This article is intended for education only and is not medical advice. Be sure to consult your medical professional before beginning any new training program. Also, listen to your body and don’t do something that doesn’t feel right.

I’ve been an endurance athlete for a long time—a road cyclist since 1999 and a marathon runner for years before that. I love cardiorespiratory exercise, and I do a lot of it. My bike is my happy place, my most valuable therapy and my freedom. I’m so grateful to be able to ride.

I also love learning. The book I’m reading, Dr. Peter Attia’s Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity is fascinating, and some of the ideas in it are inspiring me to adjust my training a bit.

For the last several years, my cardio training has consistently included five days per week of cycling most of the year, substituting indoor cycling (which I admittedly don’t love) and walking when necessary in the winter. During cycling season (Daylight Savings Time), once I have built up mileage, these rides consist of the following: two days of Sprint Interval Training (SIT) with rides of 15-20 miles each; one day of easy 20+ miles, one day of 30-40 miles and one day of 50+ miles. Prior to Biking Across Kansas, the mileage above 50 progressively increases up to at least one ride over 75 miles to ensure that I am prepared for longer days on the bike during the 8-day tour.

Dr. Attia says, “It turns out that peak aerobic cardiorespiratory fitness, mesasured in terms of VO2max, is perhaps the single most powerful marker for longevity.” But what does that mean for your weekly workout schedule? As an endurance athlete, I’ve started optimizing my training to prioritize a long, healthy life. Here’s a breakdown of the three crucial cardio zones we should all be incorporating.

So, what constitutes cardio?

Any of these activities can be used in the following training zones:

·         Cycling (my favorite!)

·         Walking

·         Running

·         Swimming

·         Kickboxing

·         Rebounding

·         Dancing

·         Stair climbing

·         Elliptical machine

·         Jumping rope

·         Hiking

And these are just some of the possibilities!

Putting It into Practice

Zone 2 Training

·         Why you need this: Enhances stamina, helps burn fat, improves mood, boosts insulin sensitivity, and enhances glucose processing.

·         How to identify it: Can maintain a conversation but it's a little strained.

VO2max Training

·         Why you need this: Improves functionality in everyday life, counters age-related loss of aerobic capacity, reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke, improves the efficiency of the heart and lungs, improves metabolic health.

·         How to identify it: VO2max is a measure of the maximum amount of oxygen that our bodies can utilize during all-out exercise. Feels hard, but barely sustainable for a period of four minutes, with maybe a hint of a burn in working muscles.

Sprint Interval Training (SIT)

·         Why you need this: Improves metabolic health, maintains power and the ability to kick it into another gear when necessary, enhances metabolic efficiency, increases cognitive well-being.

·         How to identify it: All-out effort for less than 30 seconds.

Why Does This Training Matter? Your Future Self Depends on It

Dr. Attia suggests that we think about our ideal vision for our eighth, ninth or tenth decades and make a list of 10-15 things that we want to be able to do. Then, we should make sure we are training now to position ourselves to be able to do them.

So, do you want to be able to walk up a flight of stairs; carry your grandchild, great grandchild or animal companion; hike in a state or national park; work in your yard or bike across a state in 10, 20 or 30 years? Cardio (and strength, stability, mobility and balance) training matters! Although it’s never too late to start, sooner is better than later.

I describe my typical cardio training week above, but please be assured that you don’t need to do as much as I do in order to see benefits. My time on my bike is arguably my most important mental health practice, and it constitutes a large part of the “joy factor” that I have mentioned in previous posts. I do more because I love it.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise or at least 75 minutes of vigorous activity. This could look like 30 minutes of cardio at least four days a week. If you include everything discussed in this post, you’ll have a mix of moderate and vigorous activity.

Download Your FREE Cardio Training Template

Ready to put these three zones to work? I've created a simple mix-and-match PDF that shows you exactly how to incorporate Zone 2, VO2max, and Sprint Interval Training into your current plan. Click here to get your free copy.