How To Increase Stamina

Tips on How to Increase Stamina

Some of the first lessons to be learned when beginning to exercise should be how to increase stamina and how to build up strength. However, many people are so determined and energized when making the decision to start working out that they consequently take on a bit more than they can handle too soon. This generally results in early defeat, and can lead to bodily injury.

Exercise is a vital activity for every living being. No matter what the physical limitations may be for an individual, there are ways to become stronger and healthier. For a large number of people, the decision to exercise is not one that has been well thought out; often, it is the next step after not being able to squeeze into a favorite outfit or a certain number pops up on the bathroom scale. Sometimes, the decision is made halfway up the long, stone stairway to a monument to be viewed while on vacation; the sharp pains in the your sides and the inability to catch your breath making you realize quite suddenly that you are, indeed, out of shape.

Although learning how to increase stamina is important for beginners, it is equally as important to regular exercisers. Often, people continue the same workout, day in and day out. Treadmill, rowing machine, free weights and aerobics are done for the same amount of time each day. Any exercise is obviously a great thing, performing the same actions day after day does not build stamina. To do this, one must reach outside of the comfort zone and provide challenges to the body.

Challenging your body to have a higher endurance level can be obtained by following a few key principles:

The first step is to narrow down the sport that you wish to develop stamina. For example, if you are a field sport player, running will be an important function of the game and should receive concentration for endurance building.
Pushing yourself until you feel pain is NOT a recommended or wise option. Rather, know your limits and then push yourself to go slightly beyond that. When one goal is reached, such as easily jogging 1 mile, begin to push slightly beyond by jogging for one ¼ mile. Maintain that pace until it, too, begins to feel easier and then set another goal.
For biking, boxing or other aerobic activity, rather than extend the time spent performing the activity, increase the intensity slightly and maintain it until it feels comfortable.
Adopt interval training techniques. Combine lifting free weights with an aerobic activity that lasts 3 to 5 minutes before returning to the weights. For walkers, spend 10 minutes walking at a brisk pace and then 3 to 5 minutes jogging; slow again to the brisk walk. Joggers can intersperse a faster run pace. These start and stop activities help the heart to adapt to unexpected situations; thereby building stamina.
Begin a Pilates routine. Many professional athletes, when asked how to increase stamina, will stress the importance of gaining control of muscle function through Pilates.
Allow your body time to recover between workouts. Continuously pushing your body to its limits and beyond will result in fatigue, which is counterproductive to building endurance. Take a break and allow the muscles some down time for the best results.

Building endurance will provide you with a stronger body, which in turn will enable you to lose weight more quickly and safely as well as give you the ability to climb those steep stairs, hike for distances and simply enjoy exercise more. Since a stronger body leads to a healthier body and lifestyle, increasing stamina will result in a feeling of overall wellbeing.