Stamina reflects the ability to withstand pain and stress in order to keep going despite exhaustion. Without stamina, you would run out of energy too fast and not finish most tasks. In contrast, with enough stamina, you could train for prolonged periods of time without quitting. To improve your stamina, practice and rehearse exercises at your breaking point. The longer you can go without stopping, either physically or mentally, the more your stamina will increase.
Interval Training
Interval training involves rotating between high-intense and low-intense activity. Research reported by the Mayo Clinic suggests that it provides a world of benefits, including burning calories quicker, improving your body's consumption of oxygen and improving your overall health. In addition, interval training gives you a chance to develop stamina for high-intense exercises.
Interval training works for all forms of exercise. For example, if you wanted to build stamina in terms of running, then you would alternate between a jog for two minutes and a sprint for two minutes. Also, you could sprint in one direction for 50 yards and then walk backwards to the start, repeating the task until exhausted. Nevertheless, be sure to take it easy and not to stress out your body to the point of injury. Lactic acid can build up quickly in the muscles leaving you sore the next day if you do too much high performance exercise.
Endurance Exercise
Unlike interval training which goes between high- and low-intensity, endurance training focuses on maintaining a high to moderate amount of exercise for an extended period. A study published in the April 2008 edition of "Therapeutic Advances in Cardiovascular Disease" found that endurance exercises improved stamina for both those with and without cardiovascular disease. In fact, your heart learns to improve blood oxygen levels the more you push it to its limit with exercise.
To train stamina using endurance exercise, perform any exercise at a medium to high level for longer than you normally would. For instance, if you usually swim four laps, or eight lengths, of the pool before stopping, then you would instead swim six laps or more, pushing yourself further the better you get.
Flexibility Exercise
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that you can improve stamina by regularly engaging in stretching exercises. The research specifically focuses on individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), who grow tired with little exertion, but even normal individuals can benefit from frequent stretching.
Start by extending an arm above your head and pulling your elbow with the other arm down and toward your back, holding it there for a count of five seconds. Then rotate. Also practice stretching by reaching down as much as you can toward your toes. Any sort of stretching of the legs, arms or other muscles will improve your stamina and flexibility, reducing your risk of injury during high-intense exercise.
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