Low-impact cardio is bang on trend, not only because it has been repeatedly picked up and repackaged by fitness influencers — think viral challenges like the “Hot Girl Walk” or the 30/30/30 method — but because the science heavily backs this form of exercise, and so does neuroscientist Andrew Huberman.
Huberman says in a YouTube video: “The scientific data tells us that we should all be getting anywhere from 150 to 200 minutes per week minimum of Zone 2 cardio for the sake of cardiovascular health.” As we know, strong cardiovascular health is linked to longevity and health span.
But there’s something else — you don’t need to run to achieve your cardio minutes and boost longevity. Here’s what Huberman says you can do instead, what Zone 2 cardio means, benefits and how it can help you reach your weekly movement goals and boost longevity with (or without) one of the best fitness trackers to measure your progress.
What is Zone 2 training?
Zone 2 training, also known as heart rate zone training, means working out at roughly 60-70% of your max heart rate (MHR). This means an easy effort without overexerting yourself, and if you're still unsure, you can use heart rate zones on most fitness trackers, including your Garmin or Apple Watch, to help you stay on track.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends 150-300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week to help battle the effects of sedentary lifestyles, which increase the likelihood of injury and the development of chronic illness.
Steady-state cardio is credited with increasing endurance, improving the efficiency of your energy systems, building aerobic capacity and cardiovascular health, plus tackling bone density loss and muscle atrophy.
Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist and professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford University School of Medicine, says he schedules 60 to 90 minutes of easy-pace running into his weekly routine one day per week (usually on a Sunday) to contribute toward the minimum number of minutes recommended.
But what if you hate running? Not everyone fancies a jog on any given day, and some people don’t even enjoy “Jeffing” — a combination of walking and running intervals that many, including my colleague, swear by for taking off the intensity.
It's good news because you can still hit the minimum of 150 minutes of Zone 2 cardio without it. First of all, you can remain low effort — during Huberman’s runs, he says he can “maintain nasal breathing,” which means he is moving in a way that allows him to keep up a conversation with himself or friends or family. Sometimes, he says, he may take a hike between one and four hours instead.
Although you can do this anywhere, Huberman enjoys taking his Zone 2 cardio outdoors, where he can enjoy fresh air, nature and sunshine. Studies show that exercising in nature has proven to boost mood, increase creativity and reduce feelings of stress and anxiety, all of which help improve longevity.
How to do Zone 2 training
Huberman refers to a conversation he had with Dr. Andy Galpin, explaining that he can’t always hit his designated cardio minutes per week through a run or hike. Galpin, a scientist and tenured professor who is the Executive Director of the Human Performance Center at Parker University, responded with something simple: He doesn’t think of Zone 2 cardio as “exercise” at all.
In fact, it should enhance (rather than impede) other types of movement you do during the week, like hypertrophy or strength training, or speed work. What does he mean by that? Well, he tells Huberman that you can simply increase the total amount of movement and walking you do during the week with a focus on pace and speed.
Regular brisk walking can slash your biological age by up to 16 years, according to a new study, but even increasing your total physical activity throughout the week can be beneficial, too.
This plays into something called Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT), which accounts for any activity you do during the week, like playing with your kids or taking a work call standing up. Huberman paraphrases Galpin's advice by stating: “Zone 2 cardio can be meshed throughout the daily activities that I and everybody else generally have to do.”
This is great news if you find life gets busy and you don’t have the hours to dedicate to the gym. You can still hit the minimum 150 minutes of Zone 2 by spreading it out across the week, taking brisk walks and increasing pace where possible, or incorporating slow-paced, easy effort jogs if you don’t mind running.
This should come as a relief if you find it difficult to schedule exercise into the week or if your priority, like mine, is strength training. Instead, Huberman says it takes the pressure off and allows you to consider Zone 2 cardio as regular daily life while gaining the benefits of cardio at the same time.
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