Is a 70% Cardio workout "good enough"?

[the4foleys]

I have recently started "walking intensely" in place of jogging and race walking due to a sore hip.

It looks funny, maybe, but I swing my arms, trying to keep my heart rate up!  Anyways,  afterwards I check the app to see my results, and most of the time, I am in the 70%-ish cardio zone..I want to know if this is a good workout..or should I be more in the peak zone, more often?  I rarely hit peak zone..only when jogging!  I don't want to waste my workout time with exercises that don't help..

I am curious where my workouts should be...in the Fat Zone vs. Cardio vs. Peak range.

ANy advice would be appreciated!  I am 57 y.o., weigh 128 lbs. and have an excellent cardio score!

[Heybales]

Good enough, or good workout, to help with  -  for what goal?

Endurance training for a marathon - not likely.

Get some health benefits - oh sure.

That would be considered base-building - you are allowing the muscle cells to make more mitochondria to enable more fat burning as energy source.

When you can start running again, that'll benefit being able to go longer at harder intensity.

This would likely be considered very bottom of aerobic range - if that 70% of HRmax was actually your HRmax - which you don't know. That's a simple formula with a lot of faults.

You personally that could be well below "cardio" range.

Fat zone - more correctly called Active Recovery zone - is exactly for that - when you start running again and need a recovery day - doing a workout in that zone can aid healing without adding more stress to system trying to recover.

Peak zone is for some more specific goal benefits, or lack of time and trying to get a fast workout in.

You trying to improve your running pace with intervals - then going into peak would be needed.

To allow useful specific advice - What is your goal for the exercise?

Heart health, 5K's and on up in distance, burn more calories so you can eat more than bare minimum, be faster than the grandkids to catch them?

[the4foleys]

Thanks for your response.

My goals are to maintain my weight and stamina for my tennis game!

I play doubles mostly but do enjoy a singles game every now and then!

I will pick up jogging again, mixing it in, but I am not a long distance runner.

I play tennis, dance Zumba, and do enjoy walking.

I need direction on how to target my workouts..I am not sure where to start or what to ask!

I have completed that zone percentage:  220-my age, etc..  Should I stay in the 70%, 80%, of that?

Please let me know where I can find more information.

I appreciate your help with my questions!

[Heybales]

For that purpose then - I'd suggest bumping into the Peak zone just a bit from time to time for 30-60 sec, then recovery back to normal pace for 2-3 min.

Make that 20 min of a workout, done 1 x weekly would be all that's needed.

And you can customize the zones, I'd make that Peak the 85% level to just bump into.

Or for better HRmax and zone calc, using restingHR which can be known, and potentially better estimate of HRmax which must be tested.

http://www.calculatenow.biz/sport/heart.php?

In this case bump into the Anaerobic zone, otherwise Aerobic zone.