Endurance is crucial for nailing your fitness goals! It's all about helping your body perform at its best, longer, by getting oxygen and nutrients where they need to go. This will allow you to amp up your workouts and push past those plateaus. Plus, it comes with many health perks (1).
Improving your endurance will take your fitness game to the next level! Stick with us, and we’ll show you how to boost that stamina so you can get in peak shape.
Long Endurance Training
Boosting endurance entails strengthening both your respiratory system and muscles. The particular endurance exercises you choose are crucial in meeting your fitness goals. Aerobic activities like long-distance jogging are efficient for enhancing cardiovascular endurance.
Begin modestly, aiming to run a mile several times a week, and gradually extend to three miles. Get your heart rate at a pace of 60-80% zone, and try to maintain that throughout. Monitoring your workouts as meticulously as you would with weight training is essential. The objective is to improve your timing each week progressively. For instance, if you run a 10-minute mile, shoot for under eight minutes by running a few times weekly.
HIIT Workouts
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts are short and intense and are best for conditioning and improving muscular endurance. Here’s a sample HIIT workout to try:
4 Rounds
- Burpees x 10 reps
- TRX Rows x 10 reps
- Dumbbell Lunges + Curls x 12 reps
- Hollow Body Holds x 30 seconds
The goal is to complete this workout quickly a few times each week. Track your time and aim for a faster pace to improve.
Nutrition
Eat Carbs
Before embarking on endurance training, ensuring you're not experiencing hunger, thirst, or weakness is crucial. Establish a balanced diet rich in carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and other nutrients. But especially carbs, as carbs are the most essential energy to prevent “hitting the wall” for endurance athletes. So consume plenty of fruits and complex carbs such as potatoes and brown rice before and after your runs.
Stay Hydrated
Moreover, stay hydrated by having water or another hydrating beverage on hand. This approach will help ward off muscle cramps and fatigue, allowing you to endure longer during training sessions. For every pound of fluid you do, consume 16-24 ounces of water. In addition, drink plenty of electrolytes to perform optimally and protect yourself from injuries.
Try Isometric Exercises
Isometric exercises, such as dumbbell iso curls and wall sits, enhance muscle endurance. They entail contracting specific muscles or various muscle groups to teach muscles to endure prolonged stress, boosting muscle endurance (2).
Athletes who aim to enhance their endurance must be ready to overcome mental and physical challenges. Incorporating various aerobic and HIIT workout activities can broaden one's activity range. Commit to these strategies, and you’ll be well on your way to experiencing substantial endurance improvement.
Article by Terry Ramos
References
- Morici, G., Gruttad'Auria, C. I., Baiamonte, P., Mazzuca, E., Castrogiovanni, A., & Bonsignore, M. R. (2016). Endurance training: is it bad for you?. Breathe (Sheffield, England), 12(2), 140–147. https://doi.org/10.1183/20734735.007016
- Oranchuk, D. J., Storey, A. G., Nelson, A. R., & Cronin, J. B. (2019). Isometric training and long-term adaptations: Effects of muscle length, intensity, and intent: A systematic review. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports, 29(4), 484–503. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.13375
