Running Stamina: 5 Tips To Increase Your Endurance

Running requires sustained, repetitive motion over an extended length of time. As such, a runner’s ability to maintain their energy level over longer distances depends on their stamina and endurance. Improving your stamina and endurance is easy; all you need is the motivation to make each mile count. Soon you’ll be able to run longer distances, relishing the resultant runner’s high.

We will discuss the ways in which you can model your exercise schedule to develop your stamina and endurance.

Tips on Increasing Endurance and Stamina for Running

1. Remain consistent

Even if you feel ready to increase your speed or distance, it’s a good idea to start slowly and focus on making small improvements to your training regimen. This is especially true if you’ve never maintained a regular running schedule. For instance, you shouldn’t increase your run distance to 7 miles if your average distance is 4. Go up gradually, because adding 1 mile every week helps prevent injury and exhaustion (ref. link).

As expected, your endurance will improve if you run as often as you can. Follow a schedule and go for a run at least three times a week. That being said, your running frequency should be based on your fitness level and running experience. If you’re a beginner, start slow by committing to 1-2 runs a week, thereby giving your body time to acclimatise.

Below are some ways to help you commit to your schedule.

• Schedule a time in advance: Sometimes life can get super busy, leaving you with little time to think about things like working out. Marking a ‘Run Time’ in your schedule beforehand helps the behaviour become automatic, so you don’t miss it even when life is hectic. 
• Set an alarm: The alarm itself can serve as motivation. The alarm will remind you of the commitment you have made, making you more likely to stick to it.
• Find a running partner: Exercise adherence can be increased by running with friends as the activity is more enjoyable and there’s someone to hold you accountable. 

2. Perform plyometrics

Plyometrics is training that uses the speed and force of different movements to build muscle power. Consider performing clap push-ups, box jumps, squat jumps, and tuck jumps. These force your muscles to exert all of their energy in a short period of time, which increases muscular power (ref. link). This benefits running endurance in several ways:

• The muscular contractions in between eccentric and concentric movements help you store more energy (ref. link). For the majority of individuals, a full contraction is the strongest muscle activity. Through plyometric exercises, which produce the most force during the concentric period, this is improved. Your body’s increased ability to generate force may cause a movement to happen more quickly.
• Plyometrics improves the flexibility of your muscles. Your muscles’ fibres are stretched during plyometric exercises, which over time, increases your flexibility. For instance, to complete a box jump, you must stoop down and extend your quadriceps before launching yourself upward.
• Plyometrics strengthens the fibres in your muscles. Your muscles are put through a new kind of stress when you use explosive movements to work against resistance. As a result, muscle fibres undergo the hypertrophy process, which makes them stronger and larger.

3. Never neglect strength training

Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned runner, strength training should be a part of your training schedule. Before thinking about running, you must warm-up and do some stretches. Warming up prepares your body for jogging (ref. link). As your body temperature rises, your blood flow to your muscles is improved. For a suitable warm-up, perform rapid stretching activities like spot jogging, jumping jacks, side bends, as well as ankle, neck, arm, shoulder, and waist rotations.

Warming up will lower your chance of injury, make your muscles more flexible, and lessen their discomfort. As your running endurance improves, you’ll be able to run faster for longer while consuming less oxygen (ref. link).

Strength training (ref. link) can also help you build muscle and joint strength, making it simpler to contract key muscle groups. The more effectively muscles are used, the better one’s movement. Here are some exercises to include in your strength training:

• Overbent rows
• Squats
• Vertical press
• Deadlifts
• Lunges

4. Eliminate Stress

A critical component of stamina that is sometimes ignored is how you handle stress; physical or emotional. When you’re anxious, your body is already vulnerable. Your immune system deteriorates, hormone imbalances are brought on by elevated cortisol and adrenaline levels, and sleeping is difficult due to increased stress. Essentially, stress hinders the healing process (ref. link).

Yoga, mindfulness, and meditation are some of the finest practices for stress management (ref. link)—these techniques aid in reducing inflammation, calming the neurological system, and easing muscular tension.

5. Timely recovery

After your run, cool down your body to allow your blood pressure and heart rate to gradually return to normal. Cooling down is similar to warming up. It should consist of stretching exercises and slower, gentler motions for 3 to 10 minutes. This is especially important when you go on longer runs. There are various methods by which you can ensure good rest between sessions.

• Getting enough rest like a small nap can boost your running endurance. While light exercise can promote sleep, heavy training can have the opposite effect. On days you want to run a significant distance, increase your sleep duration by at least 30 minutes.
• After a run, be sure to hydrate well. In order to do that, you must drink 150% (ref. link) more fluids than you sweat out. When you ingest a high-salt beverage, like a sports drink, your body may retain fluids.
• Post workout massages are highly helpful for healing.

There are a number of factors that influence the development of your stamina and running endurance. Do your best to keep these factors in mind and you will slowly but surely see impressive results. This is not a process that can be completed overnight, but if you stay consistent you will start to see that distances that were once taxing are now light work. That’s the aim.

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