How long should I run to increase my cardiovascular endurance?

How much you run will depend on your fitness level. If you're new to exercise, strive for 15-20 minutes three days per week, eventually working up to 30 minutes three days per week. If you are moderately fit, you can run for 20-60 minutes per day, 5-7 days per week to increase cardiovascular endurance. If you're an advanced runner, you can run for longer distances and times or multiple times per day. However, it is important to monitor how you feel. If you are experiencing signs of overtraining, it is best to reduce your activity levels or take a complete break from exercise. Your body does need rest to recover from excessive stress being placed on the body from exercise. If cardiovascular exercise is performed at high intensities and proper rest is not integrated, then your body does not have the time to recover which can lead to prolonged fatigue and reduced performance. Eventually this situation can lead to burnout and often times injuries as well.

Certainly your current level of fitness will determine your time and intensity starting point. Absolutely consult with your fitness professional to determine the point you’re at and then you can build on that. It could be your starting as a beginner with 15 - 20 minutes of cardio and even that 15 -20 minutes would be in an interval of possibly 3 1 minute intervals of actual "jogging or running"? Where ever you are currently building in time and intensity will increase endurance. Also I think it's important to see your recovery as a very integral part of increasing endurance! As well as a proper warm-up and stretch protocol. Can preparation and recovery be stressed enough?? I don't think so..

That being said, also try variation in your routine? Time and intensity (heart rate) would still apply to your fitness level, but I might be on a treadmill on Monday (where the machine really helps the pace and variables), and then go to the trail outdoors on Wednesday (where I'll encounter a variation in incline and tirane using muscles at different intensities, but also build that mental drive a little more as the treadmill isn't moving under your feet.)

I've found great improvements in my endurance when running with others as well. I suggest in the beginning, using your fitness professional as they can observe form, and all the aspects that apply to your program. But running with others helps push and maybe pull you through barriers. If you’re maintaining your proper variables outline by your fitness professional these barriers are in my experience, mostly mental.

I also find that music is a great way to increase my endurance!:) For me positive music with certain tempos really does greatly affect my mental and physical endurance, speed, motivation and level of enjoyment! Check out any group ex class to see how music is utilized every day in gyms everywhere. I try to build playlists for the workout I want that day and the time/tempo of that workout.

Be systematic, safe, record your workouts and increases, celebrate your accomplishments, and enjoy!

The distance an individual runs is not the determining factor for increasing cardiovascular endurance. Recently I've revised my cardiovascular program by performing high intensity, low intensity interval training. I perform 5 sets of a one minute exertion period and a one minute recovery period. Mostly any type of cardio equipment can be used for this style of training. The exertion period is performed at an high intensity or high resistance level while the recovery period is performed at a low intensity or low resistance level. This style of cardio will:

• Build both strength and capacity in your heart and lungs
• Dramatically increase your energy levels
• Burn fat like never before
• Develop a powerful and disease-resistant immune system
• Avoid heart attacks and cardiovascular disease

It depends on how long you need endurance for. The length of running time and/or distance would differ depending on what your training goal is. In most cases, for increasing cardiovascular endurance for the average person, a cardio program, which varies distance, time, type of cardio and heart rate level, will yield the best results. If running is your preferred choice of cardio you could try the obvious (increasing the amount of time or distance you run), or you could run on different surfaces (cement, grass, track, sand, mountain trail, etc.) to increase your overall endurance. Interval training may also be a great option. Use specific timed intervals to run at different speeds or have a fitness professional develop a progressively periodized heart rate training program for you.