If you find yourself huffing and puffing after climbing a short flight of stairs, or not able to run as far as you want during your morning jogs, you might have a problem with decreased stamina. As you age, so do your muscles and cardiovascular system, causing lower stamina. However, you can get stamina back again by properly nourishing and hydrating your body, and by engaging in some drills to keep your body and stamina at peak performance.
Step 1
Provide your body with optimum nutrition. Your stamina is negatively affected when you eat a heavy, unhealthy meal before exercising, as opposed to a lean, balanced one. Choose a variety of complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, and fruits and vegetables. View your food as fuel rather than just a way to stop being hungry.
Step 2
Engage in regular aerobic activities to strengthen your heart and increase your stamina. The Mayo Clinic notes that when you exercise aerobically (running, biking, taking an aerobics class or otherwise engaging your cardiovascular system), your blood vessels are able to better carry oxygen through your body and muscles, resulting in an increase of stamina each time you work out.
Step 3
Use multiple repetitions to condition your body for increased stamina. According to NaturalPhysiques.com, you must complete at least 12 or more repetitions of any given exercise in order to gain stamina. If 12 repetitions seems a bit much in the beginning, do as many as you can before you tire.
Step 4
Complete training drills specific to the type of stamina that you need. If you need your body to be able to start and stop quickly, try popular basketball drills where you run a length, then stop and touch the ground before running the length again. If you need muscular stamina, see how long you can endure holding a heavy weight. Training drills are a good way to introduce your body to the skills needed for more stamina.
Step 5
Try altitude training. Altitude training is training in a higher altitude than you need to compete or perform in. There is less oxygen in areas of high altitude, like Denver, Colorado and Salt Lake City, Utah. Training in these areas strengthens your stamina by adapting your lungs and body to competing in a higher altitude. When you return to a lower altitude, your stamina will be improved.
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