Routines for Increasing Running Endurance

Whether you want to run in marathons, or play sports such as soccer, basketball or football, you need to develop endurance to compete. People aren’t just born with the ability to run for extended periods, though. It’s all about training and preparation.

  1. Alternate Running and Walking

    • Running continuously when you have low endurance won’t get you very far. Alternating between running and walking on a regular workout makes your workouts longer and allows you to go farther. This builds leg muscles and improves your cardiovascular capacity, both of which are important when increasing your running endurance. Measure the distance you can run without stopping. Divide that distance into four equal segments. Stop running at the divided segments and instead walk for five or 10 minutes before you start running again. This will reduce the risk of injury while helping you to build endurance to run farther.

    Breathing

    • Erratic breathing while running cuts down on the oxidized blood in your body, which limits the distance you can run without stopping. Practice breathing smoothly with each running stride you take. Inhale during three strides starting with your left foot (so start when your left foot hits the pavement and continue until your left foot hits the pavement again). Exhale for two strides once your right foot hits the ground again. Continue this breathing pattern through your entire run to ensure you supply your body with proper oxygen.

    Personal Marathon

    • Your endurance will improve as you push yourself to new limits. Record your distance while you run. Next time you find yourself on the course, push yourself to beat the previous distance. Take plenty of breaks between each run, though, to let your legs heal. Lactic acid buildup after a long workout can damage your endurance instead of improving it.

    Sprinting

    • Pacing yourself is going to give you the best chance at building endurance. Once you find your most comfortable stride (the one you can run the longest with), you can tailor your endurance routines to it. Periodically increase the intensity of your stride. This may shorten the duration of your run, but the burst of speed helps build muscles and increases your endurance over time. Keep the bursts of speed short, with 60 seconds being your maximum sprint time.