Endurance exercise is an activity that increases your heart rate and breath for an extended period. To endure is to remain persistent and overcome challenges. It means moving forward when things are hard. Endurance exercise requires the same level of focus and dedication. This form of training is beneficial to your health.

To benefit from endurance exercise, you must know what it is and what effects it has. You must know how to integrate it into your training regimen. You must also be sure that you understand the importance of rest and how it affects your results. Applying this information will help you increase your base fitness level.

Read on to learn more about endurance exercise and how it can complement your training at Gloveworx.

Aerobic and Anaerobic Energy Systems

Your body is fueled by different energy systems that make your body move. For our purposes, we’ll keep things very basic. There are two general types of energy systems in our bodies: aerobic and anaerobic.

Anaerobic Exercises

Anaerobic exercises are high-intensity workouts. During this type of activity the demand for oxygen exceeds the available supply. Simply put, anaerobic exercises consist of high performance for short bursts of time. Exercises like sprinting and heavy weight lifting are anaerobic.

Aerobic Exercises

Endurance exercise uses the aerobic energy system. During aerobic exercise, our oxygen consumption balances with our oxygen production. The lower oxygen consumption doesn’t mean the exercise will be easy. Running a marathon is an aerobic exercise, but it’s still 26.2 miles.

It’s All Relative

It’s important to keep in mind that people are at different levels. People have different aerobic and anaerobic thresholds. High-intensity and steady-state will have different meanings for everyone. Five minutes of cycling may tip a newcomer into an anaerobic state. On the other hand, it may be a nice warm up for a seasoned cyclist. As your body changes so will your metabolic rate. This will also change your reaction to physical activity.

The Benefits of Endurance Exercise

Aerobic exercises offer plenty of benefits. Some of these benefits come in the form of preventative medicine. Others benefit your training goals. Here are a few reasons why you should add endurance training to your program:

Fight Against Heart Disease

Endurance exercise causes a significant reduction in blood pressure and risk for heart disease. According to the American Heart Association, heart disease can include:

• hypertension;
• stenosis;
• arrhythmias;
• heart attacks;
• strokes;
• aneurysms;
• congestive heart failure.

In addition to meeting your goals, you can take pride in the work you’re doing to prevent serious health issues.

Improve Mental Clarity

When faced with long days at work and the endless duties of home life, it’s normal to feel sluggish and unfocused. Aerobic exercises increase cognitive function. This special study was conducted on the elderly. The results show that aerobic exercise can offset the effects of aging. With aerobic exercise, you can get the focus you need to tackle your training and Become Unstoppable.

Build Your Oxygen Base

Oxygen is what fuels our muscles during physical activity. As intensity increases, so does our need for oxygen. Endurance exercises can help increase your oxygen capacity. This makes your body more efficient during exercise. As your body becomes more efficient, you can add to your routine. In time, your performance will improve. As such, adding endurance exercise to your program can help you build a foundation for the rest of your training.

Types of Endurance Exercise

Endurance exercise can be almost any form of steady physical activity. Essentially, it gets your blood flowing and increases your heart rate for a sustained period of time. Examples of endurance exercises include:

• Walking
• Running or jogging at a steady pace
• Dancing
• Cycling at a steady pace
• Various sports
• Bodyweight exercises such as squats, push-ups, sit-ups, lunges, etc.
• Jump Rope/ Skipping
• Swimming

Some of these exercises could also be classified as anaerobic. Sprinting, either in cycling or running, would be anaerobic. Try to find a challenging pace that you can maintain for at least ten minutes to start. You should be breathing heavily and sweating, but able to speak. Remember, intensity is relative to your fitness level. As you get stronger, your pace and stamina will progress.

HIIT Exercises

High-Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT, combines intense anaerobic bursts with periods of rest. Sometimes the rest periods include light aerobic exercises. High-intensity exercise has a proven effect on skeletal muscle function. This leads to an improved metabolism, strength, and level of endurance.

HIIT sessions combine the benefits of anaerobic and endurance training. Combining the two can optimize your results. The Gloveworx Signature Session uses HIIT methods to make contenders sweat! Ways to add HIIT to your training session include:

• Alternate running or cycling at a steady pace with short burst sprints.
• Adding resistance training (free weights, barbells, etc.) to your cardio session.
• Circuit training with a mix of boxing and body weight exercises.

Remember, the better your oxygen uptake from endurance training, the better your HIIT workouts will be.

Why Rest is so Important

No matter what your preferred method of training is, rest days are a part of the program. Your Gloveworx coach can recommend how much rest is needed for your program. A lack of proper rest can result in injury, muscle-loss, and illness. When you exercise, you put your muscles through stress. Rest days allow your muscles to recover, so you can give it your all during your next training session.

Rest is essential with endurance exercise. Without proper nutrition, rest, and balance, endurance training can counteract muscle gain. In extreme cases, it can even cause muscle loss. This fact can deter athletes from adding endurance training to their program. Scheduling enough rest time in your plan will help you avoid these effects. Over-training is harmful, while balance is key.

Integrate Endurance Training with Gloveworx

Gloveworx coaches work with their contenders to help them achieve their goals. Your coach can add endurance training to your program for better health, focus, and results. With dedication, endurance training can create a solid fitness foundation. With time, you can build on this foundation to reach your goals.

As Gloveworx owner Leyon Azubuike said, “The sky is the limit and then some! And we’re just getting started.” It’s time to find out how much you can endure!

Click here to schedule your next Gloveworx training session.