To not exercise

Zone 5 for 6 or 7 minutes as part of a workout with other zones. The Zone 5 section is for brain health, the fight against dementia.

'I hate it'

You're given one body in life and you have the choice to look after it or not.

I exercise as part of my lifestyle, started with Jillian Micheals when the kids were young and now I am able to go to the gym, it would feel strange for me not to. I don’t actually know that many people who exercise regularly though. I have three sisters and none of them do, none of my friends do, few of my colleagues.

So for the 34 min ride you have mentioned- you were at 143-148 for some of that- which is Zone 4. Doubtless you were in Zone 5 for some of the ride- but not 34 minutes.

I have a PT Diploma but because it was a while ago and I might be a bit rusty, I just double-checked a few different online sources. I checked an indoor cycling organisation, a running website and the Polar website- ALL say that even elite athletes are very unlikely to sustain Zone 5 for longer than 8 minutes, and for the rest of us mere mortals, it’s going to be significantly less than that.

So either you are underestimating how much of that 34 minute bike ride was actually spent in Zone 4; or your MHR is higher than you think it is (maybe the formula isn’t accurate for you); or whatever you’re using to monitor your HR during exercise is inaccurate, or….you are a bit superhuman!

Field test: hill sprints for running and ramp test on the bike. I do the ramp test every 6 weeks.

TBH, I don't put a great deal of stead in HR zones as I mostly use PE (running) and power zones (cycling), but averaging 90% of HRmax is for a 5K is perfectly normal and I'm surprised that people are arguing it is not.

Other runners appear to agree: https://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=9623425

I do some weights and some Pilates whilst watching Corrie. I follow Sally Gunnell and just do some basic routines. Also save Reels from FB and find them really useful in work for a quick couple of minutes. My weights and Pilates ball come from Amazon, the yoga mats been hanging around for years. But I’m watching telly whilst doing it.
i do swim twice a week in the evenings but only if I fancy it and not on Corrie nights. About 30 lengths of snailpace breaststroke.

When you say you are old, what do you mean?
I am 55 and don't consider myself old, so I've taken you to be 60.
A 60 yo running a 20 min pr is elite. You clearly know your own fitness and are doing well. Edited to say 20 mins as a female.

I stand by saying most people cannot not should not run 5K in zone 5.

Have you worked out your max HR from a field test or an equation?
Threshold is not the same as zone 5.
Do some Googling - it's not possible to run a 5K at zone 5.

We're not talking about sustaining HRmax for the duration of a 5k though are we? Z5 is 90-100% of HRmax. If you are working at or just above your aerobic threshold (normal for a 5k) it's normal to be in that band. Paradoxically, you are unlikely to get into it on short anaerobic efforts like sprinting (ok, maybe on the 400, or HIIT) - they aren't long enough.

My Z5 HR is 148-165 and I can easily sit at 150 or so for the 20 or so minutes it takes to get round a ParkRun. I just went back and checked some data from (bike) races and found one where I spent 1hr03m at 155-168 (my HRmax was higher at the time) and 34m at 143-154.

Personal experience - my HRmax is 165 (I'm very old) and if I'm working at threshold (e.g. at my FTP when cycling, or running a 5k) I will be sitting at around 150 (cycling) to 155 (running).

It's not about time. It's about the fact that exercise is unutterably tedious. I don't do it, and I'm much happier on the sofa with a book!

I don’t exercise at all. I hate it.

Park Run would be more like zones 3 and 4, hopefully with some short bursts of zone 5

I am not in zone 5 when I work out and I wouldn’t try to be. I think this would increase my risk of injury too much. I’m not sure it’s recommended to do a 5k in zone 5? Maybe up a hill but not 30 mins. I’ve never seen it recommended to do zone 5 for long periods

Hmmm, maybe I've looked it up incorrectly.
I don't think running for 20 mins with your HR at 90-100% is either sustainable or wise. You're pushing your body to its absolute limit, something that can only be maintained for very short bursts.

I'd say the zone below for a 5K would be ideal, with a short zone 5 at the end.

What's the source of your information?

I disagree @Pharazon Maximum HR couldn’t be sustained for a whole Park Run, unless you’re completing it in less than 5 minutes! 90-100% HR is for short bursts of very high intensity, eg HIIT, sprinting, continuous burpees etc. It’s just not possible to sustain that for long periods- even for athletes. If you are able to sustain the effort over a longer period, then you can’t possibly be at your MHR.

Well anyone who is giving it a proper go at ParkRun will likely be in zone 5 the whole way round (unless there is a long downhill section). It’s not just competitive athletes. Unless you have a cardiac condition maxing your HR for extended periods is absolutely fine.

I had no idea what zone 5 cardio was so just looked it up.
90-100% of your max heart rate! I assume PP means a cardio session that includes a bit of zone 5, not a whole session.
Surely that's only really beneficial for athletes, competitive sports people who are in training.

You’re probably right but I reckon the proportion of women in their 40s or 50s achieving that will be tiny.

I had tough pregnancies and births and lost all fitness while my mobility and energy were compomised. Both times I built up from walking 100m to a couple of miles, adding some yoga then phasing into mainstream exercise classes/ running at about 5-6 months. It's made me really appreciate what my body can do and want to keep it moving for as long as possible!

When you've gone to bed to recover from 100m of walking, you can really appreciate being able to run a half marathon 18m later!

I often feel more achey from a couple of days of not moving than from moving, and I need frequent exercise to be able to sleep.

I had to take DS out for a walk at midnight last night as he had been ill a couple of days ago, and his energy came back through yesterday and needed to move and burn a bit off to be able to sleep.

I was the same after being on virtual bed rest for seven weeks over the summer after surgery. I found it difficult to even walk upright, it was as if my body couldn't support my weight. Short walks turned into long walks then running again and back to weight training and pilates, I hated feeling so weak and feeble 😞

I agree with @BlondeBonBon about the combination of cardio, strength and flexibility for post menopause 💪

This is what’s happened to me too after a long period of ill health. It feels so good to move again. If I had the time I’d love to do some classes again at a gym. I’ll see if I can make time but my walks so far have been successful in that I’m fitter and have gone down a dress size already

Exercise is vital as we age. Was super fit before a period of ill health for my husband when I just didn’t have time. Absolutely shocking just how quickly it fell away and my joints became stiff and I was breathless on gradients.

I’ve started a new job where I can walk home. It takes an hour but I really miss it when I don’t do it. I get the bus if it’s raining heavily as it’s freezing rain at the moment. Otherwise it’s a great way to listen to my downloads of Vernon Kay’s Radio 2 show which I just love because it puts such a smile on my face and helps me decompress from the day. I get the bus in the morning because it’s quicker and I’m not a morning person. It’s helps with my aged aches and pains and menopausal symptoms. But yes I definitely need to shower when I get home. I have decent New Balance and Nike trainers I wear and SOREL boots when it drizzles or rain is forecast. Then I change my shoes at work. I exercise best I think when there’s a purpose.

I recon the perfect mix for a perimenopause or menopausal women would be twice weekly weight training heavy for bone strength, twice weekly cardio reaching zone 5, once weekly flexibility class and 7k plus steps daily.