Heart rate zones

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clairec230787
clairec230787 Posts: 52 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi,
Could someone please explain to me how the heart rate zones work.
When I run my fitbit tells me my heart rate is in the peak zone, but when I walk the dog it's in the fat burning zone. Surely, I will burn more calories running, therefore lose more fat?

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  • unsuspectingfish
    unsuspectingfish Posts: 1,176 Member
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    As I understand it, the fat burning zone is somewhere between peak and resting, but I also have a very limited understanding of it.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    clairec230787 wrote: »
    Hi,
    Could someone please explain to me how the heart rate zones work.
    When I run my fitbit tells me my heart rate is in the peak zone, but when I walk the dog it's in the fat burning zone. Surely, I will burn more calories running, therefore lose more fat?

    You have hit on the crucial part (for weight loss) - it's your calorie balance that determines your weight loss / fat loss over time. And of course exercise can contribute to tipping the calorie balance.

    What the zones are hinting at is that your body burns different proportions of fat/carbs at different exercise intensities.
    This has relevance if you are training or participating in endurance events (in which case your are likely to use a far more complex zone system anyway) but not for weight loss.

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