Last week, my ankle hurt. My current exercise program calls for Zone 2 cardio a couple times a week. It recommends running–it’s an easy way to get (and stay) in Zone 2.

But, I knew that if I tried going for a run, it could aggravate my ankle more and sideline me for a while. So I started reviewing lots of web pages and past workout routines to come up with a handful of exercises that I could do to get my heart rate in Zone 2 without exacerbating my ankle issues.

I pieced together 16 exercises and used an interval timer app on my phone to split them up: 4 exercises at 30 seconds each, followed by a 60 second rest. I had the app loop through the routine 3 times to get to ~36 minutes (about how long it takes me to run a 5K and keep my HR in Zone 2).

For the couple of days that I needed to go easy on my ankle, it worked pretty well. But I thought I might want to re-use the routine on nasty weather days. And I thought it could be handy to have a way to randomize the exercises. Then I thought it might be nice to change the length of both the exercises as well as the rest durations. Then I thought it’d be good to be able to customize the frequency of the rests. Then I thought I’d like to make the exercises selectable, in case I add more exercises and want to target specific muscle groups (or avoid areas that need some recovery).

So I started playing around in ChatGPT and had it put all the pieces together. After a few days and lots of tweaks, it’s finally working (mostly) as desired.

I’m really happy with it as it is currently. And since my ankle is back to normal, I’ll be adding in ones that have a harder impact, e.g. jump rope, high knees, etc. Short-term, I’ll probably make a page that is just a tabata timer. Long-term, I’m thinking of adding alternative/substitution/more complex variations of exercises. Maybe that’ll be a 2025 goal.

Without further ado, here’s my randomizer: Workout Randomizer

More info on Zone 2 cardio:

A Guide to the Biggest Thing Missing From Your Fitness Routine: Zone 2 Training

Slow & Steady Wins The Race: Reasons To Do Zone 2 Cardio

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