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You will believe in your running stamina once you complete a distance you once found challenging. It does not mean you can begin participating in marathons, but you will look back and see the difference. Increasing running stamina comes from consistency, meaning running multiple times a week for multiple weeks. It generally takes up to 10 days to 4 weeks to increase your running stamina.
Before you begin to practice exercises meant for increasing running stamina, it is important to do a self-assessment of where you stand today and what is your goal in the near future. Aiming for something impossible can lead to injuries and demotivation, so challenge yourself with a realistic goal.
How to Increase Running Stamina?
Here are several ways to help you improve your stamina for running.
Buy the Right Equipment
Dressing yourself up before going out for a run is not something that would help you improve your stamina. Rather, investing in getting the right shoes and clothing that keeps you comfortable while running is critical and essential.
With hundreds of brands and types to choose within, you can ask for recommendation from a shoe sales professional or a running store, who will suggest you the right gear for any natural defects in your foot alignment and the most suitable one’s for you,
Focus on Carbs
As a runner, one should focus on consuming up to almost 55 to 65% of carbs in their meals. Consuming a carb-based meal ensures you have enough energy to cover up more distance. If you do not eat enough nutrients, you will quickly fuel out your energy leading to poor workouts.
It is essential that you eat at least 2 hours before you go for a run as eating and running immediately after that can cause gastrointestinal distress. So, do not consume more than 500 calories before you plan a run.
Include Cross-Training
It is a proven fact that working on your endurance, by including cross training can help improve your stamina. It includes swimming, cycling or getting on a stepper, all the activities out of your comfort zone which will focus on your endurance, and give your joints and muscles a break from running.
Including cross-training in your workout can help enhance your cardio-respiratory capacity, which prevents overuse injuries.
Cover More Distance Every Day
If you wish to improve your stamina day by day, you should focus on increasing the distance you cover gradually and slowly over time. It is important that you do not over do it. You will not be able to run for 7 miles straight if you are only equipped to run for 2 miles a day, so work on it slowly.
Increasing 10 percent mileage each week is the perfect way to prevent injury and building long-term endurance.
Work on Core & Legs
Running is similar to other exercises such as single leg jumps. It focuses on increasing the muscle in your legs and glutes, which is a key factor in boosting a person’s running endurance. More the muscles, more efficient is the energy production of the body.
You must start including bodyweight exercises such as lunges, step-ups and single leg squats and core building exercises such as planks and side planks in order to improve stabilization and stamina.
Stay Hydrated
People assume drinking too much water can bloat them, but in reality, having loads of water before going for a run is the best way to keep your body energized and hydrated throughout the run. Poor hydration results in comprising numerous systems in the body and slows down the running speed forcing you to stop prematurely.
Ensure drinking throughout the day prior to exercising, and if the run is for more than 30 minutes, take a break in between and rehydrate yourself.
Run with Friends
According to several researches, performing an activity in the presence of your loved ones enables you to tolerate higher levels of discomfort while motivating you to try harder and for longer. So, it is suggested to perform a difficult workout around people you know.
The best way to do this is to invite your one or two friends to the track and challenge them for a long run.
Practice Performance Breathing
Having control over your breathing is not just meant for yoga, but it immensely helps with running as well. Controlling, focusing and changing the way you breathe while running can impact your stress level and boost your energy and endurance.
When people run faster, they tend to forget adjusting their breathing speed and continue to breathe slow. Holding onto your breath will force the energy in your cells and makes you feel fatigued during the run, sooner than you should.
Mixing Modalities
Just like on a treadmill, you should change your distances and paces continually. Running at the same pace consistently will stress the energy systems more. Therefore, involving a mix of distances and paces in the run is the best way to improve stamina.
This involves different workouts in a weekly routine including sprints, short-distance pace runs, easy runs, jogging, distance runs, etc. All these will help in making your body more energy efficient and help you sustain longer while running.
Take Intervals
Including intervals in your running routine is very important as it helps in burning fat, increasing the aerobic capacity, improving running form and in strengthening your body muscles. Take a break for 10 to 30 seconds in duration after completing a target of running miles improves stamina in the longer run.
Begin with adding short bursts of speed followed by a longer recovery period where you either slowly jog or walk.
Conclusion
Being consistent, focusing on your goals and following the above-mentioned tips are the best ways to improve your running stamina and endurance. You will soon begin to realize how these simple exercises have impacted your running capacity without making you feel stressed.
Try it yourself, cheers!
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