Heart Zones

Heart Zone training separates heart rates into five different exercise zones, each one providing unique results. Zone One is like a brisk walk, one can get healthier in this zone but not more fit. Zone Two is like a slow jog. It’s a zone that takes commitment to stay on task, with eagerness to advance to the higher levels, but it is one that offers the greatest potential for burning calories. In Zone Three the size of your blood vessels and your lung capacity actually increase. You become faster and fitter in Zone Four, but you can only maintain this rate for about an hour before the lack of oxygen fatigues the muscles. Top athletes can only stay in Zone Five for a very brief amount of time and is saved for small bursts of running all out.
Zone 1: Easy/Recovery – Healthy Heart Zone
Zone 2: Endurance/Strength – Temperate Zone
Zone 3: Strength/Long hills – Aerobic Zone
Zone 4: Intervals/Hills/Race pace – Anaerobic Threshold
Zone 5: Speed/Racing (short) – The Redline Zone

Kelly Kannwischer considers what Heart Zone training would look like in the church.
Zone 1 – Walking through the doors / Fellowship
Zone 2 – Training disciples
Zone 3 – Leadership roles
Zone 4 – Vibrant Worship
Zone 5 – Mission trips, “mountain top” experiences

Training in every heart zone is important. Mountaintop experiences are just as life-giving and transformative as fun filled fellowship. However, the church can learn something from physical trainers about the importance of building endurance in Zone Two…where we learn the skills to persevere.

My prayer for the congregation?

Mighty God, You are my all in all. You are found in the zenith of our reach and in the steady beat of our heart. If we allow you to become our personal trainer, we can build endurance and exuberance, strength and tenderness, flexibility and fortification – being hard-pressed to higher ideas and allowed a full recovery. You know our hearts best and prescribe the right circuit of movements to exercise our heart muscles and improve our heart health. Build up our endurance and help us learn solid skills to persevere. Take us on wild runs to the mountain tops our heads spinning from physical exertion and dizzy from the nearness of you. But the view is fantastic! Amen.