Chest/Tris, then off day, then Legs, then Shoulders/Bis, then on the weekends I'll try to get in a couple of two-hour mtb rides....
Do weight left sessions not count as zone 2 cardio in any respect?
@@chatteyj I don’t believe so, if anything they’re interval training cardio wise. An intense set of squats or deadlifts ramps your heart rate really high, then rest and repeat…
I lowered my blood pressure by like 18 because of zone 2.. it works. I’m fairly fit (looks wise) but my job is very sedentary. So, every other day I’ll do 45 minutes of zone 2 and my blood pressure is at 121/70 regularly now. Very good stuff.
what do you do for zone 2 cardio?
@@jjking7900 stationary bike on a high level and elliptical workouts. Both are good, but I get bored so I switch it up.
For most of my life I exercised 5-6 days a week, mixing strength, Hiit, basketball and endurance.
Then depression hit me and I almost stopped everything for close to a year. I was so afraid to lose all the muscle and performance I built for decades.
Recently I've been feeling better and started training regulary again and to my surprise my physique dont disappear completely, I still look fit compared to general people even though I probably lost more than half of my muscle and performance.
Also my body bounced back pretty quickly as well.
What I didnt realized during that year I spent 1-2 hours a day taking care of 9 stray cats I adopted and those were definitely a zone 2 exercise 1-2 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Im just sharing my experience so people who are very busy, currently not in the best condition, or in a mental struggle and lost all motivation can do this kind of activity. Then when youre back to your own self you would be thankful. Keep fighting everyone, youre stronger than you thought.
What a kind person you are and I agree, cats can keep you surprisingly busy. Glad you are feeling much better now.
Summary:
Andrew Huberman discusses the importance of Zone 2 cardio, recommending 150 to 200 minutes per week for cardiovascular and overall health. He shares his personal approach, incorporating a weekly slow jog or hike lasting 60 to 90 minutes, emphasizing nasal breathing and outdoor exposure.
Huberman mentions his discussion with Dr. Andy Galpin, who reassures that Zone 2 cardio is crucial for health and can complement other fitness aspects. Galpin suggests viewing it as part of daily activities, like brisk walking, carrying groceries, or engaging in work discussions while pacing. Huberman highlights the flexibility of integrating Zone 2 cardio into daily life, providing relief for busy individuals.
The key message is to accumulate 200 minutes of Zone 2 cardio weekly, with Huberman setting the minimum threshold at 200 minutes. He emphasizes that it doesn't necessarily have to be scheduled treadmill time and can be seamlessly integrated into daily movements. Huberman shares his shift in perspective, considering his outdoor activities as movement rather than structured exercise, allowing for a more enjoyable approach to fitness.
Legend! Pls do more
good bot
I work on the 5th floor and started taking the stairs everytime instead of the lift. By week 4, I could see a massive improve already in my respiratory capacity
For a couple weeks I was running zone 2 every morning, minimum 3mi on the treadmill followed by 6mi on the bike, then lifting weights afterward. Some of the best work I've gotten. Sleep is crucial, my schedule fell apart after a bumpy work week. Currently leaving this comment at 11pm.
I live in NYC and walk everywhere at a “NYC pace” (versus the slow tourist stroll.) This is great news as most of my scheduled workouts these days come from strength training in the gyms.
Thank you for doing these clips! I love your full episodes but it get lost in the depth of information
When I zone 2 train I can see a massively significant difference in my HRV and my resting HR. coupled with HIIT it’s the cardiovascular ultimate cycle, everything improves massively.
What is your weekly training regime??
Would be great for you to interview Peter Attia on this subject. He has a different point of view and is much more focused on getting zone 2 as a solid uninterrupted block. I prefer your approach and it’s a relief to hear, but it’s still confusing to hear such different perspectives.
Out of everyone I have read Dr. Attia has the most comprehensive approach when it comes to exercise. I think some of these others assume the average person won't make it a priority so they give us watered down versions like this. Of course it's better than nothing but I walk around for hours at work and never get get in zone 2. I appreciate Dr. Attia for those of us that really want to make it a priority and put in the work. Most people have the time. After all the average American watches up to 4 hours of TV a day not to mention the time they spend on their butts scrolling on their phone like I am doing now😅. It's all about priorities.
Zone 2 Cardio, that's like the 1 hour brisk walking that I (oh-so easily) do around the park when it's empty, getting my average HR to 120+ Cool. Gonna do more of it now. It also helps burn all the excess calories while still not being enough to impede my hypertrophy training or recovery. Thanks, Andrew!
Brisk walk is usually zone 1… unless it’s on incline or weighted. At least according to my Apple Watch
@@Ooweeeooo Depends on walking speed, body weight, height etc. A brisk walk for me at around 6 kph/3.7 mph usually ends up with Zone 2 heart rate @ 140-152 pulse.
Some people consider walking around the block as zone 2. My Polar app considers zone 2 as 117-130bpm. Peter Attia considers 140-145bpms zone 2.
We're obsessed with the metric because we've heard the study that Peter Attia and others have mentioned, saying that if you do 150-200 minutes of Zone 2 cardio/week you might live forever.
I don't really think it matters that much. Make sure you're doing some form of exercise 4-5 days a week. Just get out there and get sweaty!
For ne, at 48 years old, my Zone 2 heart rate range (which is 60-70% of your maximum heart rate) would be approximately 103 to 120 beats per minute. This is based off the idea that one's maximum heart rate is 220 - your age. So my max heart rate would be 178. So if you're younger, yeah you're going to have a higher zone 2, but then also if you're more fit you'll have a higher zone 2. It's not a one size fits all. But then if I went and did a stress test and got my true VO2 max and actual max heart rate, It would be more specific. But then again it all depends on one's age and conditioning level.
It literally can't matter that much. All these necessities are coming from lab studies fed to us by academics abd health care professionals trained in a corrupt system.
Worrying about getting your "zone 2 cardio" in likely is worse for you than not getting your zone 2 cardio in
I think Peter atira likes to hear his own voice
Read up on Phil maffetone please maf method is all you need to know about endurance
Great simple tips! Plus I would add If people don't know what their true ZONE TWO session is ...get a test as with PNOE or we used Phil Maffetone's MAF formula for 20-30 years as most people are really in their zone three. Plus women don't need as much of zone 2 than man - as per Dr. Stacy Sims research she shared recently. One day a week doing a longer outdoor in nature Zone 2 cardio is a realistic goal for most (most times of the year!).
I basically go for a daily walk through the woods with my Nordic walking sticks which increases my rate probably puts me at the lower end of zone 2, but then there are steps that I'll do which brings me up. Could certainly focus on going faster to make sure I'm staying in zone 2 but a daily 50 minute walk should be something everybody could do, it shouldn't be something that's hard to fit into one's schedule. And if it is you might rethink your schedule
Walking is zone 1. Unless you're speed walking.
Did you even watch the video?@@mav3ric100
@@mav3ric100walking is zone 2 for people who aren’t very fit. If you’re fit, it’s prob on the high end of 1. Hiking or incline walking is zone 2 for everyone.
Walking is simply incredible in how much good it does. It increases testosterone, which also helps muscle growth/recovery and burns fat, but the biggest benefit I have found, during a period of grieving and duress, is mental. It is the best way of neutralising psychological stress.
This reminds me of the movie "Back to the Future Part 3", where Doc Brown is back in the western time period 🤠 and is trying to explain what life is like in 1985, where people "run for fun" or exercise. Before the need of the 9 to 5 office job or just modern life in general, most people were on a circadian rhythm clock, got their vitamin D from the sun, plants and meat, did "Zone 2" cardio and resistance training daily and were probably relatively healthy under their harsher circumstances. They may not have had clean drinking water all the time but ours needs to be filtered from tap for microplastics, pharmaceuticals, heavy metals, pesticides, etc. Fun movie, doesn't get old. 🎬
And the average life expectancy was under 25 years. What a time it was to be live right...
@@BiswasTharakath but most people had serious diseases only once in a lifetime, not more often
I love this!! It spoke to my spirit!! Let's get it done!!!
I recommend getting Kolie Moore on to discuss Zone 2. He’s definitely on the ball on this subject!
I have to take exception with a bit of this. For me and my fitness level, just moving around or going for a walk is Zone 1 or even Zone 0 cardio, not Zone 2 cardio. It would be great if we could put more of a standard definition around what Zone 2 really is. For me, it’s a 9:00-9:30 min/mile run based on heart rate and it is, in fact, exercise.
I agree. It seems to easy to water down zone 2 with a slow walk. A slow walk is more like zone 0.5 and even though it is beneficial for mental health and does get the blood moving, I don't see it really moving the needle in terms of overall fitness.
Typically its a measure of heart rate with a target around 70% of HRM. For me with a HRM around 185 I try to stay 129-138 BPM, as others state that is the level of output where I can talk to my wife if she comes in the room to ask me something or be on a phone call (although people can tell you are exercising as it shouldn't be 'easy' to do)
@@eddyjroth That's one definition, and one I was using for quite some time. Then I found that for me and my fitness level, I could get to about 78% of my measured HRM before I hit the RPE that you are talking about (which I agree with, btw). In other words, 70% of HRM is in the low end of Z2.
Why did he feel the need to make this and then give some generic fitness advice that does not involve actually doing zone 2. So many better videos out there on this subject
I was able to get my range on my Apple Watch app. The only calculators were pretty close as well.
I think Galpin was referring to Zone 2 being only 60-70% max HR, how it is usually defined. However most of the benefits of the much talked about "Zone 2" are actually coming from 70-80% max HR which is usually defined as Zone 3. Maffetone and Attia clearly define about 80% as being optimal.
Hi everybody. I’m not a know it all by any means, but do want to let you know the guidelines are 150 minimum of “moderate” intensity and 75 minutes of “vigorous” intensity. Zone 2 cardio is squarely within the “vigorous” category, as measured by METs.
Doc you are truly really out there giving us some of the best info!
by that definition of zone 2 cardio, I get 20-60 hours of zone 2 a week because of my job. My understanding of zone 2 is it needs to be 60% to 75% of your maximum heart rate and I'm not sure if I could get my heart rate to even 60% walking unless it's up a long steep hill.
I do a ton of casual zone 2 with various martial arts practices, hitting the bag slow and low for a bit or similar is good for the brain, my technique, and zone 2 cardio apparently.
Seems somewhat dilutive, e.g. going for a walk or unloading the groceries doesn't approximate zone2 training benefits (for me at least). I'll stick with 3x week zone2 (spin/rucking) + and 1x week HIIT and resistance training, Zone2 training also minimizes any chance of injury, which can be a devastating setback.
Love this video and advice. I'm 79 yo and try to ride Z2 on a stationary bike. When I ride outside, I pretty much Z3, but it does not feel very hard and I have time in Z2 and Z4. Z5 has not been experienced very much. So the question is can I add up the Z2's for my weakly (yes, weakly within a week) to see how many minutes to meet the 15 minutes lower goal. Thanks ever so much. So I'm not much of cyclist, say 1000 miles per year, mix of MTB, Grvl and road.Seated resting pulse is 50 bpm. Cheers!
I ride stationary bike every day for one hour. I level up intensity every 5 minutes until I reach level 12 then I come back down. Plus I walk 2 miles every day as well.
If you're an endurance athlete, zone 2 is life! However, being an athlete means you can't get into zone 2 simply walking, even fast walking. Zone 2 should be the bread and butter of any exercise regime.
Same, there's no way I could get to even 60% of my max HR walking unless it's up a steep hill. I wouldn't call myself an athlete, but I bike 5-10 hours a week and I'm also on my feet working actively 20-60 hours a week. It would be different if someone only does strength training and has a sedentary job.
If you bike 5 to 10 hours a week you are fairly athletic at least from a fitness perspective.@@cokebottles6919
Agreed but for us aging female endurance athletes - we need more sprint interval training and less chronic cardio zone 2 we have done for years (as per Dr. Stacy Sims)
Zone 2 for an athlete would be a medium level hike or incline brisk walk - my coach says
The biggest difficulty I have with Zone 2 is "it doesn't feel challenging enough". When I get on a cardio machine or go for a run, my default is to set a pace that gets my HR up into the 160 - 180 range, which might overlap with Zone 3 but is definitely above Zone 2.
This is the way. I lost 35 pounds solely doing zone 2 cardio and lifting weights. I'm 37 and my HR never got above 132. Combine this with monitoring your food with a diary like MyFitnessPal and it's a game changer. I have abs at my age and am well below the 10% bodyfat range. Weights / abs three days a week, walking 60-90 min 3 days a week on incline.
zones are dependent on your heart rate, and what your heart rate maximizes at during training...it is specific to YOU, so just figure it out through testing and training ...but zone 2 is typically 115-130bpm for most people
Yea and it also changes over time as you improve your cardiovascular health
Zone 2 refers to a lactate model, consisting of 6 zones, all of them defined by lactate levels. Zone 2 is typically between 65-85 of your maximum Heart rate.
My zone 2 is a sprint, unfortunately.
Do you think that zone 2 training would be a tempo pace in cycling terminology or 1 zone lower? I know threshold would be above zone 2 training.
@@normw4705 Zone 2 is easier than tempo. Tempo would be zone 3 in the Iñigo San Millan model.
Love zone 2 training. Most of my training is zone 2. My zone 2 is 131-145
And how can you reach that HR by simply Walking?
Incline
Can you and/or Peter Attia please do a deep dive on the studies that show why doing about 80/20 zone 2/zone 5 is best?
Why is Zone 3 not beneficial? Why is Zone 4 not beneficial? Most people, while running long or middle distance races, stay in zone 3 or zone 4 for most of the race. Why doesn't practicing in those zones help performance in those zones?
And why does Peter Attia think 4 minutes of Zone 5 followed by 4 minutes of rest, repeated, is ideal, when many running coaches have different preferences for minutes of zone 5 vs minutes of rest?
I've seen a lot of videos about WHAT you guys think we should do. I haven't seen a lot about why we should do cardio this way,, and based on what data.
I think you are having a conversation of performance while the zone 2 / zone 5 conversation is about health / longevity in general. You would train completely differently when trying to optimize for a sport or event than simply making your heart tick for longer.
Attia says that this 80/20 zone 2/zone 5 regimen is the key to increasing VO2 max. Increasing VO2 max most of what it takes to improve performance in endurance sports. @@kyle943
@@kyle943 I still would love to see a discussion on (for general health) whether time in zone 3/4 is can be thought of as equivalent to zone 2 in any sense but with extra recovery required.
As a runner, I find trying to stay in zone 2 means going frustratingly slow and my feel good/mental health pace typically puts me in 3/4. Basically, besides the extra lactic acid build-up, can you get the same general health benefits from the "grey area" zones?
@@davidkao What I've gathered is that from an evolutionary standpoint we seem to have mechanisms that expect us to do either light movement or acute high intensity efforts. Thats why they recommend that protocol. Chronic stress is not the norm in the wild, rather, playful movement or gathering of resources until a threat shows up. There are plenty of tribes that don´t do this and they are extremely healthy, hence why the key factor is just to be active. If you are an athlete you should be fine, but if you find that you are too sedentary when not training, just walking more will get you those 200 minutes of zone 2 cardio minimum per week.
Attia discusses this in great detail in 2 podcasts with Iñigo San Milan.
I'm 2 minds of 'getting it in through the day' I find the day steals my energy and wears me out, as opposed to sanctioned training sessions.
I'd love to see a discussion on what general health benefits (if any) can come from zones 3 or 4. Basically, besides the extra lactic acid build-up, can you get the same benefits as zone 2 from the "grey area" zones?
Zones upto 6 are all aerobic, you simply can't do the volume of work required to build the CV system with anything above zone 2. Fatigue plays a big role in performance and zones above 2 are too fatiguing.
@@richardmiddleton7770 I'm wondering specifically about general health and not performance, and the baseline volume recommended here (in terms of minutes of zone 2) is certainly a doable for zone 3/4 (think of a couple of 5k/10k runs per week).
@@richardmiddleton7770But if you only have 30 mins for cardio per day, is it harmful to do zone 3 instead of zone 2 if you can maintain zone 3?
My interpretation is, and I think it's worth mentioning that zone 2 He discusses in this video isn't the same on the screens of your smart watch e.g Garmin. That would be 3. I believe the threshold we should be aiming for is around 60-80% of your max heart rate. Please correct me if I'm wrong on this ?
There are zone calculators online. It considers your age, resting heart rate, max heart rate etc. It's a rough calculation but I like to have a general idea. And I also go by feel. In running it's called an "easy run" and "LSD" as in long slow distance vs say a tempo run comfortably hard which puts you in zone 3. Uncomfortably hard zone 4 then I can barely do this zone 5 like something you can do for 30 seconds max.That's how I have always understood it at least. As far as the Garmin mine shows my heart rate throughout the day. And working at a restaurant even the busiest nights never put me in zone 2. So I think it just depends on the person and how conditioned they are. The more conditioned someone is the more they have to do to elevate their heart rate. If someone is a couch potato going for a walk can put them in zone 2 vs someone that's already conditioned.
That’s where I believe us tradesman have an advantage, 6-8 hours a day we are on our feet continually moving , and a fair amount of that time carrying heavy things .
I finish work and then go to the gym for strength training
The long and short of it - pick up a racquet sport. Play - Badminton, Tennis or Sqaush. Chances of injury are minimal. You can play at your own pace(find a partner of similar calibre). You don’t need a big team(only 2 or 4 people). It’s fun…
That’s it….thats what everyone needs to get started. You can add other things to it once this has become a routine… I would first add freehand exercises like squats, tricep dips, pushups, planks ..
…then, other strength training…other cardio like walking/running… etc etc…
Latest data I have read is that zone 4 cardio, 75+ minutes per week, has the same effect has zone 2 cardio at 150+ minutes per week. Has newer research been released in the last couple of years with different information?
That's true, but it can hurt your muscles. That's why Zone 2 is considered god-tier for people aiming to build muscle without losing any.
I run around 700min/week, 80% in Zone 2. In general a little bit more from spring to autumn, a little bit less in winter. Where I'm living the sub zero temperatures can be really hard on the lungs.
For me the 60-90min after-work-run is my mental "cool down" phase. Nothing that happend during the day stays, nothing that will have to happen the next day is important yet.
In other words: It's part of my mental self care and not only to stay physically fit...
Hello, would you please talk about exercise during and after COVID? I see strong advocate for aggressive rest, which I wonder if it is overkill for those with mild symptoms. I felt comfortable doing some light weight training, but not sure if this will lead to long covid. Thanks!
Cardio work in zone 2 for people over 60 years old is the same, or the time is shorter. Thank you very much.
Can you do 4 minutes of fast walking, run sprint, and turn back to cardio zone 2?
There's alot of comments about being in or out of zone 2 with walking. It seems some people are missing the point, it doesn't matter whether you are walking or jogging, your heart doesn't know which it's doing. It's about being in that 60-70% HRmax. For some that's jogging, for me that's walking (I am 47, training for an ultra marathon, have HRmax of 187, bench and squat 220lbs so considered 'fit' by most).
We are all different, and have different ways of getting our HR in zone 2
The Stair Master is great for zone 2 cardio. I personally find running very difficult. I don’t know if I have bad form or what but I feel a lot of impact while running. I also get very hot and itchy when running.
Meanwhile my heart rate easily goes over 150bpm while walking up the stair master at a comfortable speed.
Ok,help me here !
I’m still confused
So I’m not understanding what (bare with me guys)
makes zone2 work out.
Due injuries I’m on the stationary bike for about 40 to a hour 5 days a week. Some days i end with sprinting for 30sec to one minute full speed on level 10. Is this considered level 2? And does this have to be done every night?
Do you track your heart rate?
Zone 2 just basically means hitting a high heart rate, that is comfortable and maintaining it. If your heart rate is too low, whatever exercise you do doesn’t count as zone 2.
If you spend 40 min on the bike but your heart rate is stable at 100bpm during the workout it’s not counted as zone 2.
However if you did 40 minutes on the bike and as soon as you started your heart reached 130bpm and was stable for 40 minutes you did 40 minutes of zone 2 cardio.
If you hit 40 minutes of zone 2 daily, 4-5 days a week should be enough.
It also depends on your age. Im 27 so for me i feel comfortable at 160bpm for 30 min straight, 5 days a week. I’ve tried doing 180bpm but I usually feel nauseous afterwards.
Someone who is 70 years old only needs to hit like 110 beats per minute to be in “zone 2”.
My way of getting zone 2 is to walk in room while watching / listening to these podcasts / tutorials.
But isn’t the definition of zone 2 cardio that a person’s heart rate gets within a certain range, which is widely debated from being within 60-70% max heart rate or more along Attia’s thoughts of 75% of a person’s heart rate? My walking, even at a faster than normal pace, gets my heart rate at around 50% which isn’t zone 2.
What’s your max heart rate?
I was thinking exactly this.
I'm curious about it too.
Dr. Huberman said how we take zone 2 cardio with a certain range of heart rate like 220 - age and then times 0.7 kind of thing.
Just wondering. And hope somebody can explain it.
Slow walking doesn't sound like a cardio for me. We need just a little higher heart rate to get the benefits of exercise in my opinion 😀
My understanding is that it isn’t just about the heart rate. The fitter you are (cardiovascular fitness) the lower your heart rate will be when you are under cardio load and therefore the harder you will have to work to raise it. It’s to do with how efficient you are and how your body processes lactate too.
I play Stepmania for cardio, it's really fun and If you do it for long enough you sweat like crazy. I don't play videogames and I think there's no benefit in playing them but I make an exception for games that trick you into doing excercice
Love this- 💪🏽
Most of the things you are describing would definitely qualify as Zone 1 for most people, not crossing ventilatory threshold 1. Although this threshold is depending on your overall fitness, Zone 2 is still the black hole of training intensity and kept to a minimum by all professional athletes in any endurance based sports.
For most people watching this, just putting the weights in their place when you go to the gym and that will get you your zone 2 cardio and it contributes to a better gym envoirement
LOL, gym ettiquette for me is only zone1, maybe because I do it regularly
@@C2B1303 It is for me as well, I might have over exagerated haha, but definititely keep your gym etiquette!
@@luciocastro1418as a personal trainer who works in a gym I concur put your bloody weights away after use 😂
This goes against what Peter Attia has said about Zone 2, that it should be a continuous interval of at least 15-20 minutes, but also that Zone 2 is usually around 75-80% max HR and imo you're (very) unlikely to reach that intensity in your day to day activities. It seems unlikely that you'll get the training effect of Zone 2 this way. And even if you do manage to reach that intensity in everyday activities, we're talking about constant sweating and showers. Zone 2 is not "easy" running or easy anything.
This zone 2 stuff is hilarious. Basically do what our parents and grandparents did: don't sit around on the couch all day/night. My mother's motto was: Get up and do something! Sometimes we get analysis paralysis about health and wellness (among other things), when really we just need to get up and move and have some balance. As the video says, this is not "working out", it is just living. "Working out", in layperson's terms, is taking things to another level where we aim to alter/improve our body's strength and conditioning to achieve longevity.
Very interested in your info. I am doing zone 2 cardio training regularly, 4 times a week plus walking in forests.
But I would like to integrate resistance training, but don´t know how to do it best. Is there information about it on your channel as well? I just watched you for the first time. Greetings from Germany.
I do not even like it until I get into it about 3-6 months in. Then I love it.
Hello, thank you for the video! Please help me understand what is considered as zone 2. I have found contradicting information and now I am not sure.
Gracias Gracias Gracias thanks for all the information you share
The definition of Zone 2 varies. Attia says it needs to be in large blocks; Huberman says you can pepper it around. I don't think most people have 60-90 minute blocks to stay engaged in zone 2 (which in my case requires incline treadmill to get anywhere near the "zone 2" part). grocery store unloading doesn't really cut it. Can anyone else explain this?
On top of training I walk my dogs for 2 hrs everyday. Heart rate will be in that zone 2 level 👍Great to have it confirmed!
He barely blinks, he is a robot. A very helpful robot. Hehe! Thanks Hubes!
What is the confusion on zone 2 here? Love your stuff Andrew but both you and Attia seem to suggesting zone 2 is more of a state like “easy” than an actual number (range of numbers). But unless something changed zone 2 is a range of heart rate 60-70% of max heart rate. Am I missing something? Walking and casual exercise is certainly beneficial but I’m not sure why it’s being referred to as zone 2
exactly. just getting up off the couch and going for a walk is the best thing we can do.
unless our ancestors had smart watches that said slow down guys your going to fast for the pray
Interesting, Peter Attia seems to indicate that you need to have consecutive amounts of time (45 min - 1 hr) in zone 2 per session to increase your Vo2 max.
I've heard so many people say Zone 2 Cardio in the last year that I have come to believe that saying Zone 2 Cardio is as important and maybe more-so than actually doing Zone 2 Cardio. I'm just gonna keep enjoying whatever I do and call it Zone 2 Cardio.
😂 for reelz - hard to keep track of
But there is an actual Zone 2 (up to Zone 5).
Huberman delivers when required the mosttt
Lovely work you do, lovely explanations, Andrew. Thank you!
I'm trying to hit the gym 3 days for week and add outdoor activities in the week end days. I'm also using a Garmin device and i noticed, during the gym days, it double my time as worked out based on the intensity of the activity (eg. in a 52 minutes training session it calculates 11 minutes - moderate activity + 42x2 minutes - intense activity). The 3 sessions lead to 300ish minutes of total activity...
My question is: should i rely on these measurements? Are they = with the 200 you mentioned in your video?
Thx!
Love zone 2 cardio do it with all my lifting at the end it helps
Love it. Thanks for the great information as always 🔥
So, 150 - 200 minutes of zone 2 cardio workouts for maximum benefit.
Also, walking fast is counted as zone 2 cardio workouts too so you can just walk faster in your daily life and it will hit that mark. No need to be stressed too much about this workout.
Thanks, I will increase the pace when walking in the morning.
You’d have to be pretty out of shape for pacing in your office during a call to be zone 2.
You could do it with a weighted vest or weighted backpack to increase HR to zone 2.
Yeah... But most people are genuinely that out of shap
@@seth3683 That may be but I would guess most of them aren’t watching videos on zone 2 cardio workouts.
@@seth3683 very true
Yea def a Ruck sack would work but in front of your co-workers? 😂 maybe if you wfh lol
I am wondering about the comparative benefits of daily pranayama breath work versus cardiovascular exercise, specifically in the context of cognitive health and neuroplasticity.
Cardiovascular exercise is well-documented to enhance cognitive function, promote positive neuroplastic effects, rebuild the hippocampus to improve memory and learning following
prolonged trauma, reduce the size of the amygdala to aid recovery from chronic stress, and alleviate mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.
My questions are as follows:
Does pranayama breath work confer similar or superior benefits to those of cardiovascular exercise concerning cognitive health and neuroplasticity? Mental health and affect?
Are the benefits derived primarily from the offloading of CO2, the increased uptake of O2, or a combination of both? Is it the oxygen or is it an acid/base thing?
Do I actually need to increase my heart rate for cardiovascular health or can I get the same benefit with intense breath work without increasing my heart rate so significantly?
What are the effects of combining pranayama with hyperbaric oxygen therapy on cognitive health? Would this combination be synergistic or excessive?
I would love to hear Andrew speak about Rebounding/mini tramp. I’m sure he’ll never see this comment but maybe since NASA did research on this he might one day, hopefully sooner than later, speak on the topic.
So the obvious question here is.....since when is walking, even at a brisk pace considered zone 2. My understanding has always been that walking is zone 1. In order to get to zone 2, the heart rate needs to be higher, IE 65% of max HR.
By talking a brisk walk I can´t get my heart rate in to zone 2. I guess it means I have to schedule bike, running sessions etc?
Easy jogging does it
I wonder how you’d reach Zone 2 in these daily tasks, like doing groceries, walking your dog, etc. These are great to get your step count on the right spot, but reaching Zone 2 is a bit different.
This is partially incorrect. Carrying groceries, walking with a coworker, or playing with your kids is not zone 2 training (unless, of course, for an incredibly out of shape individual). The average individual going out for a walk or easy bike ride will be in zone 1. A good litmus test is you should be able to have a conversation in Z2 but it should be uncomfortable (i.e., sentences interrupted with breathing). You will be sweating in Z2. For the vast majority of people, simply "getting out and moving" during daily activities simply won't put you in zone 2. Measure heart rate (via monitor or pulse check) if you're curious.
😊
I agree
He's mostly incorrect, but saying that all you need to do is....what you're doing already is zone 2 sounds nicer and makes most people feel better. Like you said, zone 2, you're sweating.
I think what he’s trying to say, and I agree, he didn’t do it in a clear way, is that you can get your zone 2 cardio in through regular activities by increasing the intensity of those activities. It’s a bit surprising that he needed a medical doctor to tell him this. Anyway, for example, picking my kid up from daycare becomes a light jog, 15 minutes on the way there. It becomes a brisk walk uphill with a stroller or with her on my shoulders on the way back. In both cases I end up sweating and in zone 2, sometimes zone 3 for short bursts. The key is doing these activities with intention. I could walk there and walk back in zone one, but I increase the intensity and turn a task I’m doing anyway into a light cardio session. I’m less convinced that this will be possible with something like “carrying the groceries” - because even if you try and increase the speed of your walking or carry the groceries rather than using a cart, you simply would not be engaged in the activity for long enough for it to matter- unless you’re doing laps around the grocery store first.
All that to say I absolutely I agree that some daily activities can be converted to zone 2 cardio sessions, and I also agree this is a great approach for people with busy lives, what he missed is that there needs to be intentionality behind how the activities are executed, and a conscious effort to get into and stay within the zone.
As noted in some of the comments, big error in this zone 2 cardio is neither hiking nor very easy walk which both are zone 1, zone 2 is steady runs with higher hrb, i.e. not that easy for many to reach 150-200min per week
You obviously do not hike where I do At least half of my hikes are above zone 2. I hike up mountains. If you cannot hold a conversation you are above zone 2. I agree with a flat walk unless you walk at the fastest pace without running.
Can u do zone 2 after weightlifting?
Cycling to office is my zone 2 cardio workout
Is this with Karvonen Formula?
Hello, I just entered the world of running. Recently, I've been trying to train in zone 2. My question is, when I run using nasal breathing, I can't stay in zone 2 for too long; I'm at a pace of 8. However, when I run using nasal inhalation and mouth exhalation, I can maintain zone 2 at a lower pace of 6. Is it dangerous to continue this practice?
Active travel is the answer I reckon. I do my commute to work by bike means 2 birds with one stone. Nice n slow on bike and it's found time that I don't need to schedule in at gym etc.
My zone 2 range is approximately 119 - 148 bpm. It's nearly impossible for me to get into that zone during an "everyday" activity. Even if I'm walking at an extremely brisk pace, my HR is only going to the low 90s. So unfortunately, it needs to be planned out ahead of time.
During a lifting workout you also get elevated heart rate. Like maybe 2 minutes for each set. Does that count as well ?
huberman how long does it take to reach the maximum amount of dopamine released?
Hello, I’m a new subscriber and find your videos very educational and helpful. Thank you. My question to you is I have plantar fasciitis and really can’t run but instead I walk on an incline to get my heart rate up. Would that still be considered zone 2 cardio?
Yes. Any movement, bike, eliptical etc, that gets you in the right range.
My question is:
if I do a HIIT (high intensive training) with the the max heart rate in zone 4 and min in zone 1 which at the end equals to avg zone 2 heart rate, will it be the same as if I make jogging in zone 2 only?
No. Not from any literature I've ever read. Supposed to be sustained somewhat easy and steady.
Nope. You are totally missing the point.
what do you think about band trainning ?
I bicycle back and for from my office. It's about half an hour a day totally and now it's an habit
What you are describing is not zone 2 from what I have been researching. The jog is the only thing you have described correctly.
exactly , he was correct then he contacted a guy who told him wrong info. , he is doing zone 1 more 😂 and zone 2 less now !! 😅
I walk my dog 3 miles everyday at an avg 16:30/mile pace. Which feels like we’re walking pretty quickly. But I never get to Zone 2 (per my Apple Watch). I’m doing Zone 2 on the bike…is something wrong? I do have a very low resting heart rate. Or am I overshooting what Zone 2 should be?
I think your watch is right. Andrew underestimates here what it takes to stay in zone 2. Unloading the groceries will not do it. And even if it does for a few seconds, you need it sustained...