MyZone: What is it and why do we use it at Instinct?

By Sam Rigg

You may have heard of MyZone, or seen it up on our big screen and you might be wondering what MyZone is and why we use it here at Instinct?…

Myzone is a wearable heart rate tracking device. This modern technology relays real-time data wirelessly, accurately tracking and monitoring your workouts. 

This is both beneficial to you as a client and us as trainers, as it provides physical data that allows us to view your response to the training prescribed. 

For example, we can see:

• How hard you’re working. 
• How quickly you recover. 
• How many calories you burn. 
• How challenging the workout is.

Not only this, but Myzone has a social platform that encourages users to move more and reach their monthly goals, applying a social competitive element.

After you’ve completed a workout, the data is synced with your profile on the Myzone app. Here you will receive your Myzone Effort Points (MEP’s) for that session.

MEP’s are an objective measure of effort within your session. For every minute spent in a given heart rate zone you accumulate points, with time spent in higher zones earning you more MEP’s.

Each of the five zones represents a percentage of your maximum heart rate (MHR). 

This is calculated specifically to you when you start training with Myzone. 

What do these different heart rate zones mean for you?

Blue Zone: This light-intensity zone of 60-69% of our maximal heart rate relies primarily on Aerobic Metabolism. We can remain in this zone for quite some time (well beyond 3 minutes), such as when we go for a light walk, begin our warm up, or recover from a workout.

Green Zone: We usually enter this zone of 70-79% of our maximal heart rate when we are performing moderate-intensity exercise and when we recover from higher-intensity intervals. 

Yellow Zone: At 80-89% of our maximal heart rate, we’ve definitely bumped up the intensity in the yellow zone. For a person who is new to cardiorespiratory exercise, it might be fairly easy to touch into the yellow zone, but can be quite difficult to remain in this zone for more than a minute or two. 

Red Zone: Is it getting hot in here? We know that when we’re pushing at 90-100% of our maximal heart rate, we’re really going for it. This means we’re doing high-intensity activity for a short period of time, usually anywhere from a few seconds to a minute. 

MyZone Points & Badges

Boosting the social aspect of training, the interactive app motivates you to move more with Myzone and award badges track your progression. 

Achieve 1300 MEPs a month and earn your status. Start off with iron and progress until you’re a ‘Hall of Famer’.

You strive to gain a higher status knowing that slipping up for just one month leads to being reduced back to ‘Zero’ status in this game of ‘fitness snakes and ladders’.

Here at Instinct, we are here to offer words of encouragement and motivate you, with or without Myzone, however you can take the tracker anywhere and it may provide an added boost, especially if you like to be competitive.

If you opt to buy a Myzone tracker, it can help you to be the best version of yourself and reach your training goals each session, each month and each badge. Some additional accountability always helps!

Fancy a MyZone challenge?

To keep us all motivated through August, we are running a MyZone Bingo challenge! To join, simply collect your bingo card from Reception on August 1st and join in!

If you do not yet have a MyZone, get one ordered and start completing the non-MyZone related challenges on the bingo card until your MyZone arrives!

If you would like more information please talk to the member of the team or ask one of your fellow members for their thoughts when you see their name up on the screen during a session.

We have a discount code for Instinct members looking to buy MyZone products, please speak to the team if you would like to make a purchase.