Want to be healthier and happier, without spending hours slogging away in the gym? The answer could be a state just above total inactivityIn our modern, time-squeezed lives, it’s tempting to do everything as fast as possible: listen to podcasts on double speed, work in email-free sprints, or train at lung-bursting intensity in the gaps between your morning meditation and the school run. But evidence is piling up that the last one might not be as beneficial as it seems – and that, in fact, just introducing a lot more ultra-low-intensity movement into your schedule can improve your fitness as well as your quality of life, whether you’re a top-tier athlete or experienced couch-crasher. Welcome to zone zero.In case you’re unfamiliar with the concept, or just need a quick refresher, zone training is a way of structuring workouts based on how high your heart rate gets as a percentage of the fastest it can possibly thump. Lower means slower – and most of us will never hit maximum intensity in our day-to-day lives. Over the decades, the most-recommended zones have shifted as training techniques evolve and knowledge of our biology improves – but zone zero, the state just slightly above total inactivity, where your heart never gets above 50% of its maximum rate, is enjoying a resurgence. Continue reading...