Stamina refers to physical strength and endurance. It can also refer to mental strength and durability. A person with a lot of stamina is energetic and has the ability to perform different tasks or challenges at a greater than average level. What is so interesting about stamina is that you attain it by practicing and perfecting the tasks you want to have stamina for in the first place.
Step 1
Get a physical. Before starting any new exercise routine, you need to know what your limitations are. Your doctor can check your heart, lungs, organs and muscles and let you know how far and hard you can push yourself. Your doctor can also rule out any problems that may be getting in the way of your stamina, like a thyroid disorder or other treatable condition.
Step 2
Work out at least three times a week for about 30 minutes each day when you start a new exercise routine. Do aerobic exercises that up your heart rate like jogging, biking and fast walking.
Step 3
Keep a performance log. Charting your progress will show you in black and white just how much you are improving and how far you have come. Some people judge their success based on how much weight they lose. The Cleveland Clinic explains, however, that "while your fat level may be decreasing, you may be increasing in lean body mass." Meaning that you may not lose any weight at all, but still showing tremendous improvement in your stamina and endurance levels.
Step 4
Eat a healthy and balanced diet. We get most of our energy from the food we eat. Fitness professional Dale Andrew, M.A., recommends eating four to six small meals a day. "Spacing out your meals will help regulate your blood sugar and maintain good energy levels throughout the day." Try some of these foods recommended by the Mayo Clinic: fruits like raspberries, grains like whole-wheat pasta, and nuts or legumes like black beans or almonds.
Step 5
Lose weight or maintain a healthy body weight. This means that you should not weigh too much or too little. Check your body mass index at Nhlbisupport.com/bmi. A healthy female between the ages of 19 and 30 only needs to take in between 2,000 and 2,200 calories daily if she leads a moderately active lifestyle. A male at that age should take in between 2,600 and 2,800 calories, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Tips and Warnings
- If you're not crazy about physical exercise, join a group or club. If you have a support group of people urging you to stick with your goals, you're more likely to succeed.
- If you find that you're out of breath quite often or your heart beats uncomfortably fast, be sure to report it to your doctor. These could be symptoms of a serious condition.
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