How To Improve Stamina For Football

Football can be a tough game, one that requires a great deal of skill from its players. Not only do you need to be quick, strong and agile, you also need the endurance to be able to perform over the course of two to three hours or more. Add the heavy, bulky equipment you'll be wearing, and weather conditions during the season that can range from sweltering to below freezing, and it's evident how much you need stamina to succeed as a football player.

Step 1

Take good care of your body. This might sound simplistic, but you cannot function at peak form unless you are well-nourished and well-rested. Eat plenty of lean proteins, fresh fruits and vegetables, and complex carbohydrates such as whole-grain breads, cereals and pasta. Stay hydrated with plenty of water, and get at least eight hours of sleep every night.

Step 2

Condition your body through interval training. According to University of Nebraska strength and conditioning coaches Mike Arthur and Bryan Bailey, long-distance running does not develop the type of stamina you need to perform at peak capacity during football games. As actual game situations typically consist of five seconds of play followed by 50 seconds of rest, Nebraska's running program is centered around interval training, which intersperses short sprints with agility drills such as running in a zigzag pattern between cones, or running across the rungs of a ladder stretched out on the ground.

Step 3

Increase muscular endurance through regular calisthenics. Sit-ups, push-ups and pull-ups will all increase your muscles' ability to bear weight for an increased length of time. You do not need any special equipment, other than perhaps a pull-up bar, for a calisthenics workout, nor do you need to make room in your schedule for regular visits to the gym, as you can perform sit-ups and push-ups anywhere you have a few feet of floor to stretch out on.

Step 4

Lift weights three times a week. According to weight-training coach Richard Black, you should allow at least one day off before game day, so if your games are on Fridays, you should lift Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday; for Saturday games, lift Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday and Thursday; and for Sunday games, lift Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Weight training will not only boost your stamina, it will also increase bone density and allow you to heal more quickly from any injuries you may suffer during a game.

Step 5

Go out for the track team in the spring. USA Football, the National Football League's official youth development partner, recommends track and field as an off-season sport that will help condition football players at all positions. Events such as sprints, hurdles, discus, hammer, javelin and shot put can improve your balance, coordination, flexibility, agility, speed and strength as well as improving your stamina.