How Heart Rate Zones Work

Training in the right zone is the difference between building an aerobic base and spinning your wheels. Most beginners run too hard on easy days and not hard enough on hard days — heart rate zones fix that.

The Karvonen formula (used when you enter a resting HR) is more accurate because it accounts for your heart rate reserve — the range between resting and max. It's the method coaches use. To get your resting HR, lie still for 5 minutes after waking up and count beats for 60 seconds.

Zone 2 is magic. Most of your easy running, hiking, and cycling should be in Zone 2 — you can hold a full conversation, your effort feels almost too easy, and your body is building the aerobic engine that everything else runs on. If you can't talk comfortably, you're in Zone 3 or higher.

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