Your Orientation Session Guide
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Your Orientation Session GuideTraining & Equipment FamiliarisationTracking Your ProgressHow to Use Your Programme CardHow to Calculate your Exercise Training IntensityHow to Burn FatThe Case for High-Intensity ExerciseWeights, Protein & Fat LossYour Programme Feedback
Your Orientation Session Guide
My Dashboard
Your Orientation Session GuideTraining & Equipment FamiliarisationTracking Your ProgressHow to Use Your Programme CardHow to Calculate your Exercise Training IntensityHow to Burn FatThe Case for High-Intensity ExerciseWeights, Protein & Fat LossYour Programme Feedback

CARDIO TRAINING

HOW TO DO IT RIGHT

THERE ARE MANY BENEFITS TO ADDING CARDIO EXERCISE TO YOUR FITNESS PROGRAMME

  •  It helps you burn fat and calories
  •  Makes your heart stronger
  •  Can help with your mental health & dealing with stress
  •  Helps you sleep better
  •  Can improve your overall confidence and make you feel good


Whether you're doing cardio exercise for health, fitness, or weight loss, it's important to work at a certain level of intensity based on your heart rate. Your heart rate is one of the best indicators of how hard your body is working during a workout.

  • Frequency is easy to understand: it's how many times you exercise per period of time, for example per week
  • Duration is simple too: it's how long you exercise at a time, usually counted in minutes
  • Intensity is a bit more complicated – and that's where the heart rate zones come in

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An effective training programme will include different types of workouts with varying frequency, duration and intensity spaced out so that you have time to recover.

This means that some workouts should be short and intense, some long and light, some can even be long and tough. It's the variety that makes your training effective.

FINDING YOUR TARGET HEART RATE ZONES

USING MYZONE TO TRACK YOUR CARDIO INTENSITY

Without a tool like Myzone, people are largely oblivious to knowing if the training they're doing is actually making a real difference.

When using the Myzone belt and app, you will get instant and clear feedback to the training intensity you're putting in.

Whilst training, your heart rate will reach certain levels, between 50-90+% on the Heart Rate Monitor.

The Myzone app changes colour depending on your effort, so it's easy to manage your intensity levels as you workout, just by observing the screen colour.

This not only brings a sense of accountability to your training but also ensures your goals are ALL IN YOUR CONTROL

Ready to buy your own Myzone belt?

Click the button below to get started and take your cardio workouts to the next level!

CLICK HERE

HIT THE TARGET: FIND YOUR HEART RATE

Now that you have a target, you can monitor your heart rate to make sure you're in the zone. As you exercise, periodically check your heart rate. The Myzone tracker makes this super easy.

LOW INTENSITY: 55-70% OF MAXIMUM HEART RATE

The low-intensity heart rate zone keeps you at a comfortable heart rate and is a good choice for beginners or as a warmup. You should always start an exercise session with a couple of minutes in the low-intensity zone to get your blood circulation going. Beginners may start with low-intensity cardio to build exercise tolerance and get used to walking, cycling, or using cardio equipment.

At low intensity, you are getting the benefits of being active rather than sedentary. Sitting for long periods can raise health risks. The drawback of staying in this zone is that you are not getting the extra benefits of moderate-to-vigorous intensity exercise in reducing health risks or achieving the minimum amount of exercise recommended each day.

Examples of a low-intensity cardio workout are to take a walk at a comfortably easy pace or use a stationary cycle with little tension in pedalling.

MODERATE INTENSITY: 60-80% OF MAXIMUM HEART RATE

Experts often recommend working at a moderate intensity to build fitness and lose weight. Cardio workouts in the moderate-intensity exercise zone improve your body's ability to transport oxygen and condition your heart. You'll burn more calories and fat in this zone, as well. To reduce your health risks, you should get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio per week, with workouts of at least 10 minutes in this zone. The workouts should be spread throughout the week.

Examples of moderate-intensity cardio workouts include brisk walking, easy jogging, bicycling under 10 mph and water aerobics.

HIGH INTENSITY: 75-90% OF MAXIMUM HEART RATE

Working in the high-intensity heart rate zone takes you out of your comfort zone and allows you to burn more calories. You build aerobic fitness in this zone, improving your VO2 max (your maximum rate of oxygen use). Consistent high-intensity workouts can raise your anaerobic threshold (or lactate threshold), which is the point at which your body must use less-efficient pathways to generate energy for your muscles.

To reach the minimum recommended amount of exercise each week you need 75 minutes in bouts of at least 10 minutes in this zone at a time, preferably spread throughout the week. A combination of high-intensity and moderate-intensity exercise will also meet the guidelines.

Examples of high-intensity cardio workouts include running, lap swimming, cycling faster than 10 mph and high-intensity aerobic intervals workouts.

Important Note: Some drugs and medications affect heart rate, meaning you may have a lower maximum heart rate and target zone. If you have a heart condition or take medication, ask your healthcare provider what your heart rate should be.