'Zone Zero' Exercise Is The Workout You Don't Even Know You're Doing – Here Are Its Benefits

Good news for fellow slow runners: it turns out zone two cardio, which sees joggers plod along at a conversational pace, is incredibly good for us. Professional runners spend about 85% of their training doing that sort of low-impact activity. It puts runners at about 60-70% of their max heart rate. But if even that sounds a little too much, zone zero movement (yes, really) might be the under-appreciated, super-low-effort way to keep you active without a pricey gym membership or even a pair of trainers. Never putting your heart above 50% of its max rate, it can be done accidentally – it’s that easy and approachable.What is zone zero training?Primary care organisation The Lanby describes zone zero training as a kind of “active rest” – it “aids in active recovery, ensuring your body is ready for the next challenge”.It means your heart rate never goes above half its maximum level, as we mentioned above. Your max heart rate changes by age: in general, it’s calculated by subtracting your age from 220. So, say you’re 30 years old. Your max heart rate is around 190; and zone zero training will never see your pulse go above 95 beats per minute.It can include slow walking, gentle cycling, and yoga. But popping to the shops, doing a bit of light tidying, and pottering around in the kitchen count too. What are the benefits of zone zero training?Zone zero training is not only a great way to make exercise accessible to those who might find the idea of a full-on workout a bit much, but active recovery also benefits active people as it helps to flush out waste material that builds up in tired muscles.Some experts think that those who work out might subconsciously compensate for the added load by not engaging in zone zero moves (like tapping your foot or taking an extra few steps) throughout the day. Remembering to include zone zero work in your routine might help this. Taking a short stroll after eating, in particular, might help to even out your blood sugar, too. And some suggest that pottering can keep you alive for longer.What are some examples of zone zero training?These can include:Stretching at your desk Light walking Yoga Walking meetings Rolling your feet on a roller or ball as you workGently yogaSlow cycling TidyingCooking. Parking a couple more metres away from work than usual or popping to the shops instead of ordering in can all add up. That’s not to say that zone zero training should replace current health guidelines – the NHS says we should stick to 75 minutes of high-intensity or 150 minutes of moderate-intensity (over 50% of your max heart rate) activity a week. Not doing so has been linked to shorter, less healthy lives. Still, going from no activity to some has enormous health benefits too – and whether you find yourself intimidated by intense exercise or are struggling to properly recover from your most hardcore workouts, zone zero may offer an approachable answer.Related...I Swapped 10,000 Steps A Day For 30 Minutes Of 'Japanese Walking' – I've Never Been More ActiveHalf-Assing Workouts Changed My Life – And It Could Work For Your Goals, TooThe Simple Way To Find Out If Your Workouts Are Too Easy Or Too Hard

Comments

Breaking news

Nicola Sturgeon Says 'Far Right Has Weaponised' The Debate About Trans Rights

Huffpost uk

Sir Martin Sorrell's troubled ad group S4 Capital in merger talks with rival MSQ

Dailymail

Mother reveals 'unimaginable' loss after son, 30, died from 'smoking vape laced with opioid 20 times more powerful than fentanyl'

about 2 hours ago

Tottenham exploring deal for Crystal Palace's Eze

BBC News

Comments

Similar News

The secret to living to 100: Lifestyle habits from the world's 'Blue Zones' - where people are TEN TIMES more likely to reach a century

Domestic abusers to be ‘locked in’ to restriction zones to safeguard victims

'Restriction zones' to be introduced for domestic abusers

Serious offenders to be kept in restricted zones under plans

Restriction zones for domestic abusers ‘a long time coming’, survivor says

I was slapped an £18 Clean Air Zone fine then wasted FIVE months and £100s fighting the tickets... council is to blame

'Idiot' tourist risks jail by walking on Yellowstone National Park forbidden zone

I friend-zoned my four-foot husband because he didn't look like my dream man but marrying him was the best decision I've ever made - even though strangers think our photos are AI

Grandad's fury at £200 fine after using Manchester Airport's drop-off zone

Pacific Palisades Wins Carveout Against Urban Densification in Fire Zones

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's $14 million Montecito mansion caught up in tsunami warning zone

Map Shows California, Oregon Tsunami Warning Red Zone

British tourist sparks outrage for his scathing attack on Bali as Aussies defend holiday island: 'Worse than a war zone'

UK McDonald's rolls out 'adult only' zone as kids banned five days a week

'I was born through rape in a war-zone - when I met my mother I saw my face in hers'

Royals lead the nation in sending good luck messages to the Lionesses as fan zones start to fill up ahead of Women's Euro final against Spain

Fires engulf Turkey’s coast as government declares disaster zones

The future of transport: LNER reveals what its trains could look like in 2075 - including pet zones, treadmill seats, and odourless foods

Photos of the US troop deployment at new militarized zones on the border with Mexico

Israeli strikes kill 21 people in overnight strikes as fears of famine sweep war zone

Breaking news

Nicola Sturgeon Says 'Far Right Has Weaponised' The Debate About Trans Rights

Jason Momoa Opens Up On The Near-Death Experience That Made Him Quit Smoking

Madonna Urges Pope Leo To Help The Children Of Gaza 'Before It's Too Late'

Jennifer Aniston Says This 1 Film Role Of Hers Was 'Cathartic' After Brad Pitt Split

Map: Which areas of UK will see temperatures soar during fourth heatwave of the year?

UK unemployment remains at four-year high with ‘fewer job opportunities’ in retail and hospitality

Musk’s Grok calls Trump the ‘most notorious’ criminal in DC when asked about violent crime in the city

Entain cashes in on online betting surge as Club World Cup reels in players

Trump delays China tariffs at the last minute and announces 90 day truce

Why are women affected more by heatwaves? A doctor explains

UK unemployment remains at four-year-high as job vacancies shrink

Business news live: UK unemployment at four-year high with firms ‘feeling the heat from raft of cost-pressures’

Zelensky warns Trump not to trust Putin ahead of crunch Ukraine and Russia talks

Minister admits government hasn’t tackled small boats crisis as crossings set to hit 50,000

Asian shares advance on relief that Trump is delaying higher China tariffs

Tourists embrace new favourite pastime as heatwave scorches Paris

Delivery drones are coming to more US neighborhoods after getting off to a slow start

PageGroup profits dive as recruiter cuts more jobs

'I quit my job to sell car boot sale finds - I make £2,000 a month'

Car driver dies after horror crash with ambulance on Scots road

'My husband is freelance and in hospital - how can I make sure we don't lose our home?'

Nicola Sturgeon book: 7 bombshell revelations we learned from ex-SNP leader's memoir

Fugitive Nicholas Rossi faces alleged victim in court as US rape trial begins

Married teacher raped boy after luring child to her home for 'play dates'

Great white shark sightings spike as 11 seen this month off coast – including biggest ever

'I was left seriously ill on holiday with deadly disease after touching a cat'

UK's 'worst driver' leads cops on 70mph chase despite already having SIX bans

What political party do top football team fans support - check your team

Wonky yellow lines in Norfolk village lead locals to say workers 'must have been drunk'

'My toddler was a little wobbly - months later she can't walk or talk'

Waterworld speaks out on claims tragic girl, 4, died in wave pool at park

Love Island's Doctor Alex George says 'everything changed' after these diet changes

Dietitian shares one thing you should never do when your child refuses to eat

UK weather: Urgent health warning in five regions as heatwave hits

Nicola Sturgeon brands Scotland 'goldfish bowl' as she names city she wants to move to

Horrified mum exposed man's depraved crimes as she checked son's Xbox

Lisa Rinna's daughter Amelia Gray DENIES promoting anorexia after sparking concern over 'skeletal' frame

Telling a female colleague they dress conservatively could get you fired for sexual harassment

Victoria Beckham playfully mocks son Romeo's hunky shirtless snap as she stays silent on eldest boy Brooklyn snubbing the family amid secret vow renewal with wife Nicola Peltz

The prestige tech job being decimated by AI as graduate, 21, expecting six figure starting salary says she could only get interview at Chipotle

NASCAR star Connor Zilisch gives hilarious verdict after barely-believable moment he KO'd himself celebrating win

How David Moyes will relight a fire in Jack Grealish: Everton boss' persuasive tricks, why England star snubbed Napoli and Atletico Madrid and the 'big dream'

The £120k Vauxhall: Rare 1990s British performance car predicted to sell for a stellar sum

Nicola Peltz and Brooklyn Beckham share pictures from their butterfly themed vow renewal afterparty where HER parents took centre stage again and the guestlist included Harvey Weinstein's ex amid his family feud

Costa Coffee is accused of 'shameless attempt to game the system' after promising customers free drinks in return for good reviews

Strictly Come Dancing 2025: EastEnders star Balvinder Sopal revealed as the FIFTH contestant to join the line-up

Mum on £3,500 holiday forced to get up early to tackle 'unfair' sunbed war

Netanyahu says 'if we wanted to commit genocide, it would have taken exactly one afternoon' as Israel is accused of trying to starve Gaza

Sir Martin Sorrell's troubled ad group S4 Capital in merger talks with rival MSQ

Electric-only Jaguar launches new PETROL model - but there's a huge catch...

Billionaire bowling scion splits with wife after age gap affair with kids' former nanny

Mother reveals 'unimaginable' loss after son, 30, died from 'smoking vape laced with opioid 20 times more powerful than fentanyl'

Tottenham exploring deal for Crystal Palace's Eze

Mum of murdered schoolboy Harvey Willgoose calls for killer to be named

Plane crashes into parked aircraft while landing at Montana airport

Perseid meteor shower to peak today – when and where to see cosmic fireworks in the UK

Irish fashion designer found dead on boat ‘had recently finalised divorce’