Whether you play sports, want to focus on fitness or simply want to improve your stamina for everyday activities, then drills and exercises can help you achieve the stamina you desire. Whether you choose to push through the pain for a few more repetitions or want to challenge yourself with a sports-based stamina drill, building up stamina is a process. Start small and work your way up to increased stamina as you train and teach your body to work for longer periods of time.
Repetitive Exercise
The amount of repetitions that you do of any strength training exercise will have an effect on your stamina training. When strength training, aim for less than six heavy repetitions for strength training, six to 12 reps for hypertrophy and more than 12 reps for stamina, according to fitness website NaturalPhysiques.com. When strength training for stamina, choose a light to moderate weight and perform more reps to build up that stamina.
Aerobic Exercise
Completing aerobic exercise that elevates your heart rate for an extended periods is an effective technique for building up stamina. According to the Mayo Clinic, when you participate in aerobic exercise, your heart rate increases, you maximize the amount of oxygen in your blood, and that oxygen is more readily carried to your muscles. Regular aerobic exercise for 30 to 60 minutes at a time will help your body acclimate to cardiovascular activity.
Stamina Drills
Completing short bursts of exercise while practicing necessary skills for a sport is a highly effective way to build up stamina. A triangle drill, also known as a modified suicide drill, sets markers up in a triangular shape, at 2-yard intervals. The person starts at the bottom of the triangle and runs to the first marker on the right side, and back to start. He then makes his way to the second marker on the right side, and back to start, and so on. Once he's reached the peak of the triangle, he makes his way down the left sides. This stamina-building exercise teaches your body to stop and start abruptly.
If you're looking for muscular stamina over cardiovascular stamina, a popular basketball drill helps to train your upper body. Placing each of your hands on a basketball while laying on the floor, a partner lifts you by the ankles to her waist. You then balance on the ball for as long as you can, which will build your stamina and the amount of time you can successfully balance.
Altitude Training
Altitude training is used by world-class athletes to increase stamina. The University of Massachusetts points out that athletes who train at a higher altitude than they plan on competing in have a significant advantage in sports. There is less oxygen at altitudes above 8,000 feet, making training more challenging. When returning to sea level, the athlete retains the stamina and performance she gained while altitude training.
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