How to improve endurance while running

It seems that running is easy and no preparation is needed. But after 10 minutes, the strength ends, there is not enough breathing, it starts to hurt in the side. Let's figure out together how to increase endurance.

Check your health and find out your heart rate zones

Before you start exercising, it's best to get checked out by a sports doctor. He will tell you if you can practice and explain how to do it correctly. If the doctor has any doubts, he can write a referral to other specialists.

During the appointment, a sports doctor will conduct cardiorespiratory testing, which allows you to identify hidden problems with the heart and blood vessels and assess how ready the body is for physical exertion.

It is done like this. The patient, under the control of a doctor, is engaged on a treadmill or on an exercise bike, and special sensors monitor how the heart and respiratory system work at this time.

Also during the examination, the doctor will determine the maximum heart rate during intense exercise. Based on it, the values ​​​​of the pulse zones are then calculated. If it is not possible to get to the doctor, you can use to calculate the heart rate

special formula.

Heart rate zones are heart rate ranges. And this is the main parameter that you should pay attention to during endurance training. Each of them has its own physiological processes that affect different systems and organs. So, with a low pulse, the body recovers, the heart strengthens, and with average values, endurance develops.

Therefore, each exercise should be performed in its own zone. If you train without reference to these indicators, it will be difficult to achieve what you want.

There are five zones in total - in the table we will tell about each in more detail.

Monitor your heart rate and workout results

A sports watch will help you stay within your heart rate zones while exercising. You can purchase a model with a built-in optical sensor on your wrist or use two devices: a smart bracelet and a chest monitor. The latter syncs with watches and running apps. In addition, such a sensor is more accurate, but can interfere with running.

There are many sports watches on the market. Here is a list of the most popular:

1. Garmin. Up to two weeks without recharging. Thanks to the Training Status feature, you can track your progress and receive training recommendations. The watch will tell you when to relax, diversify your activities or push.

The simplest watch in the line is the light and thin model Forerunner 55. For those who prefer a sleek AMOLED display, the Venu 2 is the way to go. This watch additionally evaluates the amount of oxygen in the blood, determines the level of stress, monitors women's health.

2. Apple watch. More accurate, because in addition to the optical one, there is also an electric heart rate monitor. It measures the pulse every one, not five seconds. To do this, touch the Digital Crown on the case with your finger.

The Serie 3 model with an optical sensor will let you know if your heart rate is higher than normal. And the most advanced Serie 7 watch will additionally measure the level of oxygen in the blood. In addition, they are equipped with a more accurate electrical heart rate sensor.

3. Polar. Suitable for triathletes. You can change the sport during training: running, swimming, cycling. Additionally built-in compass and barometer.

The simplest and most inexpensive are Polar Unite. Vantage 2 is the flagship version of this model. It has a set of additional exercises, assesses recovery after training and the quality of sleep.

4. Coros. Show how much effort spent on running. Your own strength training program helps you build your workouts correctly.

For beginners, the PACE 2 model is suitable. The watch measures heart rate around the clock, counts steps, calories, and you can also download training plans from the manufacturer into them. The most advanced model, VERTIX 2, measures oxygen consumption and running power and tells you how long it takes to recover. Can work 140 hours without recharging and 240 hours in power saving mode.

5. Suunto. They know how to make a training plan, count the number of calories burned and evaluate the balance between classes and rest. Suunto 9 Peak - with 3D maps, help you get directions and show you the way in unfamiliar terrain, monitor stress levels, sleep quality and recovery. The 9 Baro measures running power, tells you how to run intervals, and saves a training log.

The parameters from these devices - distance, time, pace, heart rate - are duplicated in special applications. More often than not, watch users prefer branded programs, but there are other good options for runners:

• Adidas Runtastic: Google Play, App Store.
• Strava: Google Play.
• Leap running tracker: Google Play, App Store;
• sports tracker: Google Play, App Store;
• "Running for weight loss": Google Play, App Store:
• Pumatrack: Google Play, App Store.

If you want to not only train longer, but run a marathon, then it will come in handy diary. It can be paper or electronic. Write down a detailed history of training there: dates of classes, exercises, number of approaches, results of runs - so that you can refer to this information in the future.

In addition, thanks to such a diary, it will be easier for a coach or sports doctor to assess the situation if their help is needed.

Increase the load gradually and monitor your well-being

The rule applies to both individual classes and the training process as a whole. The slower the load increases, the safer it is for health. At first, you need to get used to running at the chosen pace and control the pulse so that it does not go beyond the required zone. And then increase the load.

If you suddenly increase the speed or distance, there is a risk of pulling muscles or causing leg cramps. Training to failure leads to overwork, exhaustion and discourages the desire to exercise. You need to finish the workout in a cheerful state, when you want to work a little more, but the plan has already been completed.

Breathe naturally

It is believed that while running, you need to inhale through your nose, and exhale through your mouth. This is not entirely true. Less oxygen enters through the nose, so this type of breathing is only suitable if you jog at a low pulse. If the speed increases, this becomes insufficient, and there is a desire to inhale through the mouth. And there is nothing wrong with that.

When running, you need to breathe in a way that is comfortable: with your nose with your mouth open or just your mouth. The main thing is that the body has enough oxygen.

There is no need to specifically select the rhythm and count the steps - the breath should adjust itself, as in ordinary life. Here is what Ekaterina Mulenko says about this: “During breathing, the abdominal muscles should work. The breath should be deep. So tissues and muscles receive more oxygen. To do this, make sure that during inhalation, the stomach inflates. If you put your hand on the navel, then with deep breathing it will rise.

Start your workout with a warm-up

In the first weeks of training, articular gymnastics is enough. First, perform exercises on the upper body, and then gradually move lower. The complex should include head tilts, arm swings, pelvic rotations, lunges, tilts.

When special running exercises are added, which will be discussed below, you need to warm up longer in order to warm up well before an intense load. So, after joint gymnastics, you can run for 15 minutes at a calm pace, and then repeat the gymnastics again.

Do specific running exercises

Such exercises will teach you how to put your feet correctly, keep your back, move your arms while running, not make unnecessary movements and save energy. In addition, they strengthen the muscles that are involved in the process. A set of special running exercises includes:

• jumps,
• running high hips
• running with shin whipping,
• running with straight legs
• jumping run.

Strengthen muscles not involved in running

To increase endurance, it is necessary to diversify your workouts with additional exercises for all muscle groups.

Functional training

Performed once a week. These can be exercises with your own weight or with weights: dumbbells, pancakes, barbell. Each movement should be repeated 10-20 times and gradually increase the number of approaches and the weight of the weights. Here are some exercises.

Lunges

The hardest part about lunges is keeping your balance. Therefore, in the first workouts, you can do the exercise with support. The back of a chair or a wall will do.

Frog

In the starting position, you need to put your feet slightly wider than your shoulders, and turn your feet to the sides for 14 and 22 hours.

plank

To make sure the plank is done correctly, you can first do the exercise in front of a mirror or record yourself on video, and then check.

Core exercises

Perform twice a week. These muscles fix the internal organs, keep the spine and hips in the correct position, provide full breathing. When the core is strong, the load is distributed evenly over the entire body, the knees and back are not overloaded. Perform 20-30 repetitions of the following exercises.

Lying buttocks lift

At the top of the "bridge" should be a straight line between the shoulders, back, hips and buttocks.

high chair

If it is difficult to bring the hips to a parallel with the floor, at first you can not do this. It is enough to leave an angle of 45 ° between the knees and hips.

Sparrow

Exercise develops jumping ability and strength. You can start with 2 sets of 8 reps for each leg.

Exercises for muscles and ligaments.

Do them once a week.

Half squat and half squat with jump

In the starting position, you need to stand up straight, put your feet shoulder-width apart, hands can be held behind your head or in front of you. Socks deploy to the sides at 15 and 21 hours. While inhaling, lower the buttocks until an angle of 110–120 ° is formed between the hips and knees.

Do not bring your hips to parallel with the floor. And do not linger in the lower position: you need to immediately rise or jump out and straighten your legs.

Skater

The exercise evenly engages and strengthens all muscles, pumps the buttocks, hips and abs well. During execution, the chin should be kept raised, looking forward so as not to strain the neck.

This is an incomplete list of workouts. You can add any other exercises that strengthen the muscles of the buttocks, hips, lower legs, back, develop a sense of balance. For example, push-ups, biceps and triceps exercises are also necessary for a runner to maintain the correct posture and position of the hands while running, and increase the endurance of the upper body.

Take a hitch

The hitch relaxes muscles, calms breathing, pulse and allows you to get out of bed the next day without pain.

After exercise, the muscles remain tense. And if you don't stretching, then over time they will lose elasticity and will be stiff even in a calm state. And because of this, it will be easy to pull or twist the leg. A hitch stretches the muscles and prevents tension from building up.

At first, articular gymnastics and stretching will be enough: training takes place at an easy pace.

But when the load increases, intervals and functional exercises are added, it is worth starting with 10-15 minutes of jogging in order to smoothly reduce the pulse and return to a calm state. After that, you can move on to stretching.

Train according to plan

The plan is based on goals and allows you to consistently move forward without chaotic jumps from one exercise to another. So you will have a better chance of achieving the desired result. And the plan also disciplines and helps psychologically get used to regular classes.

Below we give an option for those who have just started running. If you follow all the recommendations and do not skip workouts, then in a month you can safely run for an hour without pain in your side.

You need to train every other day. All this time, in addition to running training, you also need to perform exercises to strengthen the core and muscles that are involved in running.

Week 1

Duration of training: 45–50 min. First-second pulse zone. The pulse should not exceed 140 beats / min.

1.Joint warm-up - 3-5 minutes,

2. Alternate jogging and walking: 2 minutes jogging, 1 minute walking. Just 20-30 minutes.

3. Joint gymnastics — 5-8 minutes,

4. Hitch: stretching 10 minutes.

Week 2

Duration of training: 60 minutes. First-second pulse zone. The pulse should not exceed 140 beats / min.

1. Joint warm-up - 3 minutes,

2. Alternate jogging and walking: 4 minutes running, 2 minutes walking. Just 30-40 minutes

3. Hitch: joint gymnastics and stretching 15 minutes.

Week 3

Duration of training: 60 minutes. First-second pulse zone. The pulse should not exceed 140 beats / min.

1. Joint warm-up - 3 minutes,

2. Alternate jogging and walking: 5 minutes running, 1 minute walking. Just 30-40 minutes

3. Hitch: joint gymnastics and stretching 15 minutes.

Week 4

Duration: 60 minutes. Second or third pulse zone.

1. Joint warm-up - 3 minutes,

2. 15 minutes of easy running. First-second pulse zone, pulse up to 140 beats / min,

3. 15 minutes of special running exercises. Third pulse zone, pulse up to 155 beats / min,

4. Hitch. 10 minutes of jogging, the first-second pulse zone, the pulse is up to 140 bpm. Stretching - 8 minutes.

Month 2

Duration: 90 minutes. Second or third pulse zone.

1. Joint warm-up - 3 minutes,

2. Running warm-up - 10–15 minutes. First-second pulse zone, pulse up to 140 beats / min,

3. Special running exercises. Third pulse zone, pulse up to 155 beats / min,

4. Intervals - start with 4 times. Gradually increase the length
segments:

• 1 minute running at a fast pace. Third pulse zone, pulse up to 155 beats / min,
• 1 minute jogging. First-second pulse zone, pulse up to 140 beats / min,

5. Hitch. 5-10 minutes of jogging. The first-second pulse zone, the pulse is up to 140 beats / min. Stretching - 8 minutes.

You can add circuit training to the plan. Alternate instead of intervals functional exercises and running at an easy pace: The second or third pulse zone, the pulse is up to 140 beats / min.

The scheme is this:

• Functional exercises 3 minutes.
• Running uphill or on the plain for about 200 meters.
• Rest 2-3 minutes.

Do 2-3 of these approaches.

Once a week, include a continuous cross for 40-50 minutes in the second pulse zone.

Month 3

Duration of training: 90 minutes. Second, third, fourth pulse zones.

1. Joint warm-up - 3 minutes,

2. Running warm-up - 10-15 minutes. First-second pulse zone, pulse up to 140 beats / min,

3. Special running exercises - 15 minutes. Third pulse zone, pulse up to 155 beats / min,

4. Intervals - start with 4 times. Gradually increase the length
segments:

• 2 minutes - running at a fast pace. The third pulse zone, pulse up to 155 beats / min.
• 1 minute jogging. The first-second pulse zone, the pulse is up to 140 beats / min.

The length of the segments can be changed. For example, like this:

1 minute brisk run → 1 minute jog → 2 minutes brisk run → 1 minute jog → 3 minutes brisk run tempo → 2 minutes jogging → 2 minutes brisk running → 1 minute jogging → 1 minute brisk running → 1 minute running jogging.

5. Hitch. 10 minutes of jogging. The first-second pulse zone, the pulse is up to 140 beats / min. Stretching - 10 minutes. Continuous running in the second pulse zone for 60 minutes include once a week.

Additionally or instead of intervals, you can add:

1. Tempo sections - running at a uniform high pace in the third pulse zone. 3-4 km keep the same pace. Or start slower and then gradually build up speed. The pace should be comfortable. One approach per workout is enough.

2. interval segments.

Perform on another day:

• Fartleks - alternating fast and slow running. You can do this: run a cross for 60 minutes and switch to a slow run of 100 meters along the way, then switch back to cross. You can slow down every 300-500 meters. The distance can be any. Third pulse zone.
• Ladders: Alternate 1-2 kilometers of running at a high pace with 600-800 meters of jogging. Third-fourth pulse zone. During a fast run, the pulse should be no higher than 160 beats / min, while jogging - up to 140 beats / min.

When the first goal is achieved, it's time to make a plan for the next stage. Someone wants to run faster or longer, and someone decides to train for a half marathon. In the new training program, it will no longer be necessary to alternate running with walkingsince the adaptation is over. Instead, it is worth increasing the number of repetitions, as well as the duration and complexity of the exercises.