SELF Magazine highlight what you need to know about zone 2 cardio, including its benefits and easy ways to weave it into your schedule. 

According to Grace Horan, MS, ACSM-EP, exercise physiologist at HSS, zone 2 cardio is any form of movement that has you working at a low-to-moderate intensity for a sustained period of time. 

Zone 2 cardio is not about speed, power, or max strength but instead centers on slow, steady efforts performed over the long haul. Basically, it’s endurance training, Horan said.

Traditionally, zone 2 is defined as exercise that keeps your heart rate between 60% to 70% of its maximum level, but this is a generalization; for some people, zone 2 can happen at different percentages of max heart rate, Horan explained. It’s better to think of it in terms of how intense exercise feels and how much it impacts your breathing. As Kennedy puts it: “If you can get on a phone call and have a conversation without having to stop and catch your breath, you're likely in zone 2.”

Read the full article at SELF.com.