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Stamina is essential for athletes as they can determine how far they push their bodies, especially for long-distance runners. While most people are under the impression that all it takes is to just run and not stop, building one’s stamina is a necessity that should not be ignored.
Below are some simple but often overlooked tips on how you can improve your stamina and endure on the road even longer.
Tips To Improve Stamina
Prepare by warming up
Some people tend to lace up their shoes and shoot off into a sprint, but completing a warm-up with a couple of stretching exercises can help by a long mile. Warm-ups typically prepare the body and help increase blood flow in your muscles. It also improves muscle elasticity and lowers the chances of muscles getting sore, reducing injury risks.
Quick exercises like hip rotations, ankle rotations, and jumping jacks should help get you ready for the long run.
Breathing exercises
While it may seem simple, breathing exercises are often quickly forgotten once the legs get moving. Some people have a tendency to hold their breath or forget to increase it once the running gets hard. The former can lead to fatigue, cutting the run or exercise shorter than planned, while breaths will have to increase once you pick up your pace.
It’s also a good tip to breathe in through your nose and exhale through your mouth to help regulate your oxygen.
Take things slow
Maintaining the same speed throughout the run is usually impossible unless you’re a professional. So always aim to go slow in your routine, whether at the beginning, the middle, or towards the end. Taking things slow is good as it helps avoid injuries or burnout.
Although it’s advisable to take things slow, never make an abrupt stop. Insert some walking instead, especially towards the end. Walking can help build strength and lung capacity while burning some extra calories.
Use the right gear
When running, make sure that you use the proper shoes. While training shoes share similar designs with running shoes, the soles are often flat and lack the cushion needed, which will make the run uncomfortable as you go along.
Incorporate training
Most athletes in other sports like basketball and soccer often hit the gym, improving their overall fitness. Even though you’ll mainly focus on running, it’s best to go into cross-training and pick up either swimming, outdoor biking, or elliptical training.
Cooldown
Like a warm-up, cooldowns should be done once you complete your run. It gives you time to recover a regular heart rate and blood pressure. The cooldown should have slower, gentle movements with stretching exercises.
