resistencia
nounCEFR B1
What does “resistencia” mean in English?
1.endurance / stamina
endurance / stamina (capacity to sustain prolonged physical effort) — resistencia cardiovascular, mejorar la resistencia
2.resistance
resistance (opposition to force: resistencia al cambio, resistencia de materiales, resistencia eléctrica)
Example sentences
El running es uno de los mejores ejercicios para mejorar la resistencia cardiovascular, pero hay que aumentar la distancia de forma progresiva para no lesionarse.
Running is one of the best exercises to improve cardiovascular endurance, but you need to increase the distance progressively so as not to get injured.
Cuando empecé a nadar me quedaba sin resistencia a los diez minutos; ahora, después de un año de práctica, puedo aguantar una hora sin descansar.
When I started swimming I ran out of stamina after ten minutes; now, after a year of practice, I can go for an hour without resting.
How to use it
La resistencia in a fitness context means 'endurance' or 'stamina'. The full compound form resistencia cardiovascular is standard in health articles. Common collocates: mejorar la resistencia, entrenamiento de resistencia (endurance training), prueba de resistencia (endurance test). Secondary sense: resistance (physics, materials) — context disambiguates.
Common mistake
La resistencia covers both 'endurance' (fitness) and 'resistance' (physics/materials). In a fitness context the endurance meaning is always intended. English 'stamina' is a close synonym — both translate as resistencia in sports discourse. Do not confuse with la aguante (tolerance) or la dureza (toughness), which are informal near-synonyms.