Runners, cyclists and gym-goers with wearable fitness trackers are no doubt familiar with the five “heart rate” zones.
Ranging from low to very high intensity, these zones are calculated as percentages of a person’s maximum heart rate and correlate with the intensity of any given workout. Maximum heart rate is often estimated as 220 minus your age.
Zone 1, or low-intensity exercise, represents about 50% to 60% of a person’s maximum heart rate. Each subsequent zone increases in roughly 10% increments, maxing out at Zone 5 — or very high intensity — at about 90% to 100% of maximum heart rate. The higher the percentage, the harder you’re making your heart work to pump blood, which can improve fitness.
The popularization of these exercise thresholds has accompanied a growing body of research, public health guidance and general interest in how much exercise people need and how hard they should be pushing. In addition, there are tailored prescriptions for elite athletes that structure training intensity across zones to maximize performance and endurance gains.
But if you’re not an athlete or training to be one, how do you know how much time you need to spend in each zone on a regular basis to maintain optimal health?
For the general population, a practice of regular, low-intensity exercise — about 150 minutes a week — can dramatically improve cardiovascular health and reduce the risk of chronic disease, said Matthew Nippins, an associate clinical professor at Northeastern University who specializes in cardiopulmonary physical therapy.
