This Calm Playlist With Unhurried Mood Is Designed to Help You Stay in Zone 2

Whether you’re running outside or just hitting the treadmill, good music can often make the difference between a rave run and a blown goal. That’s why we’re putting together 90-minute playlists each month chock-full of songs with enough of a beat to keep you moving. For even more tunes, check out our list of the best running songs.It’s easy to hyperfocus on running faster when that’s your goal, but only making time for speedy miles can backfire. Pushing your body too hard with little to no time for recovery in between can eventually lead to burnout, plateauing, or worse—injury. So what’s the solution? Zone 2 training.In recent years, experts have broken down athletic exertion into training zones that correspond to a percentage of your maximum heart rate to nail down exercise intensity. With zone 1 being minimal effort and zone 5 being maximum exertion, zone 2 is about 60 to 70 percent of your max heart rate. That translates to a conversational pace, one that allows you to easily chit-chat while jogging but still feel like you’re working.To aid those zone 2 training days, we’ve created this playlist. Instead of high-tempo tunes, it’s stacked with slower songs to remind you to slow down and enjoy the scenery—and the songs!Listen on Apple MusicListen on Amazon MusicListen on SpotifyMatthew Huff is a freelance writer and runner, and he is the author of MARATHONER: What to Expect When Training for and Running a Marathon, published by Rizzoli Publications. His writing has appeared in Runner's World and BuzzFeed among others, and he is the co-host of “P.S. You're Wrong: A Pop Culture Podcast.” Originally from Michigan, he now lives and runs in New York City, where he is pursuing a career as an expert chicken tender taster.