XML/RSS Feed
10 Endurance Tips
- To build stamina, you can do specific exercises, like walking, jogging, snow shoeing, cross-country skiing, or any activity that raises your heart rate and breathing for an extended period of time.
- Do at least 30 minutes of endurance activities on most days.
- If you prefer, divide your 30 minutes into shorter sessions of no less than 10 minutes each. Dividing up your 30 minutes is a great way for someone to begin endurance training.
- The more vigorous the exercise, the greater the benefits; to a point.
- Warm up and cool down with a slower version of the activity to be performed.
- Activities shouldn't make you breathe so hard that you can't talk. They shouldn't cause dizziness or chest pain.
- When you are ready to progress, first increase the amount of time (duration), then the difficulty, of your activity.
- Always stretch AFTER endurance exercises when the muscles are warm.
- If you are training for a specific event (i.e. a marathon) do sport specific exercises. This means that if you are going to be running 26.2 miles then your training will be running. If you are going to be walking a marathon then you'd be walking as your mode of training.
- If you are just wanting to improve your endurance so you can keep up with your grandchildren then I would suggest cross training. You could do a circuit of cardiovascular "events". Example: 10 minutes on the bike, 10 minutes on the treadmill, 10 minutes on the rowing machine. That's a 30 minute workout and it prepares your muscles including heart and lungs for just about any activity.
For more information on endurance training, email me at bonnie@bfitandwell.com.
