A lazier workout can take your fitness to the next level

Think fast and hard is the only way to get fit? There’s mounting evidence that slow and easy ‘zone 2’ workouts are the sweet spot you want to be in.

If “feel the burn”, “go hard or go home” and “super sweat sesh” are part of your everyday workout lingo, we’ve got news for you.

HIIT (high-intensity interval training) might have been celebrated over the past few years as the best way to lose fat, develop strength and get fit, but that was before the buzz around Zone 2 workouts.

Even American neuroscientist and influential podcaster Dr Andrew Huberman is extoling its virtues, saying 180-200 minutes of Zone 2 cardio per week “has enormous positive effects on longevity and general health”.

What is Zone 2 fitness training?

Exercise physiologists divide exercise efforts into “zones”, with five heart rate zones based on a percentage of your maximum heart rate.

Zone 2 training means exercising at a level of exertion where your body is working, but not very hard. 

Think a gentle and long run, brisk walk or bike ride where you can hold a conversation.

“Technically this is 60-70 per cent of your maximum heart rate, and usually around 100 to 130 beats per minute,” exercise physiologist Alex Marriott says.

“It’s the zone many runners know as ‘long slow’, going at a pace that you feel you can almost carry on forever. 

“It’s recommended you do this for longer periods of time, at least 45 or 50 minutes and even longer if you can, two or three times a week.”

Turns out hardest isn’t necessarily best when it comes to exercise. Say what? 

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What are the pros of Zone 2 workouts?

At Zone 2 level, your body is able to use fat for fuel rather than carbohydrates, says Perth-based exercise physiologist Alyssa Petrofes from The University of Western Australia’s Exercise and Performance Centre.

“As you start working harder and move up into Zone 3 and beyond, your body will switch to using carbohydrates and you’ll be putting your heart, lungs and muscles under more stress, which means you’ll need more recovery time,” Alyssa says.

“Zone 2 makes exercise tolerable, it’s the sweet spot, a pace you can maintain for a long time and it really helps your relationship with exercise because it makes it something you enjoy,” Alex adds.

For elite athletes, Zone 2 workouts form the majority of their training as they lay down an “aerobic base” before building up to more intense exercise. 

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What does the science say about Zone 2 workouts?

In Zone 2, your exercise intensity is at a level in which you’re stimulating your cells’ mitochondrial function the most. 

Adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, is the source of energy for use and storage at the cellular level, which skeletal muscle needs for muscle contraction.

You can meet your body’s demand for ATP using only fat and oxygen in your mitochondria.

Along with helping create a more sustainable exercise routine, Zone 2 workouts can help prevent us from becoming injured through overtraining or from burning out if we go too hard and fast.

Zone 2 workouts are linked to lower rates of chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes, dementia, stroke and heart disease, with research suggesting it is one of the best forms of exercise you can do to maintain metabolic health throughout your life. 

A 2021 Korean study published in the international Healthcare Journal found it can also improve strength and cardiorespiratory function.

“In terms of the impact on your body, physically it protects your joints and muscles, and mentally it’s good because you’re not dreading it,” Alex says.

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What should I know before starting Zone 2 training?

Changing from a sedentary lifestyle to one that incorporates even a modest amount of Zone 2 cardio can bring with it substantial benefits to your health, Alyssa explains.

“It’s part of my job to debunk people’s beliefs that exercise needs to be something that is painful and find something that is enjoyable for them to do,” she says.

“Just make sure to check in with your health professional if you haven’t done any physical activity for a while.”

It may not be flashy, but it seems the ancient Greek storyteller Aesop was right – slow and steady really can win the race.

Written by Liz McGrath.