BUILD ENDURANCE

“Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory”  William Barclay

Endurance is the ability to continue doing something difficult, painful, or tiring for an extended period without giving up. It involves both physical stamina and mental toughness when facing challenging situations. There are two main types of endurance: physical and mental. Physical endurance is the ability to perform an activity for a long period of time, while mental endurance is the ability to remain focused, motivated, and resilient during challenging or lengthy tasks. A person’s endurance improves when they are able to handle more effort or activity than they could before. Endurance can be developed through consistent practice, proper nutrition, adequate rest, and gradually increasing the intensity or duration of activities. Having endurance positively impacts all areas of life, including:

  •  Keep the heart and lungs strong

  • Exercise or work for longer periods

  • Increase energy and reduce fatigue

  • Improve blood circulation and oxygen use

  • Maintain mental focus during long activities

  • Recover more effectively after physical activity

WHAT IS ENDURANCE

Take a pen and paper and write down your thoughts.

Start by listening to the audio session, then watch the short video(s).

The videos show how we can train both our mind and body to expand our capacity. Think of endurance like a rubber band: as you gradually stretch it, it becomes longer and adapts to that new length. In the same way, when we consistently push beyond our current limits, our capacity grows. If we were previously able to move only from Point A to Point B, with practice and persistence, we can eventually reach Point C—and continue going even further.

PREPARATION

GUIDED SESSION

Endurance

Use headphones for optimal sound

U.S. Air Force G-Force Training to Build Endurance

Freediving Endurance and Breath-Hold Training in a Deep Pool

The Effect of Endurance Training on Parameters of Aerobic Fitness. Andrew M. Jones, et al. Sports Med. V. 29, p 373–386. 2000.

Potential for strength and endurance training to amplify endurance performance. R. C. Hickson. Journal of Applied Physiology. V. 65 Issue 5.

Altitude and endurance training. Rusko, H., et al. Journal of Sports Sciences, 22(10), 928–945. 2004.

The definition of endurance. Storrs McCall, et al. Analysis, V. 69, Issue 2, April 2009, Pages 277–280.

Endurance Athletes Are More Resistant to Mental Fatigue Than Nonathletes. Sarvenaz Daneshgar-Pironneau et. al. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport. P. 780-791. Issue 4. 2025

Mental Fatigue Impairs Endurance Performance: A Physiological Explanation. Martin, K., Meeusen, et al. Sports Med. V. 48, P. 2041–2051. 2018.

PUBLISHED RESEARCH