What Is LISS Cardio? Here’s Everything You Need to Know to Get Started

Low-intensity steady-state (LISS) cardio exercise (also referred to as steady-state training, SST, or Zone 2 training) is good for people of all ages and fitness levels. It’s an unintimidating type of exercise for those looking to get off the couch and get moving. And for exercise pros, it’s great for cross-training and endurance.

As the name implies, LISS training involves slower aerobic activity done for an extended period of time, such as walking, jogging, or cycling at a comfortable pace.

Think of LISS workouts as the opposite of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts that call for pushing as hard as you possibly can for brief bursts of time, explains Peter Katzmarzyk, PhD, associate executive director for population and public health sciences at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who researches physical activity and obesity.

“Simply put, you can think of LISS exercise as what public health professionals have been promoting for decades — exercise that is aerobic in nature — such as walking, cycling, and swimming,” he says. It’s synonymous with moderate-intensity aerobic activity, he says.