How & Why to Get Weekly 'Zone 2' Cardio Workouts | Dr. Andrew Huberman

Dr. Andrew Huberman explains the importance of Zone 2 cardio for overall health and how to incorporate it into your weekly routine.

Dr. Andrew Huberman is a tenured professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford University School of Medicine and host of the Huberman Lab Podcast.

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The Huberman Lab podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast is at the user’s own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.

[MrQuestful]

Cycling is great for zone 2. I’ve made it my primary means of transit, and while it took some time to adapt to that norm, it’s now second nature for me to ride everywhere.

[johnhawkins]

My grandfather, born in the 1890s, got his zone 2 cardio via his work as a lead miner, after the mines closed, he was a carpenter and painter. After a day's work, he came home and helped my grandmother maintain their small farm, which included their chickens, pigs, and a few cows as well as the garden because they raised most of their food. He lived into his 90s, and thought working out was a strange concept.

[petebagi]

Sending a virtual hug to you Andrew. You’ve helped me through so many things this year from mental health to physical health. I’m the healthiest I’ve ever been and finally feel empowered with the accurate information I need to continue on this upward spiral. 🎉 thanks for all you do.

[essray]

Zone 2 is a fantastic base layer for overall health. I did four to five Z2 a week all last winter. My first mountain bike ride in the spring was better than my best ride in from the last fall. My Stamina and HR recovery was so much better after those punchy climbs & sprints.

[FrankensteinintoFranken-FINE.]

Learning about zone 2 has changed my life in terms of running. I was running to fast. Such an easy thing but I think ego has something to do with it. Now I've slowed down and do one small run a week and a 8 mile run every week. Before I didn't think it was possible.

[anthonydotnet]

This works out to be at least 40min per day over 5 days. This is reassuring, as many people can do a foot commute to work instead of taking the bus/train.

[MegaBeetle]

I roller skate 3 hours x two sessions every week. Love skating. I also do 3 days callisthenics with resistance training. 58 years old.

[aggieagata]

I do Strength Training, HIIT, Tabata, Power Walks and sometimes when I feel energised I'd go for a short run. I always thought that my Power Walks are not considered real Zone 2 exercises 😊 and I'm lacking Zone 2 work so I'm glad to hear it they actually are. I love my 1h Power Walks in the evenings after dinner, when I go outside and listen to some science backed podcasts or blast some music. Thank you 😉 Loving HubermanLab content ❤️

[x-Musashi-x]

I dislocated my right shoulder so Zone 2 on the assault bike and jogging helps me maintain my athleticism. Also I feel it has speeded up my recovery.

[tombaker]

Some people consider walking around the block as zone 2. My Polar app considers zone 2 as 117-130bpm. Peter Attia considers 140-145bpms zone 2.

We're obsessed with the metric because we've heard the study that Peter Attia and others have mentioned, saying that if you do 150-200 minutes of Zone 2 cardio/week you might live forever.

I don't really think it matters that much. Make sure you're doing some form of exercise 4-5 days a week. Just get out there and get sweaty!

[anitahernandez]

This reminds me of the movie "Back to the Future Part 3", where Doc Brown is back in the western time period 🤠 and is trying to explain what life is like in 1985, where people "run for fun" or exercise. Before the need of the 9 to 5 office job or just modern life in general, most people were on a circadian rhythm clock, got their vitamin D from the sun, plants and meat, did "Zone 2" cardio and resistance training daily and were probably relatively healthy under their harsher circumstances. They may not have had clean drinking water all the time but ours needs to be filtered from tap for microplastics, pharmaceuticals, heavy metals, pesticides, etc. Fun movie, doesn't get old. 🎬

[WillTio]

For most of my life I exercised 5-6 days a week, mixing strength, Hiit, basketball and endurance.

Then depression hit me and I almost stopped everything for close to a year. I was so afraid to lose all the muscle and performance I built for decades.

Recently I've been feeling better and started training regulary again and to my surprise my physique dont disappear completely, I still look fit compared to general people even though I probably lost more than half of my muscle and performance.
Also my body bounced back pretty quickly as well.

What I didnt realized during that year I spent 1-2 hours a day taking care of 9 stray cats I adopted and those were definitely a zone 2 exercise 1-2 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Im just sharing my experience so people who are very busy, currently not in the best condition, or in a mental struggle and lost all motivation can do this kind of activity. Then when youre back to your own self you would be thankful. Keep fighting everyone, youre stronger than you thought.

[ideatorx]

When I zone 2 train I can see a massively significant difference in my HRV and my resting HR. coupled with HIIT it’s the cardiovascular ultimate cycle, everything improves massively.

[dm_podcast_takeways]

Summary:
Andrew Huberman discusses the importance of Zone 2 cardio, recommending 150 to 200 minutes per week for cardiovascular and overall health. He shares his personal approach, incorporating a weekly slow jog or hike lasting 60 to 90 minutes, emphasizing nasal breathing and outdoor exposure.

Huberman mentions his discussion with Dr. Andy Galpin, who reassures that Zone 2 cardio is crucial for health and can complement other fitness aspects. Galpin suggests viewing it as part of daily activities, like brisk walking, carrying groceries, or engaging in work discussions while pacing. Huberman highlights the flexibility of integrating Zone 2 cardio into daily life, providing relief for busy individuals.

The key message is to accumulate 200 minutes of Zone 2 cardio weekly, with Huberman setting the minimum threshold at 200 minutes. He emphasizes that it doesn't necessarily have to be scheduled treadmill time and can be seamlessly integrated into daily movements. Huberman shares his shift in perspective, considering his outdoor activities as movement rather than structured exercise, allowing for a more enjoyable approach to fitness.

[itsjustjonnoh]

I lowered my blood pressure by like 18 because of zone 2.. it works. I’m fairly fit (looks wise) but my job is very sedentary. So, every other day I’ll do 45 minutes of zone 2 and my blood pressure is at 121/70 regularly now. Very good stuff.

[HexlGaming]

That's an interesting perspective shift, because if you don't look at your zone 2 cardio as training or a workout you can easily stop to smell the roses or to admire the view from whereever you are with that mindset, instead of pushing through aggressively if it's a workout. That's such an incredible trick, because it allows you to get all the benefits, but still lets you stay soft and loving while doing it. It also allows you to give up with no hesitation if you do notice that you have injured yourself; because when you're injured durring your time in nature because you love it you'd go home and let your body heal while if the same thing happened under the umbrella of training you'd be way more likely to push through and at least finish what you've started. The only thing holding you back to not cancle your time in nature is the actual love for it, instead of like this whole mental toughness thing. It's like going to the shops: if you need milk you still really want to get it, but if you're injured you're going to take it way easier and potentially find another solution. That's such a powerful take.

[johnmccool]

I lift weights 4 times a week and have recently added an hour of zone 2 cardio to the end of my workouts. Game changer for fat loss and it seems to be helping my weekend mountain biking as well. At 57, I have abs for the first time in my life and can ride intermediate mtb trails in Colorado without getting gassed...

[beamka]

But isn’t the definition of zone 2 cardio that a person’s heart rate gets within a certain range, which is widely debated from being within 60-70% max heart rate or more along Attia’s thoughts of 75% of a person’s heart rate? My walking, even at a faster than normal pace, gets my heart rate at around 50% which isn’t zone 2.

[banerjeehome]

Zone 2 Cardio, that's like the 1 hour brisk walking that I (oh-so easily) do around the park when it's empty, getting my average HR to 120+ Cool. Gonna do more of it now. It also helps burn all the excess calories while still not being enough to impede my hypertrophy training or recovery. Thanks, Andrew!

[palmer]

I live in NYC and walk everywhere at a “NYC pace” (versus the slow tourist stroll.) This is great news as most of my scheduled workouts these days come from strength training in the gyms.