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By Lynn Difley
Endurance. What does it mean to you? Triathlons, ultra
marathons, madmen and demented women racing for miles across a scorching
desert and over mountain peaks with no respite? Or maybe the fabulous
feat of Cliff Young, who, at the age of 61 ran 535 miles in five
and a half days. Maniacs, maybe, but these extremes of endurance
are only an example of what the human body can do, given time, training,
and a certain amount of insanity.
For most of us, endurance has to do with being able
to perform our chosen daily round of fun and chores with energy
to spare. Something along the lines of a brisk walk in the park,
mowing the lawn without collapse, or playing a round of golf without
petering out. If you have noticed that grocery bags are getting
heavier, stairs getting steeper and walks getting more difficult,
take heart, endurance training is all you need. Endurance can be
built, or reestablished with a regular program
individualized to your special needs. Building endurance
is very satisfying. In this day of upheaval and uncertainty it is
pleasing to know that there is a tangible reward for effort expended.
Endurance is one case where hard work pays off and the reward for
consistency is measurable.
Whether you want to play a third set of tennis and
hold your own, or line dance all night, endurance is the secret
to long lasting physical capacity. With regular training, the blood
supply to the heart becomes greater, meaning the heart is able to
pump more blood faster. Heart rate is directly correlated to endurance
level. A gradual, well-planned program will result in better endurance
and lasting power. As we increase our time in any activity, the
body makes the necessary adjustments, allowing us to perform the
activity with less strain and effort.
You've experienced how this works. When you first
started a new exercise, it seemed difficult and exhausting. As you
continued to practice and increased the time involved, you noticed
it became easier, until you could go further for longer with less
strain. This is the endurance training principal. Let's break it
down to a walking program. Suppose you are currently walking on
a hit or miss basis, sometimes for 5 minutes, sometimes for 20,
walking the dog, or playing a round of golf. You want to be able
to walk for half an hour nonstop; both to lose weight and join friends
in their daily fitness walk. How do you go about this?
Start from where you are. If you are currently not
exercising at all, begin with a 10 or fifteen minute walk, and see
how you feel. If you are comfortable, but feel like you're working
this is where you should be. Continue for a week and let your body
adjust to this daily ration. Now increase, the rule of thumb is
10% per week. Make this gradual increase to the time, without changing
difficulty or pace. Slow and steady wins the endurance race. You
are conditioning your heart, muscles, and circulatory system to
perform at peak efficiency for longer and longer periods of time.
You can apply this same principle and practice to accomplish any
endurance goals you would like to set yourself, from joining a fund
raising walk to keeping up your garden.
Whatever you want to do, you can train your body to
accomplish, within reason, if you apply the principle of gradual,
consistent increase. Reach your endurance goals one step at a time.
We have a lifetime to improve our stamina and keep our endurance
level high enough to enjoy every moment of our busy active lives.
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