Go back. A year ago, we were all confined to our homes. Hard to go to the gym or even run in unlimited time. You have probably had to adapt your training at home and you may have discovered low intensity cardio training.
Elastic bands, small dumbbells… you may have used these kinds of objects for your strength training. But what did you do for the cardio workouts? Maybe you had a set of rubber bands or something like that. They therefore become your strength training tool. But what about cardio?
Arm yourself with your Polar and start experimenting with strengthening exercises without weight but also to find a way to work your cardio without putting a lot of intensity.
This type of cardio is called “steady-state cardio” or ” Zone 2 training “, and it’s the most effective exercise intensity for building aerobic fitness – more on that later. a moment.
Could it be done on the spot with bodyweight exercises?
By using real-time heart rate data , you will quickly realize that certain exercises like burpees were definitely to be avoided. Jumping lunges are not a good exercise either. These high impact exercises would increase the heart rate and could not be sustained for very long.
A host of low-impact bodyweight exercises worked great, such as jumping jacks and knee raises.
Low intensity training was born!
This new form of cardio was developed using heart rate data. As Polar says, #MeasureEveryMove if you want the most effective training possible.
We’ll show you exactly how you can use heart rate data to monitor anti-HIIT training and keep your heart rate low. But first, let’s look at the benefits of low intensity cardio workouts.
BENEFITS OF LOW HEART RATE TRAINING
Low-intensity cardio is the foundation of an effective cardio workout. #Do. Elite endurance athletes spend more than 80% of their training time at Zone 2 intensity. Us exercisers should approach cardio the same way. The developments in the aerobic system that come from this type of training are staggering and result in a multitude of physiological benefits, such as:
Metabolic health
The aerobic system produces the vast majority of our energy needs to sustain life and physical activity. A healthy metabolism improves quality of life and significantly reduces morbidity.
Endurance
With an improved aerobic system, we produce energy more efficiently. This means we can train harder for longer and have better endurance throughout the day.
Faster recovery
Sleep better, wake up fresher, recover faster from your workouts, say goodbye to exhaustion!
Burn fat
Low intensity cardio is called the “fat burning zone” for a reason. At this intensity, fat is the predominant fuel source, and in the long run, this workout makes you less likely to store fat by improving fuel distribution.
USE HEART RATE
Quick recap: the goal of anti-HIIT is to keep heart rate down – around 70% of your max heart rate is ideal (high zone 3, low zone 2). So the first thing you need to do is figure out what your value is because that becomes your goal to maintain while training. Luckily, it’s easy with Polar’s Max Heart Rate Calculator .
Now you are ready to go!
We will now introduce you to an anti-HIIT workout you can try with instructions for adjusting your intensity to keep heart rate at your set value.
LOW HEART RATE TRAINING
- Knee lift: 20-30 seconds.
- Rest: 0-10 seconds.
- Jumping Jacks: 20-30 seconds.
- Rest: 0-10 seconds.
- Mountain Climbers: 20-30 seconds.
- Rest: 0-10 seconds.
- Repeat the above steps for 20-40 minutes.
ZONE GUIDE
- Press Start on your wristwatch. We use the Polar Ignite 2 in the photos above!
- When you start training, it will take some time for your heart rate to rise to the target zone – that’s okay. Start by not resting between exercises to get your heart rate up faster.
- Once you’ve started training for a few minutes, take a look at your watch and adjust the time you perform each exercise and the rest intervals based on your heart rate. If your heart rate goes too high, reduce the work time and increase the rest. If it is too low, increase the working time and reduce the rest. You will soon find a rhythm that works for you.
- Finally, try to breathe only through your nose. Nose breathing alone is a much more efficient way to breathe and will bring more oxygen to your body. You will build aerobic fitness much faster breathing this way.
FINAL NOTE
We hope you enjoy this low intensity workout. By monitoring your heart rate, you can quickly customize the session to your fitness level and continuously adjust it as your fitness improves. Your training will be very effective and you will become more and more fit.
