Starting Stats: Endurance

What is Endurance?

​If dexterity is how well you can move, and strength is moving other stuff then endurance is your ability to just keep moving. The other stats play their part in Endurance; Strength allows you to move with power and Dexterity aids in graceful, pain free movement. But Endurance is what you get when you add cardiovascular conditioning and muscular stamina. It becomes your inner gas tank that represents both "energy" and "vitality" in fitness and in life. In short, your ability to endure more.
Perhaps the most famous example of endurance is the epic "first Marathon" when an ancient Greek courier named Pheidippedes ran 26 miles to tell of the Greek victory over the Persians at the battle of Marathon. Legend has it that the professional runner took the message from the battlefield all the way to his home town of Athens where, upon delivery of the victorious news, his heart burst and he died on the spot. Today, people do the same thing but instead of  cardiac failure, they get a t-shirt.

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Why should I train Endurance?

After all, that Greek guy DIED FROM JOGGING! Nobody ever looks like they're having fun doing it. Do I really need cardio?
In a word: yes. You do. Smart cardiovascular and endurance training can impact your lifelong health and longevity in powerful ways. Your heart and lungs are the batteries to your body so if they don't function optimally, nothing else will. Since these soft organs are only made stronger by stress then rest (AKA training. see the STR post for stress-response and GAS info), that means that regular bouts of cardio activity are vital to not only your performance and fitness goals, but also your mobility and independence when you hit 80! Extra stamina also means you get to enjoy doing fun things for longer periods of time. When you don't get tired, you can dance and hike, play outside with the dog or just get fun places quicker, all without having to stop for a breather.

"Nike!!" *dies*

"Nike!!" *receives sponsership*

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Cardio = Survival

Go on longer, even more hilarious bike rides!

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Living longer sounds like fun. So how do I train Endurance?

There many ways to improve your cardiovascular endurance and muscular stamina. Like strength training, there is a scale of intensity to be aware of when you're working on your stats. 
Whether you choose to go high, medium or low intensity in your workouts, consistency is what really matters. One workout a week (no matter how awesome) is NOT sufficient. Move more, get more!

"Why did the chicken cross the road?" "To improve her cardiovascular health!" LOL!

Low Intensity/ Steady State

On one of the spectrum is lower intensity with longer periods; this would be activities like walking, a hilarious bike ride or maybe even jogging or running depending on your conditioning. This type of exercise is called Steady State Cardio and is great for training your body to burn fat while increasing your endurance. I personally really like hiking; it feels like I get bonus points for working out while ​being outside!

High Intensity/ Sprint

On the other hand you have shorter work periods with much higher challenge ratings. Most competitive sports, martial arts and "functional" fitness require these intense bursts of activity known as sprints. Training sprints can lead to amazing improvements in weight loss, endurance and overall athleticism, the thing about sprinting is that it's hard.  HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is a popular method of training that really works. The Tabata format is a super quick workout that feels like you fit 90 minutes into 4 minutes!

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So there you have it

Endurance and stamina are a vital part of not only your adventuring skills, but also your quality of life and longevity. You don't have to train these skills every day, but a balanced and regular practice will add up quickly! Hike or sprint, HIIT or SSC, just get started on ​something and momentum will help you finish.