ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Whether you’re training for a 5k or simply want to increase your everyday stamina, there are things you can start doing right now to push your physical or mental endurance.
If you’re looking to increase your physical stamina, the Department of Health and Human Services says you’ll need to do at least 150-minutes of cardio a week. But for Caitlin Carducci who’s training for a marathon, it isn’t just about focusing on the cardio.
“I run right now about five days a week, take one day off and do cross-training on the other day.” Carducci told Ivanhoe.
And that’s a key part of the endurance-building equation: weight lifting. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, the key is less weight with more repetition, and resting for less than 30-seconds between exercises.
“So you want to do something that’s going to keep your body moving so you don’t have a chance to get stiff.” Liz Yerly, owner of the Chicago Recovery Room explained.
Yerly says your body still needs some R-and-R after a hard workout, but that doesn’t mean sitting on the couch the next day.
“But I think the biggest thing is you want to use the muscles at a low-intensity level. So if you did a 12-mile run, the next day you’d maybe go for a brisk walk.” Yerly continued.
And routine is the enemy. Switching up your workout is essential to building endurance and stamina. The human body gets used to a workout after two weeks. So if you’re always running, start swimming instead. Or if you’re into cycling, change it up by running stairs.
Above all stay well hydrated to replace fluids lost through sweating, and eliminate junk food from your diet. Filling your body with empty calories decreases your energy and stamina.
Contributors to this news report include: Jessica Sanchez, Producer; Roque Correa, Editor; Gabriella Battistiol, News Assistant.
