Slow and Steady Wins the Race: The Surprising Benefits of Zone 2 Exercise

Slow and Steady Wins the Race: The Surprising Benefits of Zone 2 Exercise

Welcome to Effective Habits, a weekly newsletter where I share evidence-based strategies and tools to help you live a happy, healthy, and productive life.

Today at a Glance:

• The Work Required to Have an Opinion

• The Metabolic Benefits of Slow, Steady Zone 2 Exercise

• 4 Mental Traps That Kill Productivity

The Work Required to Have an OpinionShane Parrish

Lights, Camera, ... Having an opinion is easy, but actually doing the work to ensure that it's a well-informed one is much harder. This means doing research, seeking out different perspectives, and challenging your own beliefs. To truly hold an informed opinion, you need to become your own toughest critic and be willing to put in the effort to understand all sides of an issue.Action!

• Seek out different perspectives on a topic before forming an opinion

• Talk to people with different viewpoints and really listen to their arguments

• Be open to change your mind based on evidence

• Argue against your own opinion to see if it holds up

• Avoid relying on memorized information or seeking out only information that confirms your preexisting beliefs

The Metabolic Benefits of Slow, Steady Zone 2 ExerciseGreg Presto (& Dr. Dominic D'Agostino)

Lights, Camera, ...Are you looking for a way to improve your fitness and metabolic health without pushing yourself to the brink of exhaustion? Look no further than Zone 2 training! Zone 2 cardio, which is exercise that keeps your heart rate between 60-70% of overall maximum heart rate, can improve cardiovascular health, help build endurance, and achieve metabolic flexibility, where the body can easily switch between burning carbs and fat for fuel. Studies have also shown that Zone 2 cardio can improve insulin sensitivity and increase the number and efficiency of mitochondria, the tiny structures known as the cell's powerhouse. Unlike high-intensity sessions, Zone 2 is less taxing on the body and can be sustained for an extended period of time, making it a more sustainable option for improving your overall health.Action!

• Determine your personal Zone 2 pace by using the Talk Test method. Start with an easy activity such as a walk and gradually increase your speed or intensity until you can't say a 15-word sentence without pausing for breath. Record your heart rate and pace at this point, which represents the peak of your Zone 2 for that specific exercise. Repeat the test for each modality, as your Zone 2 may vary for different types of exercise. As you get fitter, the effort required to reach your Zone 2 may change, but the heart rate percentage will remain the same. (A lactate threshold test in a lab would be the gold standard)

• Incorporate 150 minutes of Zone 2 exercise per week to reap the benefits of reduced risks of heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers.

• Consistency is key when it comes to Zone 2 training. While you may feel better in a short period, it takes time for the body to adapt to cardiovascular training. Your heart needs months and even years to adapt and get stronger.

• Mix it up and perform Zone 2 with various cardio exercises such as walking, running, rowing, cycling, and elliptical training. The key is to keep your heart rate within the Zone 2 range, while resisting the temptation to go faster.

• To see adaptations, aim for sessions of at least 20 minutes of consistent Zone 2 effort.

4 Mental Traps That Kill ProductivityNir Eyal

Lights, Camera, ...Are you struggling to stay productive? You're not alone. Productivity has many enemies, and more often than not, it's mental traps that trip us up. Mental traps are habitual modes of thinking that disturb our ease, take up enormous amounts of our time, and deplete our energy without accomplishing anything of value. But the good news is, learning to recognize these mental traps can disarm them and help us move past their threat to our productivity. Do you fall victim to the Planning Fallacy, where you underestimate the amount of time needed to complete a task? Do you struggle with Liminal Moments, where transitions throughout your day cause you to get off track? Are you guilty of the mere urgency effect, where you prioritize urgent tasks over important ones? Or maybe you're a victim of Shame for not getting everything done, where you feel guilty for not being able to complete all your tasks? Whatever mental traps you may be facing, it's important to recognize them and find ways to overcome them for a more productive and fulfilling life.

Action!

• Use timeboxing along with To-Do lists. To-Do lists on their own can be a trap, but with timeboxing, you can reserve a specific period of time in your calendar for each activity. Use a time tracker application to monitor how much time you usually need to complete a task, and plot it in your timeboxed calendar. Be liberal with assigning time to your tasks, and don't limit yourself to the minutes you need for the best-case scenario of productivity.

• Use the 10-minute rule. Next time you feel the urge to check your phone or engage in other distractions, tell yourself to wait just 10 minutes. It's likely that the urge will pass and you'll be able to stay focused on your task at hand.

• Plan focused work sessions. Reserve a period for focused work and let others know that you'll be unavailable during that time. This will eliminate the guilt or anxiety you feel over not responding to emails every 30 seconds because your family, coworkers, and boss will know that you're not slacking.

• Practice self-compassion. Everyone struggles with distractions from time to time. The important thing is to take responsibility for our actions without toxic shame. Practice self-compassion by reminding yourself that obstacles are part of the process of growth and talking to yourself the way you would to a friend. Remember that it's okay to make mistakes and that you're on your way to improvement.

TOOL TIP

TrainingPeaks: This is an amazing workout planning, tracking, and analyzing tool that I have been using for years. It also allows you to merge data from your favourite devices and apps, as well as access professional training plans.

FUN FACT 

The longest distance run continuously without stopping is 563 km (350 miles). This world record was achieved by Dean Karnazes in 2005 within 80 hours and 44 minutes. The following year he ran 50 marathons on 50 consecutive days in 50 US states.

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Disclaimer: The information provided in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult a medical professional for advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We are not liable for any risks or issues that may arise from using this information.