The Best Sports To Help Runners With Endurance

There are  huge benefits to cross training for runners – which is where other sports come in. Mixing up your running with other training, whether it’s another solo sport like cycling or a team sport like soccer, can have huge benefits. Let’s take a look at the key benefits, as well as some great options for sports to support your running goals.

Stamina vs Endurance: What’s the Difference?

The terms ‘stamina’ and ‘endurance’ are often used interchangeably, but while the two are related, they’re actually slightly different concepts.

Stamina is about how long you can go at a consistent pace without getting tired. When you first start running, you might struggle to run for 10 minutes without stopping as you haven’t built up great stamina yet. But as you train more, your stamina increases, meaning you can run at a faster pace for longer without having to stop or slow down.

Endurance simply refers to how long you can run for – but not necessarily at top speed. It’s less about intensity and more about duration.

Both qualities are important for runners – especially those training for long-distance events. Endurance helps you to complete longer distances, while stamina allows you to maintain your target pace without getting slower in the latter stages of your race. 

The Importance of Varying Your Training

Cross training (doing sports other than running) can help to improve your overall fitness and athletic endurance. That’s because doing other sports can help to improve your stamina, build your base fitness level, and improve your cardiovascular and muscular strength – all of which can translate into big gains in your running.

As well as improving endurance running, cross training with other sports has some additional benefits, including: 

• Preventing injuries

One of the major benefits of cross training is injury prevention. Running can take its toll on the body, creating stress on your joints and muscles. So if you’ve suffered from previous injuries, cross training can be a great option. It’ll reduce repetitive strain (helping to avoid overuse injuries like runner’s knee and shin splints) while still building fitness.

• Building different muscle groups

You might think that you only need strong legs to run well. However, running is a full body activity – so if you spend more time purposefully focusing on your core and upper body, you might be surprised by the benefits you’ll see in your running.

• Preventing burnout or boredom

Training for a running endurance event involves a lot of miles – and no matter how much you love running, it can become a little monotonous sometimes. Taking part in other sports introduces some variety into your routine, creating fresh mental challenges, allowing you to enjoy other settings away from your usual running routes, and socialize with non-running friends. All of this can be rejuvenating, helping to ensure running is enjoyable rather than becoming a chore.

• Enjoyment

One of the most overlooked aspects of cross training is simply the pleasure of experiencing different sports. If you’re a keen basketball player or love to dance, it would be a shame to miss out just because you’re training for an endurance running event. Incorporating other sports into your training just for fun can offer a big mental boost, as well as the physical benefits.

Football

If you’re a soccer fan, why not get involved in playing the beautiful game? Soccer is a great option for runners looking to build their endurance, thanks to a combination of sustained aerobic activity and intermittent high-intensity sprints. 

It’s been found that professional footballers can run up to 10km in a 90-minute match – and while you might not run quite that much in a local five-a-side game, you’ll still be training your body with a mixture of jogging, sprinting and quick directional changes. All of that will help to develop both your stamina and your endurance, which will translate directly into running long-distance events.

And if you do a lot of your long runs solo, there’s the added bonus of soccer being super sociable. The team aspect can make it feel much less like training than running does, allowing runners to improve their endurance without the pressure.

Cycling

Cycling is perhaps the classic cross training activity for runners. It helps to build endurance through a low impact workout that doesn’t cause the same stress on your joints that running can do. One study in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that high intensity cycling can enable runners to increase their training volume without the accompanying risk of injury.

Cycling uses many of the same muscle groups as running – but without the repetitive pavement pounding that comes with running. That means it’s especially useful as an endurance builder for runners that are prone to injury – replacing one run a week, for example, with a cycle can be a brilliant way of improving endurance while avoiding overuse injuries. Cycling the day after a long run can also be a great way to flush out the legs and reduce soreness while still building your aerobic base.

Swimming

Swimming is particularly useful for injury-prone runners, as it offers a full body workout with zero impact on tired joints and bones. That means you can still build endurance, with less risk of injury.

Laps of the pool can help to build the muscle groups that get neglected during running, such as your upper body and core. It’s also great for your cardiovascular system, as swimming under water requires you to hold your breath. According to the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine in Science, subjects showed a 6% increase in running economy after just 12 swimming sessions with controlled breathing.

Dancing

Dancing might not be the first sport that comes to mind when you think of cross training – but it can be surprisingly good for runners, especially if you enjoy it. Fast-paced styles of dance like Zumba, hip hop and contemporary dance can provide a great cardiovascular workout that improves your aerobic capacity, while putting your balance and coordination through its paces.

This type of dancing typically requires you to work hard for a few minutes, getting your heart rate up – which can translate well during a long run when you need to pick up the pace. Dancing also works different movement patterns (lateral and rotational) compared to running, which only uses a forward motion. These multi-directional movements help to develop the muscles around your hips, knees and ankles – which means you’ll be better able to hold proper running form when fatigue kicks in during longer runs or races.

Basketball

Basketball is another sport that might not be the most obvious choice for cross training, but it’s another good choice for runners looking to develop their endurance. Basketball delivers high-intensity interval training naturally through its structure, alternating between sprinting, jogging and short periods of recovery. This forces you to recover quickly between intense efforts – something which can directly translate into your running endurance.

What’s more, as a team sport, basketball provides the social motivation that solo running sometimes lacks, helping runners maintain consistent training through the enjoyment of competition.

Rowing

Rowing delivers a great workout that engages most of your muscles while building both cardiovascular and muscular endurance. It’s a low-impact form of exercise that uses most of your major muscle groups, including your legs, glutes, core, back and arms – meaning you’ll be building a stronger engine without running the risk of injury. 

Not everyone has access to rowing out on a river, but the indoor rowing machine is a great alternative. If you’re new to rowing, start with a steady session and then you can build in interval sessions or speed work to further build your aerobic capacity and improve your endurance – in both running and rowing.

Choosing the Right Endurance Running Gear

Whatever sport you choose to help with your endurance, you’ll need the right gear to ensure you’re comfortable and can perform at the highest level, from Zumba and rowing to long-distance running. Our marathon training collection has everything you need for long-distance running, including lightweight shorts for freedom of movement, sweat-wicking tops for comfort on the run, and running jackets to protect you from the elements, whatever the weather.