Cardio Without Running? Part 2

My Search for Conditioning That Doesn’t Suck- part 2

As part of my Fit Over 40 project, I’m diving into cardiovascular conditioning—an area I used to ignore in favor of lifting weights. But as I get older, I realize I need to build endurance too. One key tool for effective training? Heart rate zones.

Before we go on, I should mention that it might be a good idea to first consult your physician when you consider starting a whole new workout-routine, especially if you haven’t worked out in a while!

Ok, what does that mean? I had no clue what heart rate zones were until I started tracking my workouts. My Garmin Instinct 2 watch (yes, a way of measuring your heart rate is required) kept showing me percentages of my workout spent in different heart rate zones, so I wanted to know what that was all about.

Let me explain. Your heart beats (or is supposed to). It can beat slow or fast, it fluctuates based on what you are doing. Your heart rate has a range: from above 0 to a certain number above that. That last one is your max heart rate. There are ways to determine your maximum heart rate. You could visit an expert who measures what it actually is by putting you under stress (on a stationary bike for instance). If you have the opportunity, you should definitely try that. Another way is to use a commonly used formula to estimate your maximum heart rate:

Max heart rate = 220 - your age in years

So for me, it's 220-43 = 177 beats per minute. Keep in mind that this is an estimate! Also, remember your number, you’ll need it later on. Now that you have your estimated max heart rate, let’s break it down into training zones.

There are five, as you can see in the table below. With an intensity ranging from ‘very light’ to ‘very hard’. As I discussed in the first part of this series, conditioning consists of two parts: aerobic and anaerobic conditioning. To train your aerobic conditioning, you should do work that puts your heart rate zone 2 & 3, so between 60 and 80% of your maximum heart rate for an extended period of time (more than 30 minutes would be good). For me, this means I should keep my heart rate between 106 and 142 beats per minute. One way I do this is by Rucking (see the third part of this series for more information about that).

To train your anaerobic conditioning, you should be training in zone 4 & 5. This means more than 80%. For me, this means going above 142 beats per minute. This is pretty intense, so you won’t be able to do this for a very long time. And you don’t have to. I accomplish this with a HIIT workout (more on HIIT workouts in part 3).

So, these are the basics of using your heart rate as a tool to improve your cardiovascular conditioning. I bet you are curious about what to actually do as a workout, right? Well, I’ll tell you all about it in the next article!

💡 About Fit Over 40

This article is part of my Fit Over 40 project, where I’m diving deep into what it takes to feel great after 40. Over the course of a year, I’ll be experimenting with physical, emotional, financial and social well-being—sharing my findings along the way. Want to follow the journey? Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an update!