Health Benefits of Endurance Training

Varying your exercise schedule is highly important -  research has highlighted it is imperative to get in all four types of exercise into your training regime - endurance, strength, balance and flexibility. Each one has different benefits. 

In this guide we are going to cover all the benefits of endurance training. To begin, what is endurance training?

Also known as aerobic exercise, endurance exercise includes activities that increase your breathing rate - including; walking, jogging, swimming, biking and more. Endurance training helps to keep your heart, lungs and circulatory system healthy - this helps to improve your overall fitness. 

Endurance training is essentially any training regime that increases your body’s cardiovascular or muscular endurance. Endurance training helps to amplify the body’s respiratory capabilities and muscular strength - helping to sustain physical activity with lower injury risks for extended periods. 

The 5 types of endurance training are:

Distance training - distance training is one of the most common types of endurance training that athletes use to develop overall endurance. 

Tempo training: tempo training includes performing an activity at specific tempo for a certain distance. Treadmill training can be beneficial for long-distance runners to tempo train. 

Interval training: this is also known as high-intensity interval training (HIIT). This involves short periods of exercises followed by intervals of moderate-intensity activity or rest. This helps to improve a maximum oxygen intake and heart rate threshold. 

Circuit training - circuit training is known as a series of sequential exercises with no rest in between. This can be an alternation between cardio, resistance and strength. Circuit training is designed to supply you with a full-body workout routine in a short amount of time. 

Strength training - strength training involves lifting weights or performing bodyweight exercises - this helps to improve the performance of specific muscle groups. 

Endurance training has many benefits including those that are both mental and physical. Exercising regularly helps improve every aspect of your health, directly and indirectly. 

The benefits of endurance training include:

Helps to enhance cardiovascular health

Endurance sports help to create a stronger and healthier body - and who doesn’t want that. Your muscles, cardiovascular system, bones, joints, and lungs, all have to adapt to keeping a realistic pace. As your body adapts to your increased activity levels, your heart will become stronger and won’t need to work as hard to deliver blood around your body. This in time increases your cardiovascular health. 

Builds stronger bones:

Regular training and diet changes help to prevent a decrease in bone density. Consistent exercise helps to build strong bones and release a growth hormone into your bloodstream which helps to bolster your bone density even more. 

Improves mental health and sleep quality:

Exercise increases blood circulation to help deliver more oxygen and nutrition to your brain - aiding the enhancement of mental clarity. 

Exercise allows you to feel less stressed through the release of stress-relieving endorphins, reducing overall cortisol and adrenaline levels. 

Bolsters immune response

Endurance training helps to enhance your immune system by creating extra proteins that are necessary for the production of white blood cells and antibodies. 

Enhances metabolism

As we grow older, the rate at which we burn energy slows. Participating in endurance training allows your body to build more muscle mass, helping you to burn more calories and increase your metabolism. 

The benefits of muscular endurance

Muscle endurance is the ability of your muscles to work at a low intensity for extended periods of time. As you progress with endurance training, you develop greater muscular endurance and reap its benefits. 

To conclude, doing some form of endurance training a few times a week will help you reap many benefits including - Increased stamina for everyday activities, improved balance and coordination, muscle growth stimulation, consistent energy levels, improved bone density and strength, optimised immune system function, boosted metabolism, improved blood flow, improve mental health and sleep quality, and increased self-confidence to name just a few.