How to Increase Stamina?

Lack of stamina or low stamina is the number one reason behind low work efficiency and low physical and mental performance. It is the low energy level for which many people succumb to fatigue and become lethargic. Though, different individuals have different levels of stamina, it is always possible to raise your stamina and endurance level. A high level of stamina is especially important for those involved in sport activities like running or playing basketball. Even people doing workouts require higher stamina and exercise endurance.

Increasing Your Endurance

General Fitness
First make sure that you are getting 8 to 9 hours of sleep daily, along with following a healthy and balanced diet. However, do not sleep excessively, which is not at all good for your health. Start your day with a healthy breakfast and take enough fluid or water throughout the day. If your diet is not providing all the essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals, then consider taking supplements after discussing with your physician.

Next to diet and sleep, consider a training program to increase your stamina. Walking, especially brisk walking, running, cycling, as well as swimming are some of the best exercises for increasing stamina. Walking, running and jogging can increase the efficiency of your heart and lungs and strengthen the leg muscles. Swimming on the other hand, can tone up the muscles of the entire body. However, be sure to set a realistic goal before starting the training program. Start slowly and then gradually increase the duration and intensity of the exercises.

Consider weight training to tone up and strengthen your muscles. Even trekking and yoga can improve stamina to a great extent. To increase exercise endurance, try to add few minutes to the amount of time you exercised the previous day. At the same time, try to increase your speed and go harder than before. Perform the exercises that increase heart rate. In this regard, cardiovascular exercises are excellent. It is always better to combine various exercises and training programs, in order to increase endurance. Never forget to stretch your muscles before and after a workout session.

For Running
Running is one of the few activities that demands an extremely high level of stamina. Begin with a healthy diet and do not forget to sleep properly. Then set a realistic target on the basis of your body's capabilities. Do not start running miles all of a sudden. Rather go slowly, and try to walk longer distances gradually. Before running, warm up and stretch your muscles. Run slowly for a few minutes, then try to jump rope or doing something like jumping jacks. This will help to warm up your muscles and prepare them for the actual act. Try interval training, i.e. try to change your speed while running. Start running at a fast pace and then slow down the speed to run briskly for a few minutes, before increasing the speed again.

Such interval training gives time for recovery without dropping down the heart rate significantly. Another factor that can play an important role in increasing stamina is proper breathing. While running, try to breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. This is an ideal breathing pattern while running. Also try to relax your body while running. If your muscles are tight, they are going to tire quickly. So, relax your body and also your mind for running long distances. Runners should also consider weight training to build stamina. Weight training can help to tone up the muscles, and also make them stronger to increase their endurance.

For Basketball
Another sport that demands significant amount of stamina and energy is basketball. Basketball players can benefit immensely from weight training and cross training. Weight exercises like, crunches, push ups, pulls ups and squats are the ideal muscle endurance workout. Leg curls and leg presses are too excellent for basketball players. Cross training combines the exercises that work on different muscles, which is another way to enhance the level of performance. Include low impact cardiovascular exercises to boost your heart health and lung capacity.

Try to increase your aerobic capacity with the help of aerobic exercises like jogging, cycling and training on an elliptical machine. Basketball players can also consider doing sprint training to increase anaerobic capacity. They can run a series of sprints, separated by rest periods to increase lung capacity and build leg stamina. Plyometric exercises or training can also benefit the basketball players. Examples include box jumps, jumping jacks, jumping ropes and leaping lunges. Suicides are another option, which are very intense runs, but quite beneficial for building stamina and muscle agility.

To achieve success in this endeavor, do not forget to include lot of healthy foods in your diet. Otherwise, you would not get the required level of energy to go for the various stamina building exercises and training programs. Along with eating healthy foods, get enough sleep and drink and plenty of water to stay healthy and enhance your stamina.