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Muscular endurance mainly refers to how long your muscles can sustain any particular exercise.
It can also be described as the ability of muscles to exert force repetitively and continuously over a period of time. While proper strength allows you to perform exercises, muscular endurance allows you to continue doing that exercise for a while.
For example, you can’t spend a day cycling with your loved ones if you don’t have good endurance. You’ll soon get tired and stop. Hence, endurance plays a major role in almost every activity you do, from gardening and carrying groceries to every athletic activity, including running or exercising.
Benefits of improving muscular endurance
Good muscle endurance prevents the risk of multiple health problems and offers many benefits, including:
- Improving the cardio capacity of muscles.
- Enhancing athletic performance in every type of sports.
- Increasing the ability to carry out everyday tasks, such as climbing stairs, lifting heavy bags, etc..
- Improving posture and helping maintain stability for long durations.
Exercises to improve muscular endurance
To improve your endurance, you first need to increase the total time your muscles are contracting during workouts. That involves increasing the number of repetitions you perform. Just like you train yourself to improve your strength; you can improve your muscle endurance too.
Here are some of the best exercises to build your muscle endurance:
#1 Plank
How to do a plank?
- Kneel down on both your arms and legs.
- Place your forearms down on a flat surface.
- Step back your legs to form a straight line from your head to your heel. Make sure you keep your spine straight.
- Engage your core to support your lower back. Lift your chest away from your elbows, keeping your spine neutral.
- Hold the position as long as you can, at least 30 seconds.
- Lower your body down and relax to complete one rep.
#2 Walking lunges
How to do walking lunges?
- Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Take a large step forward with your right leg.
- Lower your body down such that your back knee touches the ground or at least comes close to touching the surface.
- Push yourself down through your right foot, and stand back in the starting position.
- Repeat the same with your left leg.
- Complete two to four sets of 20 lunges (ten on each leg).
#3 Squats
How to do squats?
- Start by standing straight with your feet slightly apart from the shoulder width.
- Your toes should be pointed straight forward.
- Slowly bend your legs, and sit back so that your hips reach the height of your knees.
- Make sure your thighs are close to parallel with the ground, and your knees are tracking over your toes.
- On your way up, push yourself by squeezing your glutes and engaging your core.
- Perform at least three sets of 20 to 25 reps.
#4 Pushups
How to do pushups?
- Take a plank position with your hands a bit wider than shoulder-width.
- Raise your body with the help of your toes and hands.
- Keep your back straight, and do not let your buttocks sag.
- Lower yourself to the ground by bending your elbows at about a 45-degree angle.
- Push down on your palms, and raise your body back to the starting position.
- Perform three to four sets of ten reps.
#5 Crunches
How to do crunches?
- Lay on your back on a flat surface, with your feet flat on the floor and your legs bent.
- Place both your hands behind your head to support and balance your neck and your elbows out on your sides.
- Curl your torso upward, and engage your abs.
- Lift your upper back and your shoulders off the floor.
- Make sure to keep just a small space between your chest and chin.
- Lower your body down in a controlled manner to maximise the use of your muscles.
- Perform at least five sets of 20 reps.
#6 Bicycle Sit-ups
How to do a bicycle sit-up?
- Lay down on a flat surface on your back.
- Lift both your knees towards your chest.
- Tuck your chin in, lift your shoulders, and place both your hands behind your head.
- Start pedalling by bending one leg and straightening the other.
- When your knee is directly over your hip at a 90-degree angle, stop pedalling.
- Bring your opposite elbow to the bent knee.
- Perform at least 15 reps.
#7 Pike Crunch
How to do a pike crunch?
- Lie down on your back on a flat surface.
- Your legs should be outstretched and your arms above your head.
- Lift your legs and torso off the ground to form a pike position.
- Place your legs straight up in the air, and try to reach your arms towards your feet.
- Lower your torso and legs back to the ground.
- Perform 10 to 15 reps for three to four sets.
Summary
The exercises discussed above will help improve your muscular endurance so you may perform tasks efficiently. Always remember that muscle endurance is a very important part of your general health, and it also helps reduce the risk of injuries and chronic conditions, such as heart disease.
