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How to increase your running stamina

Whether you’re an elite marathon runner or starting week 3 of a 5K program, running further and faster are two common training goals for people of all fitness levels.

While there’s no hard and fast rule or “one best way” to boost running stamina, there are some general guidelines you can follow that will help you perform better while staying injury-free.

How to increase stamina

To increase your stamina, you need to have a working definition of what it is. The easiest way to understand stamina in relationship to running, according to Steve Stonehouse, NASM-CPT, USATF certified coach, director of education for STRIDE, is to think of it as your body’s ability to sustain effort for a long period of time.

In general

1. Start slow and tackle small steps

Even if you feel ready to bump up your distance or speed, it’s a smart idea to go slow and aim to make incremental gains in your training program. This is especially true if you’re new to a regular running schedule.

If you’ve been averaging 4-mile runs, don’t bump it up to 7 miles. To avoid injury and burnout, go up in small steps, such as increasing by 1 mile each week.

“Progress should be over many weeks, allowing time for recovery, but getting harder and harder,” Harrison explains.

2. Add strength training

If you’re not already doing resistance training workouts, then you need to add them to your running program.

Performing strength training exercises at least 2 to 3 days a week can help improve running economy, according to a review of literature from the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

3. Commit to training

You have to be consistent with your training to increase running stamina.

“Training needs to progress from less total training and less intense training to more total training volume and more intense sessions,” says Harrison.

If your running workouts don’t progress in volume or intensity over the course of months, there will be no progression.

4. Alter rest times and intervals

Other than simply increasing the number of miles you run each week, Stonehouse says he likes to limit recovery time between intervals, while also increasing the intensity of the running intervals. Both are great steps toward building stamina.

However, he does point out that the recovery period both during the workout and after is critical, especially when it comes to avoiding injuries.

5. Sprint interval training

Sprint interval training is a type of high-intensity training used in many sports like running to help boost stamina and speed.

In fact, a 2017 studyTrusted Source found that six sessions of sprint interval training improved the running performance, both endurance and anaerobic, in trained runners.

The intervals of work performed are at 100 percent of your effort, or all-out sprints. The rest periods are longer to help with recovery.

6. Train for your distance

The distance or time of the intervals will be relative to the race distance you’re training for, according to Stonehouse.

For example, if you’re training for a marathon, “speed work” may consist of mile repeats. But if the training is for a 1,600-meter or 1-mile race, the speed work may be repeats of 100 meter, 200 meter, or 400 meter distances.

7. Slowly increase weekly mileage

The overall goal for a beginner should be to slowly increase mileage while getting stronger with resistance training. Following a training plan can help beginners build stamina and endurance while reducing the risk of injury.

8. Increase running volume

Running 1,600 meters or 1 mile may not seem too difficult, but if you’re racing against the clock, every second counts. And when you consider that a mile or 1,600 meters is an aerobic event, Harrison says you have to be incredibly fit to run it faster.

The best way to get incredibly fit, he says, is to run lots of miles per week, and progressively increase them over time.

9. Stay hydrated

While hydration may not be a specific training strategy, it does affect your ability to increase stamina.

Since you lack the cooling effect of the air flowing by your body when you run on a treadmill, Harrison recommends using a fan or running in a facility with air conditioning.

“Running in 70-degree temps with no airflow on a treadmill is more like running in 85-degree temps outdoors,” he explains.

That’s why hydration before, during, and after your workouts is so important. For longer sessions, consider consuming carbs and electrolytes while exercising.

(03/23/2021) Views: 1,312 ⚡AMP
by HealthLine