Zone 2, HIIT & Heart Health: Your No-Nonsense Guide to Cardio in Midlife

Cardio has become the pariah of the fitness world for midlife women. Everyone’s got strong opinions about it, half of them outdated, and most of them wildly confusing.In this solo episode, I'm demystifying cardio once and for all.What it actually is, what it isn’t, and how it fits into a realistic midlife training week, you'll be pleased to hear without obsessing over zones, fearing cortisol, or binning off intensity altogether.We talk about:What “cardio” really means (and why energy system training is a much better way to think about it)Why strength training alone isn’t enough for long-term healthThe truth about "Zone 2" training: and why it’s been wildly oversimplifiedWrist heart rate monitors, why they’re so unreliable (especially for women), and what to do insteadCortisol, HIIT and why hard work isn't the enemy you’ve been led to believeWhy cardio is a terrible weight-loss tool (and why that’s actually freeing)The very real link between menopause, estrogen loss and heart healthHow much high-intensity work you actually need (spoiler: not much)Why feeling shattered after cardio is usually not what you thinkIf you’ve been avoiding cardio because you’ve been told it’s “too stressful” for midlife… or you’re stuck over-analysing zones and numbers… this episode will give you clarity, confidence and permission to stop overthinking it.Because cardio isn’t about punishment, calorie-burning or earning your food.It’s about looking after your heart ❤️ now and for the decades to come.Useful links:Follow Carly on Instagram: @carlycorrigallFree Training Tweak Guide: 👉 Get my Training Tweak Guide This is where we start to tailor your training to what's actually going to move the needle in midlife.If this episode sparks questions (and I know it will), my DMs are open.And if you found it helpful, I’d love it if you shared it with a friend who’s been told to fear cardio in midlife.