Do you wear a watch, ring or fitness tracker that shows your heart rate “zones”? Maybe you’ve heard people talk about Zone 2 training or staying in the fat-burning zone and wondered what that’s all about. In this month’s video, I unpack heart rate training zones in plain language, so the numbers and colourful graphs on your device start to make sense.
🎥 Watch: Understanding Heart Rate Training Zones
📝 The Quick Summary
- Heart rate is a simple intensity gauge. It shows how hard your body is really working, which doesn’t always match how hard it feels.
- Zones are based on your maximum heart rate. A rough estimate is 220 minus your age. Each zone is a 10% band, from Zone 1 (50–60%) up to Zone 5 (90–100%).
- Zone 2 is sometimes called the “fat-burning zone.” It works because it’s a pace you can keep up for a long time. It is relatively low effort for a long peroiod of time.
- Zones 4 and 5 build fitness fast. Short, hard intervals once or twice a week give a big training effect, but need extra recovery.
- Zone 3 has its place. It’s useful when you’re short on time, but it’s harder to sustain than Zone 2 and less challenging than intervals.
What Is Heart Rate, and Why Track It?
Your heart rate is your pulse: how many times your heart beats each minute (beats per minute, or bpm). The harder you work, the faster your pulse.
You can also rate how hard something feels on a scale of 1 to 10, and that works well for a lot of things. But how we feel doesn’t always tell the whole story. On a tired day, an easy walk can feel hard. A quick glance at your heart rate might say, “You’ve got a bit more in you. Pick up the pace.” That’s one way I use heart rate in my own training.
How to Estimate Your Heart Rate Zones
Start with an estimate of your maximum heart rate: the most your heart could do if you worked as hard as you possibly could. A common rule of thumb is 220 minus your age (222 for females). It’s only an estimate, and real maximums vary a lot from person to person, but it’s a useful starting point.
From there, each zone is a 10% band of that maximum. Here’s an example for a 65-year-old:
| Zone | % of max heart rate | Example: age 65 (est. max 155) |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | 50–60% | about 78–93 bpm |
| Zone 2 (“Fat Burn”) | 60–70% | about 93–109 bpm |
| Zone 3 | 70–80% | about 109–124 bpm |
| Zone 4 | 80–90% | about 124–140 bpm |
| Zone 5 | 90–100% | about 140–155 bpm |
Anything under 50% (below Zone 1) generally isn’t intense enough to count as exercise. It’s still good to move, but you won’t get much of a training benefit.
How to Measure Your Heart Rate
- By hand: find your pulse at your wrist or neck, count the beats for 15 seconds, and multiply by 4.
- Chest strap: my personal favourite. I use a Polar chest strap because it gives very accurate data.
- Watches, rings and wristbands: handy and easy to wear. They can be less accurate, especially during fast or jostling movement, but they give you a good general sense.
Different brands may use different names. Fitbit, for example, uses names like Fat Burn, Cardio and Peak. Their “Fat Burn” zone lines up with what I call Zone 2. Check your device’s settings to see how it defines each zone.
Zone 2: Why It’s Called the “Fat-Burning Zone”
Zone 2 (about 60–70% of your max) is very popular right now, and I think it’s a great training goal for a lot of people. It’s brisk walking or other steady activity that’s hard enough to count, but easy enough to keep going.
Here’s the key: Zone 2 works because it’s a pace you can sustain for a long time, whether that’s a 30-minute walk or a two-hour hike. It doesn’t add much injury risk, it doesn’t wipe you out, and it doesn’t leave you needing a big snack and a nap. That long duration is where the benefit comes from. If you only do two minutes of Zone 2, you won’t see much benefit.
When I do a Zone 2 workout, I’m watching my heart rate for two reasons: to make sure I’m working hard enough to get the benefit, and to make sure I don’t drift up into Zone 3, which I know I can’t sustain as long.
Zones 4 and 5: High Intensity, High Reward
Zones 4 and 5 (80–100% of your max) are the hard efforts. I group them together and target them just one or two days a week. This is one of the best ways to improve your cardiovascular fitness and speed, and a high level of challenge is good for the brain, too.
One way I do this is with treadmill intervals, a version of the “4×4” workout: four minutes hard (running uphill to get my heart rate up high), then an easy rest interval to let my heart rate come back down, and repeat.
The trade-off is that you can’t sustain this intensity for long, and it comes with more fatigue, a higher risk of injury and a greater need for rest and recovery. That’s why it’s a smaller part of the week.
Zone 3: My Least Favourite
Zone 3 (70–80% of your max) is where I usually end up on a steady jog. If I were training for a 10K run, I’d spend most of my time here. There’s nothing wrong with it, but as a training tool it’s less targeted:
- Compared with Zone 2, it’s harder to sustain, so you’ll usually run out of steam sooner.
- Compared with Zones 4 and 5, it’s not hard enough to trigger as big a training effect.
That said, if you only have 20 or 30 minutes, working a bit harder makes sense. The less time you have, the harder you can afford to work. So I usually encourage people to either accumulate lots of Zone 2 time, or do short, tough intervals, and spend less of their week in Zone 3.
🔗 Related Videos and Posts
Want to put heart rate zones into practice? These videos and posts are a great next step.
🚶 Pole Walking
- Hill Training Comparison: Run vs Walk vs Pole Walk (video): I ran, walked and pole walked up the ferry terminal hill in Village Bay wearing my Polar chest strap. See how much the poles changed my heart rate and time on a tough climb.
🏃 Walking With A Weight Vest/Backpack
- Weighted Walking: turn your daily walk into a tool for stronger bones, better posture and heart health, without running or going to a gym.
💪 Build Strength Alongside Cardio
- Why Resistance Training Matters (And Where to Start): the benefits of strength training for your mind, metabolism and bones.
- Building Stronger Bones: A Kinesiologist’s Guide to Resistance Training: how the right kind of challenge helps build stronger bones and joints.
🎯 Make It a Habit
- Mirror Goals: a simple daily system for turning small efforts, like a 10-minute Zone 2 walk, into lasting habits.
Take the Next Step
Not sure which zones are right for you? Call or text me at 778-706-2691 or email tim@timbegley.com. I offer in-home visits on Mayne Island and in Sidney and Saanich, online coaching and group classes.
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