For women over 40, identifying the right cardio zone is key to achieving sustainable fitness, fat loss, and heart health. The most effective range is the “Zone 2” cardio zone, which involves exercising at 60–70% of your maximum heart rate. This intensity is often described as moderate, where conversation is still possible and the body is efficiently burning fat.
Zone 2 training is ideal for several reasons. As women age, the body’s ability to recover from intense activity decreases, and joint health can become more of a concern. The moderate intensity of Zone 2 sessions places minimal stress on the joints and the cardiovascular system, while still stimulating metabolism, supporting fat loss, and ensuring cardiovascular improvements over time.
Research highlights that women who maintain this heart rate zone for 30–60 minutes, 3–5 days per week, enjoy the best balance between fat burning and recovery. Brisk walking, gentle cycling, swimming, or steady rowing are excellent choices for this purpose.
Rather than focusing solely on high-intensity workouts, maintaining consistency in the Zone 2 range helps to preserve muscle, keep energy levels stable, and balance hormones. This is especially valuable after 40, as both muscle mass and bone density are often in slow decline.
Monitoring your target heart rate with a fitness tracker or heart rate monitor can ensure you remain in the optimal “fat-burning” zone. In summary, spending a significant portion of cardio exercise in Zone 2 is a safe and effective strategy for women over 40 to maximize both health and fat loss results.
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