Regular aerobic exercise that builds and maintains healthy mitochondria is key to sustaining longevity. Known as our body’s engines or powerhouses, mitochondria are responsible for converting fuel into energy that powers our daily activities.

Global metabolic health expert, Inigo San Milan, PhD, suggests a minimum of 3 hours of weekly aerobic exercise, sometimes known as Zone 2 activity, to achieve the maximum longevity benefits.

If you are unfamiliar with the concept, Zone 2 is the 2nd of 5 ascending heart rate levels we all experience during intense exercise. The desired outcome of Zone 2 activity for runners is our bodies prioritizing fats (fatty acids) over carbohydrates as fuel. This is vital for endurance events such as marathons.

The purpose of Zone 2 training is consistently achieving your Maximum Aerobic Threshold heart rate, that level or zone where you are:

#1 Building stronger mitochondria

#2. Training your body to preserve glycogen stores

Suggested Resources

Calculating Zone 2:

1. = maximum heart rate x .70
2. = .70[HR max – HR rest] + HR rest
3. = pace at which conversation is comfortable

Training (mostly slow) to run (kinda) fast

I hope you find value in this episode. If you have questions, please reach out to me by first subscribing to our newsletter at runninglongevitylab.com. After that you can hit reply to start a conversation.

Now go out there and enjoy your next run!