What are Cardio Zones?

You might be used to rating your favorite products on a five-star scale—books, hotels and even restaurants. Those rankings indicate the quality and effort that went into the experience.

Your heart also has five zones. And while any movement is good for you, those cardio zones (sometimes also called heart rate zones) indicate how hard your blood is pumping to keep up with the exercise you’re performing. In other words, the higher the zone, the faster your heart is beating per minute.

The zone you want to aim for, however, depends on your age, fitness level and exercise goals. For example, someone who wants to improve their heart health or build strength might aim for a different zone than a person who wants to lose weight or burn fat.

But before we define the cardio zones, it’s important to understand what your resting heart rate is compared to your maximum targeted heart rate.

• Resting heart rate - The number of heartbeats per minute while you are awake but inactive. The average adult’s heart beats 60 to 100 times per minute.
• Maximum heart rate - The highest heartbeats per minute your heart can safely handle during strenuous exercise. This is usually calculated by subtracting your age from 220 (e.g., 220 - 72 = 148). If your heart rate exceeds your maximum while you’re exercising, slow down or take a break.

Now that we know this information, let’s break down the cardio zones and examples of what exercises those might entail:

• Zone 1 - This is low-to-moderate intensity exercise at 50% to 60% of your maximum heart rate. You might engage in this zone to warm up, cool down or on a recovery day. You could still “walk and talk” in this zone.
• Zone 2 - This is moderate intensity exercise at 60% to 70% of your maximum heart rate. Examples of this might be an easy jog, brisk walking, cycling or swimming.
• Zone 3 - This is moderate-to-high intensity exercise at 70% to 80% of your maximum heart rate. Exercises in this category might be faster or more intense Zone 2 exercises, or they might involve using machines like a stair climber or an elliptical.
• Zone 4 - This is high-intensity exercise at 80% to 90% of your maximum heart rate. Those who want to be in this zone might engage in high-intensity interval training (HIIT), use a rowing machine or run, hike or cycle up steep hills or inclines.
• Zone 5 - This is very high-intensity exercise at 90% to 100% of your maximum heart rate. These are usually “short burst” exercises, such as sports drills, uphill sprints, cycling bursts and maximum-intensity HIIT workouts.

Zones 1 through 3 are generally enough to help the average person build endurance, lose weight and improve their heart health.

Remember, working your body too hard can lead to injury or fatigue, and be dangerous for your heart if you have a pre-existing condition. And, as always, talk to your doctor before starting a new exercise regimen.

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