The Zone 2 Practice Session

Confession: I’m a nervous public speaker.

Every single time I’d get up to do a presentation in school or my early career years, I’d feel a familiar sensation—my heart would start racing, my breathing would quicken, and my face would get hot. I’d manage it to the best of my ability, but I never felt confident or comfortable speaking in front of a crowd.

That is, until I developed this one weird trick that changed everything:

I call it my Zone 2 Practice Session.

Before a public speaking appearance, practice your delivery while engaged in a light cardio activity—a slow jog, brisk walk, hike, stationary bike—that brings your heart rate into a Zone 2 range (60-70% of your max, or a level at which it feels elevated but you can still maintain a conversation).

When you get nervous during a talk, your heart rate starts to rise. The problem for most people (my younger self included!) is that we aren’t prepared to deliver our talk in an elevated heart rate condition.

In other words, our practice was not aligned with the conditions of the real game.

The Zone 2 Practice Session fixes that: You prepare while in the elevated heart rate state that will characterize the real game, so when the moment comes, you know what it feels like. You’re ready for it.

Next time you have a big talk or presentation to prepare for, give it a shot:

Do a few rounds of prep while out on a jog or brisk walk. It’s a weird trick, and it may feel uncomfortable at first, but it just plain works.