Are You Overtraining or Undertraining? Heart Rate Zones for Women & Hormone Health.
Are You Overtraining or Undertraining?
One of the biggest mistakes I see women making with exercise is this:
They’re either under training…
or completely overtraining.
(Trust me… this was me 😔)
And most women don’t even realise it.
For years, many women have been taught that more exercise is always better:
more intensity,
more sweat,
more exhaustion,
more punishment.
But the female body does not always respond positively to constant high-intensity training.
In fact, too much stress on the body can sometimes leave women feeling:
| exhausted
| inflamed
| hormonally overwhelmed
| constantly hungry
| emotionally depleted
| stuck in burnout
On the other hand, some women may not be reaching supportive cardiovascular zones often enough to create meaningful improvements in fitness, metabolism, endurance, or overall health.
So how do you know where you sit?
Your Heart Rate Zones May Tell You Everything 🤍
If you wear an Apple Watch, Garmin, Fitbit, Oura Ring, or another wearable device, you most likely already have access to your heart rate zones.
Understanding these zones can completely change the way you approach exercise, especially for:
| hormone health
| energy
| fat burning
| nervous system regulation
| cardiovascular fitness
| recovery
| sustainable training
Let’s simplify it.
✨ Zone 1
Approx. 90–110 bpm
This is a very gentle movement.
Think:
| slow walking
| recovery movement
| stretching
| easy mobility work
This zone is beautiful for nervous system support and recovery.
But if you only ever train here, you may be under-training and not stimulating enough cardiovascular adaptation or metabolic change.
✨ Zone 2–3
Approx. 111–145 bpm
For many women, this is the sweet spot.
This zone can help support:
| fat burning
| cardiovascular health
| metabolic health
| hormone balance
| energy production
| endurance
| stress resilience
| recovery without excessive burnout
You should still be able to breathe comfortably and hold a conversation while exercising in these zones.
For many women, this is where supportive and sustainable training lives.
✨ Zone 4–5
Approx. 146–175 bpm
This is high-intensity training.
Occasionally, visiting these zones can absolutely improve performance and fitness.
But living here every day can place significant stress on the female body.
Too much time in high-intensity zones may contribute to:
| elevated stress hormones
| nervous system overload
| fatigue
| poor recovery
| inflammation
| increased cravings and hunger
| sleep disruption
| hormonal imbalance
| burnout symptoms
More intensity is not always better.
✨ Zone 6
Approx. 176+ bpm
This is near maximal effort.
Unless you are specifically training for athletic performance or a fitness goal, this zone is generally not necessary for everyday hormone health and well-being.
For most women, touching this zone occasionally, perhaps once per week, is more than enough.
The goal is not to destroy your body.
The goal is to support it.
Are You Getting Enough Cardio?
The current Australian physical activity guidelines recommend:
✨ 150–300 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week
or
✨ 75–150 minutes of vigorous exercise per week
But when you do cardio…
What zone are you actually sitting in?
Many women are unknowingly:
😔 under training and not reaching supportive cardiovascular zones
or
😔 spending too much time in high-stress zones that may contribute to exhaustion, cravings, inflammation, poor recovery, and burnout.
I encourage you to check your wearable device during your next workout and explore where your heart rate is sitting whilst you train.
You may be very surprised by what you discover 🩷
At Her Hormone Trainer, we focus on movement that supports the female body, not punishes it.
There are now hormone-supportive treadmill workouts available inside the Her Hormone Trainer On-Demand Membership, here. These workouts are designed to help women train within supportive heart rate zones without excessive burnout.
If you would love guidance with where to start, you can explore them here 🤍